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Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Get the Best Fixed Deposit Interest Rates: Tips and Tricks
Fixed deposits (FDs) have remained one of the most trusted investment tools for Indian savers across generations. Known for their simplicity, safety, and guaranteed returns, FDs offer peace of mind to investors looking for capital protection and predictable income. But not all fixed deposits offer the same returns. If you're planning to invest, knowing how to get the best FD interest rates can significantly boost your savings over time. In this guide, we'll walk you through practical tips and strategies to maximise returns—and introduce you to Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposits, which offer up to 6.95% p.a. for non-senior citizens and up to 7.30% p.a. for senior citizens. A fixed deposit is a financial instrument where you invest a lump sum for a fixed tenure at a pre-agreed interest rate. The bank or financial institution pays you interest either periodically or at maturity. With low risk and stable returns, fixed deposits are ideal for conservative investors and those saving for short- to medium-term goals. Several factors influence the rate of interest you receive on your FD: Bajaj Finance offers some of the most attractive FD rates in India—up to 7.30% p.a. for senior citizens. Open a Bajaj Finance FD and enjoy assured growth on your savings. Do not settle for the first FD offer you come across. Compare rates across: Longer-tenure FDs usually offer better rates. If you won't need the money soon, lock in for a few years to maximise returns. Bajaj Finance FDs are available for tenures between 12 and 60 months, with flexible payout options. Cumulative FDs let your interest earn interest. Ideal if you don't need periodic payouts. Instead of putting all your savings in one FD, divide them across multiple FDs with different maturities. If you're 60+, take advantage of higher interest rates specially designed for retirees. Online booking can unlock additional interest or special offers. Bajaj Finance makes it easy to: Book Your Bajaj Finance FD Online for attractive rates and a hassle-free experience. If interest rates are rising, lock in higher rates with longer a falling cycle, go for short-term FDs and wait to reinvest later. Keep an eye on RBI updates and financial news. Some institutions offer better rates on renewals. Avoid lapses and earn uninterrupted interest by enabling auto-renewal. Always review the prevailing rate before renewing. While maximising returns, don't ignore these important considerations: With smart planning and a few strategic choices, you can make your fixed deposit work harder for you. Compare rates, pick the right tenure, consider laddering, and book online for extra benefits. In today's unpredictable economic environment, a reliable fixed deposit—like the one from Bajaj Finance offering up to 7.30% p.a.—can bring stability and predictable returns to your portfolio. Start your FD with Bajaj Finance today and secure high returns with guaranteed peace of mind. Book Now. Note to readers: This article is part of HT's paid consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. HT assumes no editorial responsibility for the content, including its accuracy, completeness, or any errors or omissions. Readers are advised to verify all information independently. Want to get your story featured as above? click here!
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank trims lending rate by 50 bps; RLLR now at 8.50%
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank announced a 50 basis points (bps) reduction in its Repo Linked Lending Rate (RLLR), bringing it down from 9.00% to 8.50%, in line with the Reserve Bank of India's latest repo rate cut. The new rates, effective from 20 June 2025, will reduce EMIs or loan tenures for borrowers, offering major relief to home and personal loan customers. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently cut the repo rate by 50 basis points (0.50%), reducing it from 6% to 5.50%. Its effect is now slowly showing on the banks. Following other major banks, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has now reduced its Repo Linked Lending Rate (RLLR) from 9.00% to 8.50%. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) is one of the renowned old private sector banks, having its headquarters in Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu). The bank has opened 26 new branches during the year FY 24-25. The banks net profit rose 15.35% to Rs 291.90 crore on 8.78% increase in total income to Rs 1,542.06 crore in Q4 March 2025 over Q4 March 2024. Shares of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank rose 0.21% to Rs 444.50 on the BSE.
