Fixed Deposit vs SIP

Offered by banks, post offices and NBFCs, a Fixed Deposit (FD) is a traditional savings scheme where you invest a lump sum for a fixed period. Here are some salient features of fixed deposits:

• FD is a fixed-income instrument offering assured returns, making it an excellent choice for risk-averse investors. 
• You will receive a fixed interest rate on your FD during its tenure. On completion of the term, the principal investment is returned to you.
• Based on interest payout frequency, Fixed Deposits are categorised into cumulative and non-cumulative FDs. In a cumulative FD, the investor gets interest as a lump sum at the end of maturity. In a non-cumulative FD, interest is periodically paid to the investor, i.e. monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or on an annual basis.
• FD tenure is flexible, ranging from seven days to 10 years. Depending on the tenure, the interest rates range from 2.5% to 8%.
• Senior citizens above 60 are eligible to receive a slightly higher interest rate.
• Investors can decide on the FD investment tenure based on their liquidity needs.
• Tax deductions are allowed on investments up to Rs.1.5 lakh in tax-saving FDs under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act of 1961. These FDs have a tenure of 5 years.
• The interest earned on a fixed deposit is not tax-free and is taxed according to the investor’s income-tax bracket. In addition to this, TDS will be applicable on interest income from FDs.
• FDs can be used as collateral to secure a loan.

A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a facility offered for disciplined investment in Mutual Funds. SIP facility allows an investor to invest a fixed amount of money at predefined intervals in the selected mutual fund scheme. Here are the key features you need to know about SIPs:

• SIP allows you to consistently invest small amounts into a mutual fund.
• The payments are auto-debited from your savings bank account on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually. Hence, you need to ensure that your bank account has adequate funds.
• SIPs enable you to build an investment habit and reduces the burden of making lump sum investment all at once.
• Unlike an FD, mutual funds offer higher return potential in the long term. So they can be used to build wealth over a longer timeframe.
• When you invest regularly through SIP for a considerably long period of time, the benefits are magnified by the compounding effect, as returns are subsequently generated on initial principal and pre-accrued return.
• One can choose to invest in the SIP mode across a wide range of mutual funds like equity mutual funds, hybrid, and debt mutual funds, based on your risk appetite and financial goals.
• Investment via SIPs in mutual funds will allow you to take advantage of rupee-cost averaging. As you invest a constant amount through SIPs, you can buy more MF units when the price is low and less units when the price is high. This brings down the average cost per unit.
• You can start investing as less as Rs. 100 per month, thus lowering the pressure to invest a lump sum.

You can consider investing in both FDs and SIPs to build a consistent investment habit over the long term.

FD is an evergreen investment for those seeking low-risk investments with assured returns.

On the other hand, SIP in mutual funds comes with relatively higher risks and offers higher return potential over the long timeframe. Disciplined investing using this mode can help you build a significant corpus.

Collectively, these tools help accelerate your wealth creation objectives, enabling you to accomplish your life goals promptly. Even if you haven’t already started your investment journey, developing an understanding of the various investment avenues will help.