Investment is a crucial tool for financial growth, independence, and security, and it holds particular significance for females. There are dedicated investment plans for women in the finance market that are designed specifically to cater to their financial goals and needs. To find the best investment options for women, it is important to understand how to find them and what factors to look for to identify the best options.
Key Takeaways
- Women’s empowerment in India is gaining momentum, and they are becoming more financially independent.
- The gender investment gap must be addressed, and women should take control of their financial well-being.
- Investing offers women financial security and allows them to support their families and maintain a good standard of living.
- Different investment options are available in the market, such as PPF, EPF, SSY, ULIP, and others.
- Women should invest with a purpose and consider socially responsible investing and impact investing.
Women’s empowerment in India, especially in the last two decades, has been remarkable. Today women are not only educated but are also independent both socially and financially. They have made themselves so capable that they are now leading their families, organizations, and society. This is a grand feat for us as a society. However, for every woman, savings have been a critical priority. As they succeed more and more, the options for new finance and investment avenues are expanding for them. Investing money not only enables them to be independent but also allows them to support their family and maintain a good and healthy living standard.
The Gender Investment Gap: Why It Matters
Investing is not just a man’s game. In fact, it is crucial for women to participate in investment opportunities to secure their financial future actively. However, a gender investment gap exists that needs to be addressed. According to research, women tend to invest less than men, leading to missed opportunities for wealth creation and financial independence. So, ladies, break the stereotype and take charge of your financial well-being.
Benefits of Investment for Women
The percentage of working women is rapidly growing, and with time it is even more convenient for women to invest and secure their future. Some of the major benefits of saving schemes for ladies are as follows:
Supporting Family Goals
Long-term goals require long-term investment, a house, raising children, etc., and a huge corpus. Sometimes, salary and savings are not enough to fulfill all the dreams. Hence, properly planned investment is essential to achieve all the long-term goals.
Financial Security
Regular investment helps maintain a substantial corpus and provides financial stability to the family. Thus, investment helps achieve short-term or long-term goals without burning the pocket.
Planning For Children’s Future
All parents want to give their children a top-notch education; with investment, one can put aside a lump sum amount for the child’s education which can later be utilized to fund the child’s higher education.
Types of Investment Options Available
There are different options available in the market for women to invest in. These options include PPF, EPF, SSY, ULIP, and others.
PPF (Public Provident Fund)
They are considered the best and the safest option that women can opt for to build a good savings balance. PPF is a popular investment plan available in all post offices and banks. You get a decent interest rate when you invest in PPF compared to other similar long-term saving schemes for ladies.
PPF provides an interest rate ranging as high as 7.1% to 8% in a tenure of 15 years. In addition, PPF is government-backed and risk-free, making it the safest investment option for women. The features that make PPFs more lucrative are the range of deposit amount and withdrawal facility after 5 years.
PPFs allow women to invest an amount as small as ₹500 to as high as ₹1.5 lacs per year. Moreover, it allows women to withdraw as much as 50% of the total deposit after 5 years. This enables women to have access to liquidity and, at the same time, save a large amount. The benefits linked to PPF make it one of the best investment options for housewives in India.
EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund)
Just like the PPF, EPF is good as it allows working females to allocate a dedicated sum as soon as the income is credited and have tax-free savings with a decent interest rate. The interest rates on the EPF are generally regularized by the government depending on various economic factors but generally are in the higher range only (above 6%).
In addition, working females only have to contribute 8% of their primary income to EPF funds for the first 3 years. The private sector female employees can invest a maximum amount of up to ₹2.5 lacs, while the female employees working in the government sector can invest as much as ₹5 lacs in the EPF scheme.
Kindly note that besides the mandatory government rules of EPF deduction, you can further invest more money into EPF. Still, you will only get EPF interest as per the rate per annum in the additional sum invested.
ULIP (Unit-Linked Insurance Plan)
A ULIP policy serves as both insurance and an investment tool. They allow individuals to explore the capital market for investment opportunities while providing essential life insurance. Unfortunately, choosing a life insurance plan and significant investments can be time-consuming and financially exhausting for many women. ULIPs can be extremely useful and wise in this situation. In addition, ULIP tax benefits under Section 80C and Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act propose tax-free income invested, interest earned, and the maturity amount, making ULIPs more appealing to those seeking low-cost investment options.
NSC (National Saving Certificate)
This option is one of the highly opted investment options among women. NSC offers a high-interest rate of up to 8%. Additionally, there is no cap on the sum/money invested. Also, it is a disciplined investment tool that comes with certain restrictions preventing you from withdrawing an amount before maturity for optimum investment output at the time of maturity. These are some of the factors that make NSC one of the best investment options for females.
SSY (Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana)
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is one of the best saving plans for girl child in India. It is a government-led initiative launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. The idea is to help parents and guardians secure a girl child’s future. This one is mainly for girls aged below 10 years of age.
The tenure for SSY is 21 years. After that, you can open an account at Indian posts and banks. You can earn an interest of 7.6% per annum on your investments.
A few more best investment options for women may fit their investment goal, such as the National Savings Certificate (NSC), Post Office Monthly Income Scheme, Fixed Deposit (FD), Gold, Mutual Funds, etc. Real Estate. Further, there are other good options available in the market as well.
Empowering Women through Socially Responsible Investing
Socially responsible investing brings a sense of service to the community while uplifting your economic status in society. For women, these investments can serve as an option for participating in the social awareness:
Investing with a Purpose: Introduction to Socially Responsible Investing
It is the best time to invest with a purpose and make a difference! Socially responsible investing (SRI) allows you to align your investments with your personal values. Whether it is supporting companies with strong environmental practices or promoting gender diversity in the corporate world, you can invest in a way that reflects your beliefs.
SRI considers not just financial returns but also the social and environmental impacts of companies. So, you can rest easy knowing that your money is working towards positive change. It is like being a superhero, but instead of a cape, you have a well-constructed investment portfolio.
Impact Investing: Aligning Investments with Personal Values
If you want to take your SRI game to the next level, consider impact investing. This is where you actively seek out investments that have a measurable and beneficial impact on society or the environment. You become a force for good, making a positive change in the world while potentially earning some decent returns.
Impact investing allows you to target specific areas, such as renewable energy, education, or affordable housing. You become a champion of change, using your investment dollars to create a better future. Who says you cannot save the world and make money at the same time?
Way Forward
Ladies, it is time to take control of your financial future! Developing an investment plan is not as daunting as it may seem. Start by setting clear goals and determining your risk tolerance. Are you saving for retirement, buying a home, or planning a fabulous vacation? Once you know where you are headed, it becomes easier to map out your investment journey.
Diversification is the name of the game. Do not put all your eggs (or investment money) in one basket. Spread your investments across asset classes like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or ETFs. This way, if one investment underperforms, you would not be left hanging in the middle of a crisis.
Before investing in any kind of policy and putting your hard-earned money at risk, It is advisable to read the documents of any financial plan carefully before investing in them! The market is filled with a variety of policies; one should understand and go through all the options before opting for the one that suits them the best.
