Here's What You Should Do With Your PPF Account Once It Matures

Public Provident Fund (PPF), a retirement planning-focused instrument, has a lock-in period of 15 years. In this investment, the overall interest earned during the period of investment as well as the maturity amount is tax-free.

Since 15 years is a long period, reaching the maturity in case of PPF is itself like completing an important milestone in the financial journey. However, on reaching maturity, many may be plagued by the 'What's next' question.

In view of this, let's look at some of the options to proceed with the PPF account once it matures:

Close the account and withdraw the entire amount

Investors can transfer the entire amount (generated from PPF investment) to a savings account by submitting an application to the bank or post office.

Extend the account without fresh deposits

The PPF account can remain active even after maturity, without making any fresh contributions. It continues earning tax-free interest after maturity.

This means investors can continue it even without making fresh deposits.

Extend the account with fresh deposits

The PPF account can also be extended within one year of maturity for a further five years and so on.

In the words of Abhinav Angirish, founder of InvestOnline.in, "Account holders can reinvest their maturity amount. However, as per PPF rules, only Rs 1.5 lakh can be invested in a year. Hence, it won't be possible to invest the entire amount in a fresh account. So, investors can extend the PPF account in the block of five years."

The longer the money stays invested, the quicker it grows.

Invest in other avenues

Alternatively, investors can invest the PPF amount in mutual funds.

"The investments can be made in parts, for example, some amount can be invested in liquid funds (to cover emergencies) while some amount can be invested in short and medium duration debt funds. The idea is to generate returns that can not only beat inflation but also help the investments grow at a healthy rate," suggests Angirish.

Additionally, anyone who is unsure about investment should consult a qualified financial advisor and take appropriate advice that suits their profile.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How SIP Calculator Can Help You?

Image
  www.investonline.in  website provides a tool known as an easy-to-use SIP calculator for comparing different plan options. You can use SIP calculator to gauge the potential returns your capital will get in future. Example: If you invest ₹1,000 in a ₹50 per unit SIP, what kind of returns will you see? You can select a 5-year rolling return for your calculation. The result shows an expected growth rate of around 12% per annum for the ₹1,000 investment. The longer the period, the higher the returns. The tool calculates returns as a percentage. If your contribution is made for a 15-year period, the estimated return on your investment will be in the range of 15.5% to 17.7%. This shows that SIPs have the potential to deliver higher returns compared to other investment options. However, you will also get higher risk. Minimum Invested Amount Most SIPs come with a minimum amount for investment. This is what the fund house requires as part of the SIP contract. The minimum amou...
Read more

Do you really need international funds in your portfolio?

Image
Answering yes to the above question means that now is a good time to review your international exposure and rebalance your portfolio. If you find that you do need international funds in your portfolio and you still have some money left to invest, then consider adding an international fund to your portfolio. You should be aware of some risks, though. International funds are complex International funds are complex in several ways. First, they often have more than one series of shares and different types of units are available. So, before investing, you need to ensure that you understand how the units are listed, traded, and are tax-efficient. In addition, while the underlying portfolios are generally similar, the funds can vary widely in their credit ratings, liquidity, liquidity requirement, etc. You have to consider a lot of different factors before investing in an international fund. What makes international funds volatile? International funds are more volatile In gener...
Read more

Why Arbitrage Funds Are Attractive For Conservative Investors

Image
The markets are trading at lifetime high seas but many investors are jittery and are hesitant to invest in the present market. Historical e equity funds have delivered above-average returns and will continue to remain the best asset class. However, equity investments are volatile and one should always and sure of the safety of their investments during volatile times.  If you find present levels of the markets quite high and fear volatility you can invest in arbitrage funds. The objective of the arbitrage fund is to preserve capital while delivering modest returns on capital invested. Arbitrage funds invest an equal portion of equity and futures. For example, if the fund buys 1000 shares of X company encash market it sells the same number of shares in the futures market. They also invest up to 35% in debt. This strategy ensures that if there are no arbitrage opportunities present in the equities they can generate the income from the debt investments.  Arbitrage funds make money...
Read more