Digital transactions promoted on a large scale do not merely benefit savers and investors in terms of ease but are also cost-effective. Lower expenses paid towards acquiring a financial product results in better return. So, here are listed few such investment options which prove to be lucrative when betted on through the online route.

1. Investment in Mutual Funds via the Direct Plan route: 0.75% to 1.25% commission i.e. otherwise on generated returns to agents in the regular schemes is done away with in direct plans. In which the investor is required to visit the asset management company's site and select the mutual fund. The removal of intermediary in the process saves on costs by as much as 100 basis points for the investor. The lesser cost for the investor is reflected in the lower expense ratio for a scheme and so in general direct plan schemes of mutual fund houses are available with a lower expense fee.

2. Life Insurance: Insurance that should indeed be the first and foremost product in your financial kitty list as a first stepping stone in your financial planning exercise should correspond to term insurance and not other insurance products which have been clubbed together with investment but are indeed a total waste.

So, when talking about the online purchase of such products, you save on considerably with respect to premium amount on a yearly basis. Nonetheless, you might have to suffer substantially when making a claim towards it from the company with no intermediary or agent. However, a diligent exercise would be to opt for a life insurer with a high claim settlement ratio together with lower turnaround time in case of the settlement of claim.

3. Investment in E-gold or Gold ETFs saves you from the lost of storing physical gold in locker: Though, the other modes of investment in gold such as gold ETFs and e-gold attract brokerage fee at the same time they do their bit by saving you considerably in respect of no risk due to loss or theft and spares you from storing worries.

4. Low-cost brokerage or Free demat or trading services for online trading in stocks: Few of the yester year brokerage houses are increasing their consumer base with free trading and demat services for stock trading.

So, with better and cheaper online investment, you can surely zero-in on such deals but at the same time ensure you are also well protected from the risk associated with undertaking digital transactions in the current regime of frauds and identity thefts.