As your returns on a fixed deposit are assured, you can compute the amount you will earn at maturity beforehand. Knowing how your FD interest rate affects your principal will help you make better investment choices and enjoy more handsome returns. So, here’s a rundown on how interest rates work on a fixed deposit.
Interest is compounded
In basic terms, compounding interest allows you to earn interest on interest. This means you earn substantially more than what you would have earned via simple interest. Each year, your FD interest earned in that year is reinvested with the principal, thus letting you earn increasing amounts as the tenor increases.
Consider this example to understand how compound interest works. Say you invest a sum of Rs.1 lakh in a fixed deposit offering you a Fixed Deposit interest rate of 8% compounded annually for 3 years. After one year, the amount of interest you earn is Rs.8,000. This is then reinvested for the next period. Thus, for the next year, you earn interest on the amount of Rs.1,08,000. On the third year, your interest is earned on Rs.1,16,640. The same process continues, and at maturity, you take back Rs.1,25,971.20.
Returns vary with compounding frequency
Since the interest accrued is reinvested, you gain higher returns with an increasing compounding frequency. For a fixed deposit compounded yearly, the interest is reinvested every 12 months and for an FD compounded quarterly, the interest is reinvested every 4 months.
Take a look at the returns you get on Rs.5 lakh invested in an FD earning interest at a rate of 8.50% for 5 years with these different compounding frequencies.
Yearly: Rs.7,51,829
Half-yearly: Rs.7,58,108
Quarterly: Rs.7,61,399
Monthly: Rs.7,63,650
Now that you know the details of your FD interest calculations, take a look at some variables that affect the FD interest rate you obtain.
Principal amount
Often, interest rates are determined by the amount you invest. Financiers generally have slabs that link FD rates to the principal invested. For example, you may obtain a fixed deposit rate of 7.25% for deposits less than Rs.2 crore and 7.50% for deposits above this sum with certain issuers. Bajaj Finance, for instance, offers you a soaring interest rate of up to 8.75% on an amount as low as Rs.25,000.
Investment tenor
FD interest rates are closely linked to the investment tenor. They normally increase and reach a maximum at 36 months or 3 years. Post this term, they could remain the same, or even drop. (bolingbrookmasjid.com) To illustrate, your issuer may offer you an interest rate of 8.15% for a 24-month tenor and an 8.75% interest rate for a 36-month tenor.
Payout frequency
Issuers give you the option of taking back your returns at maturity or earning regularly via frequent interest payouts. Depending on your payout frequency, you may witness an FD rate drop as financiers are left with less liquidity as your payout frequency increases. For instance, you may obtain an FD interest rate of 7.77% for quarterly payouts and a rate of 7.72% for monthly payouts.
Financier
The ROI varies from one issuer to the next. This is why it is imperative that you make a smart Fixed Deposit investment with a top NBFC like Bajaj Finance. Here, new customers get fixed deposit rates as high as 8.75% and senior citizens can earn up to 9.10% interest rate. Additionally, existing customers profit from a 0.25% hike on FD renewal.
The Bajaj Finance FD comes with ICRA’s MAAA and CRISIL’s FAAA rating ensuring you that your savings are safe and earnings are reliable. Further, the investment tenor ranges from 12 to 60 months, giving you room to tailor your deposit to your financial goals. You need just Rs.25,000 to get started and you can even begin your investment online. As you do so, remember to use the FD Interest Calculator as it helps you determine the parameters that will give you maximum returns.
