6 investments with 7.5% and higher interest rates: SCSS, SSY, RBI bond and more

If you’re looking for investment options with a minimal risk and those offering good returns, there are several schemes offering 7.5% or higher interest rates. What makes these options even more attractive is that many of them come with government backing and also provide tax benefits on deposits, maturity or both, making them suitable for conservative investors who don’t want to take much risk.

Here are six investment options that offer at least 7.5% interest rate to their investors.

The scheme specifically designed for senior citizens offers an 8.2% interest rate to its investors. The minimum deposit in the scheme is Rs 1,000 and in multiple of 1,000, while the maximum limit is Rs 30 lakh in all SCSS accounts opened by an individual.

Designed for a girl child, SSA also offers an 8.2% interest rate to its depositors. It also offers tax-free maturity on completion of the maturity period. Under the old tax regime, investors can take up to Rs 1.50 lakh tax benefits in a financial year on deposits in SSA. The minimum deposit in the scheme is Rs 250 in a financial year, while the maximum is Rs 1.50 lakh. The account matures on the completion of a period of 21 years from the date of the opening of account.

Contributions are required for 15 years, but the scheme provides compound interest for 21 years.

Post office time deposit offers an interest rate of 7.5% on a 5-year term deposit. The investment under 5-year TD also qualifies for tax benefits under the old tax regime.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) floating rate bond offers an 8.05% interest rate. It remains one of the safest investment options for a lot of investors with a low-risk appetite.

The RBI bond comes with a 7-year maturity period, sovereign guarantee and has no upper investment limit. It offers a higher rate compared to fixed deposit (FD) schemes of many public sector undertaking (PSU) and private sector banks.

PPF is one of the most popular options for retirement planning in India. It offers a 7.1% interest rate that is reviewed quarterly. The maturity period in the scheme is 15 years, after which an investor can close the account or continue in phases of five years. It provides tax benefits on deposits under the old tax regime, and the maturity amount is also tax-free after 5 years of opening the account.

The government-backed scheme offers a 7.7% interest rate compounded annually to its investors. The interest is payable at the 5-year maturity period of the scheme. The minimum amount to be deposited is Rs 1,000 and in multiple of Rs 100, while there is no maximum limit to invest in NSC.