The National Savings Certificate is regarded as one of the most widely used savings tools. NSC stands for National Savings Certificate. It is a government-sponsored investment scheme that combines guaranteed returns with tax breaks. Conservative investors seeking low-risk investing opportunities with a steady income can consider NSC.
PPF, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi and other small savings schemes’ rates announced for April-June quarter; check here
What is the NSC latest interest rate
The government revises interest rate on all the small savings schemes every quarter, which includes National Savings Certificate. However for this quarter, the government has not revised the rates and has kept the NSC rate unchanged at 7.7% compounded annually but payable at maturity.
Features of the National Savings Certificate
Below are some of the important features of NSC which makes it attractive, according to the HDFC Life website.
Also read: What is the SCSS interest rate for the April- June 2024 quarter?Guaranteed returns
National Savings Certificates offer guaranteed set returns throughout the term. This scheme’s interest rate does not fluctuate in response to market fluctuations. NSCs often yield better returns than FDs during the same time period.
Minimum and maximum amount
You can make a minimum deposit of Rs. 1,000 into an NSC and invest in multiples of Rs. 100 after that. There is no maximum limit nor a limit on the number of deposits.
Premature withdrawal
NSC investments do not allow any premature withdrawal of funds. Once you invest in this scheme, you can withdraw the amount only after the end of the lock-in period. However, for exceptional cases like the death of an investor or a court order, the post office might accept your premature withdrawal request.
Also read: Was Public Provident Fund rate hiked for April-June 2024 quarter?
Maturity period
The maturity period for NSC investment is 5 years.
Tax Saver
National Savings Certificate is a government-backed scheme. Hence, by investing here, you can claim a tax deduction up to Rs. 1.5 lakh under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
Maturity Amount
At the end of your investment tenure, you will receive the complete maturity amount. There are no TDS charges applicable on NSC returns. However, as an investor, you would need to pay the applicable tax on the amount.