5 Best Investment Plans For Girl Child
Seema is helping her daughter Vriddhi write an essay for her homework. The topic of the essay is ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Vriddhi tells Seema that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up because she wants to help people.
Seema is extremely proud of her daughter’s choice but at the same time, she wonders whether she will be able to afford the cost of her studies. She looks up investment plans for her little girl’s higher education. She finds a lot of information about investment plans for the girl children, which are as follows:
Sukanya samridhi yojana
This scheme was launched under the Beti Bachao, Beti padhao campaign by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India in 2015. The objective of this scheme is to save and better the lives of girl children in India.
The parent of a girl child who is under 10 years of age can invest in this scheme. The tenure of the investment is 21 years from the opening of the account or till the marriage of the girl. Money can be deposited only for the first 15 years. The minimum amount that has to be invested per year is rs 250 while the maximum is rs 1,50,000. This Investment plan for girl children can be opened and maintained with the Indian Post Office and any branch of authorised banks.
The interest rate for an SSY account is 7.6 p.a. Under section 80c of the Income Tax Act,1961, money invested in sukanya samridhi yojana is eligible for tax deductions of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs. Tax benefits are provided for the maturity amount. Interests given by this scheme are exempt from tax.
Public provident fund
This is a great investment plan for a girl in India. Parents create a financial fund that can be used for her higher studies, marriage, etc. This scheme has a tenure of 15 years. The annual interest rate is 7.1%. This plan can be opened in any post office or bank offering the services.
The minimum amount that is required to be deposited every year is rs 500, while the maximum is rs 1,50,000. Only after the date of maturity can the full amount be withdrawn. Up to 50% of the accumulated amount can be withdrawn after 6 years of opening the account. Under section 80 c of the income tax act, rs 1,50,000 is the maximum amount that can be availed for tax benefit.
LIC kanyadan policy
This scheme is a customised version of the LIC Jeevan Lakshya plan that has been created to bring awareness towards the protection of girl children. This is a savings and protection plan which can help your child be prepared financially for the future. The term for the payment is fixed at the commencement of the policy. Payments can be annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. In case of accidental demise of the policyholder rs 10 lakhs are deposited immediately.
Children’s Mutual Fund- This investment plan for a girl child can help you in raising money for important life events for your child like college, marriage, education abroad, etc. Investments can be made only in the name of your minor child. 18 years is the general lock-in period.
These types of plans can either be equity-oriented or debt-oriented. For higher returns choose equity-oriented hybrids while for higher stability and moderate returns choose debt-oriented hybrid. There is no limit to investment. The returns are not fixed and they depend on the market.
Gold ETFs
Gold ETF is a mutual fund that invests in Gold. This is an amazing investment plan for the girl child. This is a cost-effective way of trading and investing in gold. There is no locker or storage charge and because it is in electronic form, theft is not a worry. Gold generates better returns than most assets in the long term. Therefore, investing in your child for 10-15 years would be ideal. You can create a fairly large investment by buying small amounts in intervals.
For Gold ETFs, you will have to pay capital gains tax whenever you sell. Another route is the jewellery scheme, which can be helpful if you have a daughter. There is a risk involved in prices falling. But, it is generally seen that over a longer period of time gold always gives the best investment.
Conclusion
It is important to think about the future and make plans for your girl child so that future expenses like higher education, loans and marriage costs are not unachievable. In India, girls are often unwanted because of the cost that comes with raising them. Let us change this ideology and invest in plans for the girl child and create a better and brighter future for them.
FAQs:
When should we invest in a plan for a girl child?
The primary duty of any parent is to protect the future of a child. Investment plans for girl will provide a security net as well as financial support for your child’s bright future. An investment plan can help your child immensely when they approach higher education.
The fees of schools and colleges will continue to grow with inflation. A good investment plan can lift their worries. Investment plans also create a habit of saving. They can be a saving grace during uncertain times. In many child plans, the premiums can be waived off in case of unfortunate events. investment plans for girl children are also accepted by banks as collateral for loans.
How to choose the best investment plans for a girl child?
To choose the best investment plans for a girl child in India - note down the child’s desired career and the cost of pursuing it. Determine how much you can save each month after meeting all your other important expenses such as living expenses, healthcare and retirement plans.
It is also important to note that due to inflation the cost of education in the future will also increase. Now, evaluate the benefits, tenure and interest from the list of investment plans given above and choose the one that suits you the most.
