Govt hikes interest rate on small savings by upto 0.4%
The government has raised interest rates on small savings schemes, including NSC and PPF, by up to 0.4% for the third quarter of the financial year 2018-19, starting October 1 and ending on December 31, 2018, in line with rising deposit rates in the banks. Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis by the Finance Ministry. Here's more.
The interest rate for the five-year term deposit, recurring deposit, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been raised to 7.8%, 7.3%, and 8.7%, respectively. The interest on the senior citizens' scheme is paid quarterly. However, interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4%, annually.
Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) will fetch an annual interest rate of 8% compared to existing 7.6%, while Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) will yield 7.7% and mature in 112 months as against 118 months in the previous quarter. Girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi account will earn a higher interest rate of 8.5% rate, 0.4% more than the current rate.
Term deposits of one-three years will fetch 0.3% higher interest rate. While announcing the quarterly setting of interest rates in 2016, the Finance Ministry had said that rates of small savings schemes would be linked to government bond yields. The move is expected to see banks lowering their deposit rates in line with the small savings rate offered by the government.
