Post Office Fixed Deposit - Interest Rates and Features

Fixed deposit is one of the safest investment avenues offered by banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and post offices. A post office fixed deposit, also known as a post office term deposit, is a fixed deposit issued by the Indian postal services. Post office fixed deposits are backed by the sovereign guarantee of the Government of India. The post office FD interest rates range from 6.80% p.a. – 7.50% p.a., offering investors stable growth.

Due to its backing by a sovereign guarantee provided by the Union Ministry of Finance, these FD schemes provide the highest level of capital protection and income predictability for depositors. These FD programs are run by the National Savings Institute, which is a division of the Department of Economic Affairs within the Union Ministry of Finance, just like other modest savings programs. Post Office Fixed Deposits (PO FD) are also referred to as National Savings Time Deposits as a result.

Post office fixed deposit interest rates 2023

Post office FD is a preferred investment option for a safe investment avenue. These post office FDs are backed by the sovereign guarantee of the Government of India.

Here is a table on features of post office fixed deposit

Note: All interest rates shown below are as on 20th February 2023.

*if the account is closed between 6-12 months from the date of opening, then Post office savings A/c rates will be applicable.

Here is a table of the features and benefits offered by Bajaj Finance.

Post Office FD: TDS implication/ taxation

One significant benefit of investing in post office FD is that (TDS*) isn't deducted on the interest earned.

While documenting Income Tax Return (ITR), one can add their investments of fixed deposit in post office to claim deduction u/s 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The upper limit for deductions under the said section of the IT Act, 1961 is maxed at Rs. 1.5 lakh, every financial year.

Post office fixed deposit vs Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit

Suppose you are thinking of redirecting the interest earned from the post office FD. In that case, you can consider an alternative option of investing in high-yielding companies that offer similar guarantees with zero to low risk on FD.

Even though post office FD may offer a higher interest rate than bank FD, it cannot match the interest rate provided by company FDs. You can ensure maximum returns on FDs guaranteed by well-financed and liquid companies like Bajaj Finance. Let us see how you can benefit even further with a Bajaj Finance FD.

• Investment rate – Bajaj Finance FD offers higher interest rates of up to 8.50% p.a., which is higher than any other fixed-income option given the current state of the economy. A post office FD will allow a maximum of 7.00% p.a., which can be further reduced if the government securities (G-sec) yield falls.
• Flexibility – Bajaj Finance FD offers flexible terms for premature withdrawal (compared to post office FD). It also provides an option to avail of loan against FD at a marginal interest rate.
• Ease of access – While a post office FD may not offer you many online features, you can easily invest in a Bajaj Finance online FD that enables you to reap the benefit of an end-to-end online paperless procedure. Additional features of doorstep document pickup, multi-deposit, and auto-renewal make it even more convenient. You can open a Bajaj Finance online FD account by just using a debit card at a few locations.

Bajaj Finance also accepts deposits from NRIs and is rated high on the safety and stability ranking, making it one of the best investment options for those with a lower risk appetite. To help you compare the features of post office fixed deposit and Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit, here is a table detailing the differences between the two:

With 2.46 lakh customers and a total deposit book size of more than 30000 crores, you can trust Bajaj Finance FD to give you maximum returns at little to no risk.