Within the present market volatility, traders are searching for choices to earn a secure fee of curiosity and defend their capital. Right here’s a fast overview of RBI Bonds vs Tax Free Bonds vs Goal Maturity Funds. This could enable you decide one among these if you might want to.
A comparability – RBI Bonds vs Tax Free Bonds vs Goal Maturity Funds

RBI Floating Fee Bonds 2020
- Issued by RBI, no credit score threat
- No restrict on funding
- Rate of interest set at NSCÂ + 0.35%, present rate of interest of seven.15%, taxable (with 30% tax, put up tax about 5%
- Curiosity reset each 6 months (can go up as bond yields go up)
- Curiosity payout each 6 months (TDS relevant)
- Bond tenure is 7 years with an choice to exit with penalty after 4 years
- Will be purchased by means of most giant banks
- No mark to market or worth threat
Tax Free Bonds
- Accessible from prime PSUs equivalent to PFC, NHAI, IRFC, REC, and many others. for maturities of 2025, 2027, 2030, 2031, 2035, and many others.
- Present web of tax yield to maturity round 5.5% (coupon charges will be larger however yields to maturity matter)
- curiosity paid out half yearly/yearly foundation, no TDS
- For quantities over Rs. 10 lakhs, coupon fee is diminished (0.5% decrease in case of REC and 0.25% decrease in case of NTPC) and therefore yield can go down upto 5%
- Marked to market with a each day worth; Essential to carry the bond until maturity else indicative yield might not be realised
- Should be purchased within the secondary market in a demat account.
- Purchase Value is essential for the yield. Volumes will be low and therefore the correct worth to understand the yield might not be out there, thus reducing the yield.Â
- No lock ins
Passive Goal Maturity Funds
- Goal maturity funds which put money into State Growth Loans / PSU bonds, and many others. Usually, Low credit score threat
- Examples, Bharat Bond April 2032 with present yield at 7.8%
- No curiosity payouts; all curiosity obtained by the fund is reinvested
- Extra tax environment friendly as long run capital good points of 20% put up indexation applies after 3 years (very similar to debt funds)Â Â
- Marked to market with a each day worth; in case you promote earlier than maturity, the anticipated good points might not accrue due to worth fluctuations.Â
- ETFs Purchased within the secondary market by way of demat account, the fund of fund possibility (which doesn’t require a demat account) expenses an additional expense Â
- No lock ins
So, what do you do?
These investments are excessive on security. Nonetheless, most of them are long run choices and therefore preserve that in thoughts.
Yields have already inched up and a few of the tax free bonds in addition to Goal maturity funds can be found at engaging YTMs.
RBI bonds are in all probability the best technique to take a threat free, revenue paying funding with the same yield as tax free bonds (specifically if it’s a must to make investments over Rs. 10 lakh). Â
Passive debt funds are extra tax environment friendly don’t pay out curiosity. They develop in worth. Past your EPF, PPF, SSY, Financial institution FDs, they are often helpful as Asset Allocation parts on the bond /mounted revenue aspect.
The RBI RetailDirect Platform too has some choices with the next yields at present. I’m exploring the platform and shall write about it quickly.