comparison between Gold vs PPF: which Is better For Investment

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comparison between Gold vs PPF: which Is better For Investment
ome of the aspects investors will want to check while making an investment decision include low risk, high returns, liquidity, tax savings and others. Investing in PPF (expanded as Public Provident Fund) and Gold will meet these requirements. However, if you wish to choose between these options, here are the points you must consider.
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How to approach the topic gold vs ppf

In India, the investors have a wide range of investment options to choose from. The objectives of investment vary between different investors. Most common expectations that investors have while investing include high returns potential and minimum risk. The other two common expectations can be tax savings and diversification portfolio. There are a lot of options that will meet these criteria. However, PPF and gold are highly sought after investment options. Here we look at these options from different perspectives to be able to choose the right one that will help meet your investment objectives.

Investment Risk in PPF

PPF is a very popular savings scheme that has a strong backing by the government of India. The topmost benefit of a PPF account is that your investment will fetch you a fixed annual interest. Year on year, the central government fixes the interest rate for PPF. Asset Management Companies pool the investment from investors and invest it in different kinds of securities. Returns on investment in gold is prone to fluctuations depending on market conditions.

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Potential of returns in PPF and Gold

The annual interest rate of PPF investment is usually around 8%. Since the rate of interest is predetermined, the amount you will earn year on year is fixed and does not carry any risk. Gold assures a reasonable rate of interest most times. However, the present conditions in Indian market shows us that the returns can only be nominal due to gold inflation and devaluation of paper currency happening side by side. If you do not mind the long lock in period in case of PPF, PPF can be a better option. If you do not mind risks and will look for flexibility, then you might want to choose gold for investing.

Investment tenure

This is a significant point of comparison while choosing between gold and PPF for investing. The minimum investment duration with regard to PPF is 15 years. The first time you can withdraw from the PPF account is only after 5 years. After maturity, it is also possible to renew your PPF account in sets of 5 years. Due to the long investment tenure associated with PPF account, it will highly suit long term savings. If you invest in paper gold, there are quite a lot of investment tenures to choose from. You can always sell physical gold whenever you want, but this process will incur you a loss most times.

Tax Savings

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PPF investment is not taxed until an upper limit of Rs 1.5 lakh in a year. Also, the returns that you get from PPF are exempted from tax. Gains from gold investment is taxed at the rate of 20 percent along with surcharge. If you buy physical gold, you will have to bear the GST charges of 3 percent in addition to the making charges. The other ways to invest in gold include SGBs, gold ETFs and gold mutual funds. The taxes on gains vary between these gold investment-categories.



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