Small Savings Small Cut
June 3, 2017
After staying put in the March quarter, the government has finally cut rates on small savings schemes offered by the post office in the April-June 2017 quarter. A rate cut was overdue. G-Sec yields, to which post office schemes rates have been linked , are down sharply over the past year. Even so, the government has been kind. The quantum of the latest rate cut- just 0.1 percentage point accross small savings schemes except post office savings accounts – has been mild. The government going by its formula to fix these rates, had the leeway to wield the knife more forcefully. So, the PPF and NSC will now get 7.9 per cent, while the Sukanya Samriddhi and Senior Citizens Schemes
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EPF to NPS: Should you jump ship?
June 3, 2017
No, as the EPF is the best bet for the safe portion of your retirement kitty If you’re a salaried employee, how would you like to switch from your staid old EPF (Employees Provident Fund) to the market-linked NPS (National Pension System)? Though the government has mooted it, there are still legal hurdles to cross before this option becomes a reality. But if given the choice to jump ship from EPF to NPS, should you do it? Here are the pros and cons. Return and Risk If your retirement goal is to accumulate maximum wealth, never mind the risks. NPS is more likely to deliver it than EPF. This is because while EPF is restricted by mandate to stick to
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Small savings interest rates slashed
March 22, 2016
Investor returns will come down by 60-130 bps for the quarter from April 1 Your small saving investments are will fetch lower returns starting April 1, with the Finance Ministry on Friday announcing revised interest rates for these schemes. The vastly popular Public Provident Fund will earn 8.1 per cent against the current rate of 8.7 per cent. The new interest rates, which will be applicable for the first quarter of 2016-17 (April 1 to June 30), are 60-130 basis points lower, depending on the scheme. The interest rate on Kisan Vikas Patra has been slashed to 7.8 per cent from the current 8.7 per cent and that on the five-year National Saving Certificate to 8.1 per cent from 8.5
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All you wanted to know about Green Bonds
January 12, 2016
The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has just mooted new guidelines for Green Bonds. We have already had a few Green Bond issues by Indian firms such as Yes Bank and Exim Bank. These bonds are common in the West where there are full fledged funds that invest only in ‘green’ projects. What is it? Green bonds are debt instruments that raise money to fund clean energy projects. Companies that raise money through these bonds have to invest it only in areas that are environment-friendly such as renewable energy, waste management, clean transport or sustainable land use. Though the green bond market has been in existence globally since 2007, in India it has just made a beginning. In February
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Bank FD Interest rates
November 30, 2015
Foreign Citi Bank Less Than 1 Year 7.00 Year 1 to 2 7.00 Year 2 to 3 7.25 Year 3 to 5 7.25 With Effect From 11-15 DBS Bank Less Than 1 Year 7.00 Year 1 to 2 7.00 Year 2 to 3 6.90 Year 3 to 5 7.00 With Effect From 11-15 Deutsche Bank Less Than 1 Year 6.75 Year 1 to 2 6.75 Year 2 to 3 6.75 Year 3 to 5 7.25 With Effect From 10-15 HSBC Bank Less Than 1 Year 6.25 Year 1 to 2 6.25 Year 2 to 3 6.25 Year 3 to 5 6.50 With Effect From 11-15 RBS Bank Less Than 1 Year 7.25 Year 1 to 2 7.25 Year 2 to
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