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Disclaimer: This Article is for information purposes only. The views expressed in this Article do not necessarily constitute the views of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (“Bank”) or its employees. The Bank makes no warranty of any kind with respect to the completeness or accuracy of the material and articles contained in this Article. The information contained in this Article is sourced from empaneled external experts for the benefit of the customers and it does not constitute legal advice from the Bank. The Bank, its directors, employees and the contributors shall not be responsible or liable for any damage or loss resulting from or arising due to reliance on or use of any information contained herein. Tax laws are subject to amendment from time to time. The above information is for general understanding and reference. This is not legal advice or tax advice, and users are advised to consult their tax advisors before making any decision or taking any action.
If you're making plans for retirement and looking forward to building a retirement portfolio, the National Pension System (NPS investment full form) can be a really effective financial tool to achieve this. The National Pension System (NPS investment) is a government-provided retirement-cum-pension scheme. An investor receives the double NPS investment tax benefits of tax-saving and retirement planning by making an investment in NPS. A contribution toward an NPS account offers a benefit to individuals through a deduction under Sections of the Income Tax Act.
The organisation in charge of overseeing the NPS is the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority of India (PFRDA). If you fall within the 18 to 70 age criteria, you can invest in NPS. NPS guidelines have been changed in the past few years to make them more friendly to investors. Continue reading to learn how to invest in it and accumulate a sizable retirement fund.
Not only does it secure your retirement plans, but it also saves taxes of as much as Rs 1,50,000 a year. The best part is that each private and government employee can contribute to this NPS scheme investment.
Types of NPS Accounts to Invest In
Before investing within the NPS, you must know the types of accounts you can invest in—Tier I and Tier II.
Tier I NPS Account
Tier I is the retirement account. It’s this account through which you invest and build a corpus for the golden years of your life. A permanent retirement account (PRAN) quantity is assigned to you upon opening a Tier I account. This is a 12-digit number. The minimum contribution you need to make when opening a Tier I account is Rs 500.
However, there's no cap on the maximum amount you can invest in a Tier I account. The cash that you put into a Tier I account is locked until you turn 60. Once you are 60, you can withdraw 60% of the amassed corpus as a lump sum. Under the Income Tax Act of 1961 Section 80CCD, your investment in a Tier I account is exempt from taxes.
Tier II NPS Account
Tier II accounts can only be opened if you have a Tier I account. It’s a voluntary account you could open by paying a minimum deposit of Rs 1,000. After that, you can deposit the amount that you desire. One thing to keep in mind is that there is no tax exemption for investments made in Tier II accounts. Put differently, no benefits are associated with deposits made into a Tier II account.
NPS investment Tax Benefits
A subscriber to the National Pension Scheme can profit from the following by making an investment:
Who is Eligible to Invest in NPS?
All citizens and state/central government employees falling between the age brackets of 18 to 70 are eligible to make a National Pension Scheme investment.
How to Invest in the National Pension Scheme?
Now that you know about the two kinds of NPS accounts, the benefits, and who is eligible to have an NPS investment, let’s know how to invest in the NPS scheme. It’s pretty easy—you could do it either online or offline. Before you proceed to open an account online, keep these documents handy:
Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to invest in NPS online:
Step 1: Log onto the eNPS internet site https://enps.nsdl.com/eNPS/NationalPensionSystem.html and navigate to the registration section.
Step 2: Enter all of the requested details and authenticate with the OTP.
Step 3: Select your preferred account type; under this, you should select ‘Tier 1’. It is important to understand that opening a Tier II account requires already having a Tier 1 account.
Step 4: Select the fund manager (there are eight fund houses, including Kotak Mahindra Bank; pick your preferred one.
Step 5: Select the mode of investment in the NPS scheme (auto and active modes). Auto mode is the one that allocates and rebalances your portfolio as per your age, while active mode is the one under which you are charged to select the assets for your portfolio.
Step 6: Provide information about the nominees and specify their respective share.
Step 7: Upload the needed files in the format specified.
Step 8: Make the initial deposit (Rs 500) and complete the registration.
Step 9: Your Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) will be generated upon completing the registration; save it for the future.
Conclusion
If you want, you could change your pension fund manager twice a year. You can also swap between auto and active preferences twice in a financial year. If you start investing in NPS at a young age, you could build a sizable retirement fund for yourself that would help you spend your golden years stress-free. Invest in NPS through Kotak NPS to ensure a secure and structured approach to retirement planning.
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