Skip to main content

Company FDs and NCDs give more returns than banks



Even if bank FD rates fall, high returns can still be ensured elsewhere.

 

While the prospect of further rate cuts by the RBI are boosting sentiments in the stock and bond markets, it is also making traditional fixed income investors nervous. Sooner or later banks and other institutions will bring down the rates on offer, signalling an end to near double-digit rates you are enjoying on various deposits at present. But there are ways to side step the rate cuts and continue enjoying higher returns for some more time.

Lend to corporates

While bank fixed deposits and recurring deposits would be the obvious choice for many, those with a slightly higher risk appetite and looking for a higher yield may opt for any of the corporate fixed deposits or debentures available. Experts reckon investors can lock in to current high yields before rates on these instruments also start going down. In the midst of falling interest rates, you may not get such opportunities for a while. For instance, investors can get anywhere between a 50200 bps (0.5%-2%) higher yield on the range of company FDs, compared to traditional bank fixed deposits. Fixed deposits from non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) are offering 9.5% to 11% for three year tenure under the non-cumulative interest pay out option (See chart). Certain manufacturing companies are offering slightly higher coupon rates, in the region of 12% on three-year fixed deposits. The interest earned on these company deposits is taxable at the rate applicable to your income tax slab.

If corporate FDs are not your cup of tea, you may consider putting your money in non-convertible debentures. Although there are hardly any fresh issues in the market currently, you can purchase any of the existing instruments listed on the stock exchange. Make sure to invest only in those instruments which are not maturing within the next one or two years. Since rates are expected to fall quite a bit in the coming year, opting for a NCD which will mature only 12-18 months from now will expose you to reinvestment risk, where you will be forced to park the maturity proceeds at a lower rate. For instance, Shriram Transport Finance NY bonds offering a coupon rate of 11.25% under the cumulative pay out option has a residual maturity of 1.52 years. The yield-to-maturity (YTM) on these bonds is 10.6%. On the other hand, the Shriram Transport Finance NU bonds with same coupon have a residual maturity of 2.55 years. They are currently offering a YTM of 10.72%.

A big benefit of opting for NCDs is the possibility of capital appreciation in these instruments as the rates fall. This offers you a chance to sell them at a profit, instead of holding on to them till maturity. With bond yields likely to come off by 1-1.5% in the coming months, investors could fetch decent capital gains on their NCD holdings. Besides, NCDs are a tax-efficient option as these are eligible for long term capital gains after one year. This means your gains will be taxed at a lower rate of 10% instead of at the rate corresponding to your income tax slab. However, the interest earned on these NCDs will be taxable as per the tax slab of the investor. Keep in mind though that these NCDs are not easily tradeable despite being listed on the exchanges. Liquidity can become a constraint for retail investors in NCDs. The trading volumes in some cases are very low, which makes it difficult for the buyer or seller to enter or exit at the desired price point. So you may end up buying at a higher price and selling at a much lower price than what you were looking for.

Credit quality is crucial

In both cases, investors must give due importance to the credit quality of the issuer. While your bank fixed deposits offer the highest degree of safety, company FDs and NCDs carry a much higher degree of risk as these are unsecured instruments. Invest only if you are convinced that the issuing company's financials are strong. Do not get swayed by the higher yield. Ensure the company's business model and financials are on a strong footing. This can be gauged from the credit rating assigned to the paper by the rating agency. AAA' or similar rated papers offer highest degree of safety, but fetch lower return. `AA' and lower rated papers come with attractive coupon rates, but imply a higher degree of risk.

Investors need to be careful especially when dealing with some lesser known names in the manufacturing space. You may take a call on lower quality paper provided you are dealing with marquee names in the manufacturing space, which boast of sustainable business.

