TLDR: the government recently introduced a new one-time fixed-interest savings scheme for women, with low minimum investment amounts!

We’ve summarised key deets below. Read on.

Overview

The Mahila Saman Savings Certificate is a government-backed investment scheme that targets women investors. This one-time scheme offers a safe and secure way for women to save money, with guaranteed returns and a range of benefits.

Deets you need to know

👩‍👧 Who can invest: a woman for herself, or on behalf of a minor girl.

🌻 Min and max investment: ₹1000, all the way up to ₹2 lakhs, in multiples of ₹100. Once a deposit has been made, you can’t make a subsequent deposit. This is a one-time savings scheme.

🏤 Where to invest: visit your nearest post office.

🌱 Interest rate: 7.5% per annum. This is great for a risk-free investment! Higher than FDs and most other small savings schemes. The interest is reflected in your account quarterly (compounded), and paid out to you when you close the account.

🏦 Maturity: this is a one-time scheme, available for two years. You can open the account anytime from April 1st, 2023 through March 31st, 2025.

🧧 Withdrawal: partial withdrawals are possible - you can withdraw up to 40% of the amount in your account one year after you’ve opened the account. There are certain exceptional cases wherein you can close the account before the two year mark.

📈 Tax Benefits: unclear at the moment - the government is still defining the tax benefits/exemptions for this scheme. For now, assume there are no tax perks.

Our take

While the tax exemption part is a bummer, you can consider investing in this small savings scheme. 7.5% risk-free interest backed by the government? Sounds like a pretty good deal!