For most Indians, contributing in a Recurring Deposit is one of the most trusted and easiest ways to make some investment. It is the most popular among the salaried employees, since it is considered to be a systematic and disciplined way of investing a small amount of the hard earned money keeping in mind some short-term aims and objectives. Not only it is an affordable investment, but also is quite easy to procure. Another reason for the popularity of this scheme is its accessibility. Almost all private and public sector banks offer a Recurring Deposit account. Even if someone who has a very limited means but wants to save, can invest in this scheme. The minimum amount required for an RD is as small as 10 rupees.
Every month the fixed amount is deposited into the RD account. The tenure of a Recurring Deposit scheme is in 3-month multiples. The rate of interest is determined on a yearly basis, however, the compounding is done only after the end of each quarter. Let us take a look at the main features and benefits of a Recurring Deposit.
Interest
Depending on the amount of money that is being deposited, the tenure of the deposit, the rate of interest is offered to the RD account holder.
Tenure or Time Period
The minimum and maximum tenure of a Recurring Deposit account are 6 months and 10 years respectively.
Maturity Amount
When an individual opts to open a RD account, he fixes a time period and an amount that he will pay regularly on a monthly basis. On these two conditions, a rate of interest will be paid to him at the end of the tenure. The amount that he will receive will include the interest that has been accumulated over the tenure. This amount is called the maturity amount.
Withdrawal
Withdrawing money from RD account before the maturity is not allowed.
Availability of Loan
Depending on the policy of the particular bank, a loan of 80%-90% can be taken against the collateral RD amount.
Income Tax
In case the amount of interest is above INR 10,000 the TDS would be deducted. The account holder would also need to mention this when he files the Income Tax Returns.
Penalty
In case the recurring deposit instalment is not paid on time, a penalty is levied on the account holder.