Many people max out their Section 80C limit — but a major doubt keeps coming up every tax season. If you invest in PPF or ELSS in your spouse’s name, can you still claim the deduction? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems, and the rules differ sharply between PPF and ELSS.
A 28-year-old healthcare professional, already investing aggressively through SIPs and long-term instruments, has built a solid early portfolio worth over Rs 50 lakh. With rising income and disciplined habits, he now wants clarity on whether his current asset allocation is optimal for long-term growth and tax efficiency. He also wonders if pursuing the FIRE lifestyle is realistic at this stage of his financial journey.
Planning long-term finances for your child is essential as education and living costs continue to soar. Parents often consider safe, tax-efficient options like PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, while others explore mutual funds for higher growth potential. Here’s a quick look at how these choices stack up and how different PPF contributions compound over 15 years.
Looking for safe, steady returns? These 5 government-backed savings schemes offer interest rates up to 8.2%, proving security and decent growth can still go hand in hand.
This means popular schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF), Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS), and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) will continue at their existing rates.
Despite reduction in repo rate by RBI, small savings rates have remained unchanged so far.
Chandralekha recounts a real-life conversation with a friend working in the service sector who was considering opening a Public Provident Fund (PPF) account.
At the India Today Conclave, Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management, explained the evolution of wealth creation in India. Tracing the “Kal, Aaj aur Kal” phenomenon, he compared older generations’ reliance on EPFO, PPF, and NPS with today’s equity and startup investing culture. While long-term PPF investments grew modestly over decades, the younger generation has seen significantly higher wealth creation through equity-linked and startup investments. Shah highlighted how India’s financialization of savings, combined with growing awareness and access to entrepreneurial ventures, is empowering today’s generation to build substantial, diversified wealth, realizing that partnering with India’s best entrepreneurs drives real long-term gains.
Invest ₹1.5 lakh yearly in PPF to build ₹1.67 crore in 31 years. Earn ₹99,000/month tax-free income with guaranteed 7.1% returns, tax benefits, and safe wealth growth.
PPF currently offers an interest rate of 7.1% per annum, compounded yearly, with a 15-year lock-in and an annual contribution cap of Rs 1.5 lakh. In contrast, mutual fund SIPs, particularly equity funds, carry higher risks but also offer significantly higher returns over the long term.





