Bank fixed deposit (FD) rates have been on the increase for a while now, providing investors with an opportunity to earn higher returns on their term deposits.
But banks aren’t the only ones to offer fixed deposits to investors . Even post offices offer facilities of fixed deposits across different tenures much similar to bank fixed deposits.
But then are they the same? How are post office deposits different from bank fixed deposits, and which one should you opt for? Let’s have a look.
Bank FD Vs Post office FD: The first difference between post office FDs and bank FDs is that post office FDs are government schemes and are linked with government schemes. Therefore, they are least affected by volatility in interest rates.
Interest rates offered on bank FDs, on the other hand, depend on the central bank rate revisions, and therefore, change more frequently. Also, different banks offer different FD rates.
“A post office deposit has a sovereign guarantee, whereas a bank fixed deposit is based on the issuer, which is a bank. Even in the case of a bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guarantee under deposit insurance and credit guarantee corporation (DICGC) is limited to Rs 5 lakh, including principal and interest,” says Amit Suri, CEO, AUM Wealth Management.
Interest Rate: Post office FDs offer an interest rate of 5.5 per cent, 5.7 per cent, 5.8 per cent, and 6.7 per cent for one year, two years, three years, and five, years respectively.
For banks, there is no uniform rate. The country’s largest lender, the State Bank of India, for instance offers a rate of interest of 6.10 per cent, 6.25 per cent, 6.10 per cent, and 6.10 per cent for one year to less than two years, two years to less than three years, three years to less than five years, and five years up to 10 years, respectively.
Other banks offer different rates.
Tenure: Bank FDs have a tenure ranging from 7 days to 10 years, while post office fixed deposits can be extended up to 5 years only.
Tax Benefits: Both post office FDs and bank FDs offer a tax benefit of Rs 1.5 lakh if held for five years. While all citizens can earn a deduction of up to Rs 10,000 on the interest earned per year for both these deposits, for senior citizens the deduction limit is Rs 50,000.
Withdrawals: Both bank FDs as well as post office FDs allow for premature withdrawal after levying penalty.
Says Suri: “But what is also important is at what percentage and for what tenure you are blocking your money. The most important thing to take care of now is to invest in bank FD or post office schemes at the prevailing high-interest rates for longer tenure, based on your requirements.”
At present, some banks are offering higher returns on FDs in comparison to post office FDs, which makes them an attractive proposition.
That said, whether it is a bank FD or a post office FD, the important thing to remember is that you should not invest all your money in FDs, as their returns often fail to beat inflation.
But in a shorter investment horizon, FDs can be a good option, as they offer guaranteed returns .
