We all know the importance of investment. It is very much required to lead a financially balanced life. One needs to invest in the right type of investment at the right time in order to generate returns. There are certain aspects of investments that need to be considered by the investor before making the investment such as the risk factor, time duration, economic situation of the market, rate of returns, etc. It becomes even challenging for a salaried individual who has to manage a particular amount by saving, spending, and investing at the same time from the same stipulated income. In this case, a salaried person needs to be more careful and should find out a safer way to invest his/her amount. Here are some options through which any salaried individual can invest easily.
- PPF- PPF stands for Public Provident Fund. It is a type of long term investment. The scheme was started by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in 1968 with the objective of mobilizing the small savings in the form of investments with a combination of a return. It offers an attractive rate of interest and is considered a safe investment. Under section 80 C of the Income Tax Act, PPF offers tax benefits that include tax exemption from the interest amount. The maturity period of the Public Provident Fund is set for a period of 15 years and can be extended within one year for a minimum of five years. The minimum, as well as maximum amount that can be invested as an annual deposit, is Rs. 500 and Rs. 1.5 lakhs respectively.
- SIP- SIP refers to Systematic Investment Plan. In this type of investment, the person can invest the amount weekly, monthly or quarterly depending upon the frequency they choose. The investor has to pay a small amount periodically rather than paying a large amount all at once. It is best to opt for a longer period of time for a salaried person if they choose this option as long term investments in SIPs generate greater returns. The investor can also use the SIP calculator as it helps in calculating the returns one would get in the future.
- Fixed deposits- It is one of the best and safe short term investment alternatives. The maturity period of the fixed deposits ranges from 7 days to a maximum of ten years. The investor can grow their profit at a fixed rate of interest which is usually higher than the interest rates provided by the savings accounts. The risk involved in this option is very low and the rate of interest is profitable.
- Gold- Gold is considered a safe investment and is also used as an inflation hedge. It is a long term investment and people can invest in gold through various gold deposit schemes, purchasing physical gold, gold exchange-traded funds, gold mutual funds, etc. Some of the best gold mutual fund schemes in India are as follows:
- Invesco India gold fund
- Nippon India gold savings fund
- Aditya Birla Sun Life gold fund
- SBI gold fund
- Axis gold fund
- HDFC gold fund
- ICICI Pru Regular gold savings fund
- Kotak gold fund, etc.
Conclusion
In addition to the options mentioned above, there are several other options available in the market. The best way to get good returns or achieve profits throughout investments is to start as early as possible. Through the power of compounding, the investor can obtain the desired amount in the future.