Best Tax Saver Mutual Funds or ELSS Mutual Funds for 2015

1.ICICI Prudential Tax Plan

2.Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund

3.HDFC TaxSaver

4.DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund

5.Religare Tax Plan

6.Franklin India TaxShield

7.Canara Robeco Equity Tax Saver

8.IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund

9.Axis Tax Saver Fund

10.BNP Paribas Long Term Equity Fund

You can invest Rs 1,50,000 and Save Tax under Section 80C by investing in Mutual Funds

Invest in Tax Saver Mutual Funds Online -

Invest Online

Download Application Forms

For further information contact Prajna Capital on 94 8300 8300 by leaving a missed call

---------------------------------------------

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write to us at

PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

OR

Leave a missed Call on 94 8300 8300

---------------------------------------------

Invest Mutual Funds Online

Invest Any Mutual Fund Online

Download Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

Popular posts from this blog

SBI Magnum Tax Gain Scheme 1993 Applcation Form

    https://sites.google.com/site/mutualfundapplications/tax-saving-mutual-funds-elss     Investment Details Basics Min Investment (Rs) 500 Subsequent Investment (Rs) 500 Min Withdrawal (Rs) -- Min Balance -- Pricing Method Forward Purchase Cut-off Time (hrs) 15 Redemption Cut-off Time (hrs) 15 Redemption Time (days) -- Lock-in 1095 days Cheque Writing -- Systematic Investment Plan SIP Yes Initial Investment (Rs) -- Additional Investment (Rs) 500 No of Cheques 12 Note Monthly investment of Rs 1000 for 6 months and quarterly investment of Rs 1500 for 4 quarters.

Impact of Demonetisation

The government's move to demonetise `500 and `1,000 currency notes will immediately impact reserve money and money supply in the system along with the balance sheet of the Reserve Bank of India, the sole authority in the country for accepting currency notes and coins as legal tender. ET explains the interplay of currency, reserve money and money supply. 1. What is currency in circulation? It is the total value of currency (coins and paper currency) that has ever been issued by the central bank minus the amount that has been withdrawn by it. Currency in circulation comprises currency notes and coins with the public and cash in hand with banks. It is a major liability component of a central bank's balance sheet. 2. What is reserve money? It is essentially the central bank's money . It is also called high-powered money , base money and central bank money . As per the definition, reserve money equals currency in circulation plus bankers' deposits

Birla Sun Life Tax Plan Online

Invest Birla Sun Life Tax Plan Online   An Open-ended Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) with the objective to achieve long-term growth of capital along with income tax relief for investment.   After a bad patch from 2008 to 2010, Birla Sun Life Tax Plan has made a big comeback in the last five years, with a particularly good run since 2014. The fund's rankings, which had slipped to two stars in 2011-12, recovered sharply to three-four stars in the last three years. The fund has delivered a particularly large outperformance over its benchmark and peers in the last couple of years. The fund's investment strategy focuses on a diversified and high-quality portfolio, with parameters such as capital ratios and balance-sheet strength used to judge quality. It uses a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches to take sector/stock positions. The fund avoids highly leveraged plays. Staying more or less fully invested at all times, the fund parks roughly half of its portfoli

Should you Roll Over 1 year Fixed Maturity Plans?

The period between January and March typically sees an uptick in the launch of fixed maturity plans, or FMPs. Not this year. Instead, fund houses are busy rolling over or extending the tenure of their one- year FMPs launched last year to three years. Investors in one- year FMPs have a choice. Either redeem units or roll over to three years. If you exit now, your gains will be added to your income and taxed in line with your individual slab rate of 10, 20 or 30 per cent. If you stay invested for two more years, you pay 20 per cent tax with indexation benefit. Yields have softened in the past few months on expectations of a rate cut. If the central bank continues its soft monetary stance, yields are likely to fall further. In such a scenario, it makes sense for investors, particularly those in the 30 per cent tax bracket, to roll over their investments and lock in at a higher yield now. In a surprise move, the Reserve Bank of India cut repo rate by 25 basis

Mutual Fund Review: IDFC Premier Equity Fund

  IDFC Premier Equity Fund, which falls under the presumed high risk group of mid- and small-cap schemes, can rely on astute and timely equity picks. These make it less vulnerable to fluctuations compared with others in the category   IDFC Premier Equity Fund is designed to invest in upcoming, but promising businesses available at cheap valuations, and hold on to these businesses until they reap desired returns. The experiment has been successful so far, and IDFC Premier Equity has emerged as one of the top performing mutual fund schemes in the mid- and smallcap category of equity schemes.    While the scheme is an open-ended equity fund, i.e. open for subscriptions throughout the year, it has a unique philosophy to limit fresh inflows. Thus, while an investor can always take the systematic investment plan ( SIP ) route to invest in the scheme throughout the year, inflows through a lumpsum investment have been restricted. Since inception, IDFC Premier Equity has been opened for l
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds Invest Now