She Can Invest: A blog for investing ideas for the women in India

Today’s world requires that women achieve their own sense of financial independence, particularly when pursuing high-powered careers. Being able to integrate oneself as an essential part of the workforce requires that one give thought to growing financially secure for the long term. One can work on this by making the right investments. In fact, making investments in market-linked instruments can serve as an income stream like a simple business for ladies in India would. But what are small-scale business ideas for ladies to begin with?

India offers several investment opportunities and plans that can offer long-term benefits to female investors. However, remember that one must know where to invest their hard-earned money. Some investment options such as stocks or mutual funds help in creating or increasing cash reserves. Whereas the fixed deposits in a bank, the employee provident fund, and the public provident fund, can help in drawing interest over the years while saving one’s money. In addition to this, there are also other investments that can be used to generate a monthly income. These are as follows:

1. Stock Investment

Investing in stocks is among the most attractive options due to the return potential being so high. In fact, one’s stock investments carry a higher risk as they have the capacity to generate returns that are a lot higher. You can begin to expect a yearly return of 15% to 18% from the stocks you invest in, provided you are aware of the art of investing in the right stocks at the right time. It is recommended that one start with a minor investment in stocks with an investment pick up the skill before they make larger investments.

2. Public Provident Fund

A second investment option for women that can decrease a business for ladies with low investment is putting funds into the PPF- Public Provident Fund. Apart from one’s regular pension contribution, a PPF investment can save one on a lot of tax. The reason for this is that an investment in a PPF account can be claimed for a tax deduction under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Furthermore, the accumulated interest amount and principal are also exempted from tax at the time of withdrawal. PPFs also offer a higher interest rate than a bank FD, returns are also completely tax-free with an approximate return of 7.1%, with the time taken to double the investment being 10.14 years.

3. National Pension System

NPS or the National Pension Scheme is a pension scheme that is portable across locations and jobs. You need not change your fund while changing your city or job. The added benefit is that you generate returns from debt and equity investment as compared to a PPF where you invest solely in interest-earning instruments. All of your contributions can go upto ₹1.5 lacs into the Tier 1 capital and will be exempt from taxation as per Section 80C. Apart from this, you can also choose to claim any added self contribution that goes upto ₹50000 of tax benefits under Section 80CCD(1B). Hence, through the NPS you have the option to save upto ₹2 lakhs in taxes.

4. Equity Linked Savings Schemes

With an equity-linked savings scheme, you generate a higher rate of return of about 15% to 18%. As compared to other financial tools with a lock-in period, in an ELSS one’s funds are stored away for just 3 years. Any earnings that exceed ₹1 lakh are taxable. To double one’s investment takes about 4 to 5 years. Keep in mind that ELSS is treated like a parcel of the long-term capital gains taxation and taxed at 10%.

5. Tax Saving Fixed Deposit

If you wish to make a safe investment without worrying about market fluctuations, then opt for tax-saving fixed deposits in any post office or bank. The interest rates for a tax-saving fixed deposit vary from bank to bank and remain in the range of 5% to 7.5%. To double one’s investment in a tax saver fixed deposit, it takes anywhere between 9/9 years to 14.4 years.

6. Unit Linked Insurance Plans

Investments in a unit-linked insurance plan give you the benefit of wealth creation in addition to a life cover. The premiums that are paid for ULIPs are eligible for deductions under Section 80C. In addition to this, the returns on maturity are exempt under Section 10 10(D). The returns on unit-linked plans vary depending on the combination of funds selected — whether one opts for debt, hybrid, or debt funds. Returns on ULIPs are tax-free and could be quite attractive when the stock market performs well.

7. Direct Equity Investment

All of one’s equity investments bring with them higher risks and are therefore capable of generating very high returns. Opt for an investment in an equity option in case you are comfortable losing as much as 50% of your capital. The last 1-year return of the National Stock Exchange has been 12.56% and in the last 2 years, it has generated a 28.94% return. Likewise, the shares from blue-chip companies have delivered huge returns in the near past. The approximate return per year has been 18%, with it taking 4 years for one to double one’s investment.

Conclusion

Learning to invest carefully can become a valuable skill for those looking to become financially independent. There are many investment options available in India alone. Women can easily create a source of income for themselves, without having worked on any side business ideas for ladies simply through investments alone.