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
PFC, REC gain as RBI unveils final project finance norms
Shares of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and REC rose by 3.33% to 5.37% after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued its final Project Finance Directions, 2025. The comprehensive framework, aimed at streamlining and standardizing project loan regulations across banks, NBFCs, and cooperative lenders, comes into effect from 1 October 2025. The market responded swiftly to the announcement, with shares of key project financiers surging in morning trade. PFC jumped 5.37%, while REC climbed 3.33%, as investors welcomed the regulatory clarity and operational flexibility promised by the new guidelines. Compared to the RBIs draft proposal from May 2024, which had outlined a steeper 5% standard asset provisioning for under-construction projects, the final guidelines dial things down substantially. Now, lenders will need to set aside just 1% for infrastructure projects and 1.25% for commercial real estate (CRE). Thats a major breather for dedicated project financiers like REC and PFC, who had been staring at potentially higher capital requirements under the earlier draft. The RBI has rationalized the norms around the extension of the 'Date of Commencement of Commercial Operations' (DCCO), allowing extensions of up to three years for infrastructure projects and two years for non-infrastructure ones. Lenders will also have greater flexibility to assess and decide on DCCO extensions within these ceilings based on commercial viability. The provisioning requirements for under-construction projects have been streamlined as well. Lenders will now set aside a standard 1% for such exposures, with a gradual increase depending on the length of DCCO deferment. In the case of under-construction commercial real estate, the initial provisioning will be slightly higher at 1.25%. For projects that have already achieved financial closure, existing provisioning rules will continue to apply, ensuring a smooth transition to the new regime. Once projects become operational, the provisioning rates are clearly defined: 1% for commercial real estate, 0.75% for CRE-residential housing, and 0.40% for other project loans. This structured approach is expected to bring predictability to provisioning and risk management practices. The market view is clear: the final norms are far more balanced and pragmatic. They reduce capital drag without compromising prudential standards. The relaxed provisioning norms, coupled with the exclusion of existing loan books from the new rules, would have negligible impact on NBFC and bank profitability. For power sector financiers like PFC and REC, the relief is doubly reassuring. Even the marginal provisioning required under the new norms will be comfortably absorbed through existing impairment reserves. Importantly, the directions only apply to loans achieving financial closure on or after 1 October 2025, meaning current portfolios are unaffected. While the earlier draft had also proposed a stringent 360-day performance requirement for loan upgrades -- another red flag for lenders, this too has been relaxed in the final version. The overall tone of the guidelines has shifted from caution-heavy to growth-accommodating, signalling the RBI's intent to support long-term infrastructure finance without straining lender balance sheets.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Hyundai Motor, Bharti Airtel among 5 Nifty500 stocks that touch 52-week highs on Friday
The Indian stock market saw a sharp surge on Friday, led by gains in financial stocks after the RBI relaxed project financing rules. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Indian equity benchmarks edged higher on Friday, led by gains in financial stocks after the RBI relaxed project financing rules. However, escalating tensions in the Middle East capped broader market mixed sentiment, five stocks from the Nifty500 index touched fresh 52-week highs. Here's a snapshot of the top performers:Despite the broader market weakness, five stocks from the Nifty500 index touched fresh 52-week highs. Here's a snapshot:Hyundai Motor India | 52-week high: Rs 1,985 | Up 10% YTD Bharti Airtel | 52-week high: Rs 1,924 | Up 20% YTD BEL | 52-week high: Rs 407.9 | Up 38% YTD Aditya Birla Capital | 52-week high: Rs 261 | Up 45% YTDAuthum Investment & Infrastructure | 52-week high: Rs 2,596 | Up 36% YTD
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
PSU Bank index jumps 2% as RBI eases norms for new project finance loans
PSU Bank stocks: The public sector bank stocks were rallying on Friday after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued its final guidelines on project finance loans. Snapping a three-day losing streak, the Nifty PSU Bank index surged over 2 per cent to hit an intraday high of 6,899.5 level, compared to the previous day's close of 6,734.3. The index was the lead gainer among the Nifty sectoral indices and outperformed the benchmark Nifty50 index which was slightly up over 1 per cent at day's high. Last checked, the Nifty PSU Bank index was trading at 6,832.75 levels, up 1.46 per cent. Among the index constituents, Punjab National Bank was the top gainer, up by over 3 per cent, followed by Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India and State Bank of India rising in the range of 1 to 3 per cent. RBI guidelines for project finance loans: The new rules, which will come into effect from October 1, 2025, require a general provision of 1.25 per cent on Commercial Real Estate (CRE), and 1 per cent each on Commercial Real Estate-Residential Housing (CRE-RH) and another portfolio during the construction phase. After commencement of repayment of interest and principal, banks have to maintain 1 per cent general provisions on commercial real estate projects during the operational phase, and 0.75 per cent on residential housing (CRE-RH), while 0.40 per cent on all other projects, the central bank said. The final directions are softer than those in the draft norms released in May 2025. The draft proposal suggested 5 per cent standard assets provisioning for under-construction projects. The final regulations give lenders significant relief. According to new norms, under-construction projects carry a 1 per cent standard asset provisioning, compared with the 5 per cent requirement proposed in the draft norms. The standard provisions shall increase for each quarter of deferment of the date of commencement of commercial operations. The requirements for under-construction CRE exposures will be marginally higher at 1.25 per cent. In addition, the requirement of specific provisions on DCCO (Date of Commencement of Commercial Operations) deferred standard assets is cut to a time-based rate of 0.4-0.6 per cent per quarter from a flat rate of 2.5 per cent. According to RBI guidelines, for accounts which have availed DCCO deferment and are classified as 'standard', lenders shall maintain additional specific provisions of 0.375 per cent for infrastructure project loans and 0.5625 per cent for non-infrastructure project loans. Brokerage views According to analysts at Motilal Oswal, the RBI's final project finance norms come as part of the broader wave of supportive regulatory measures aimed at sustaining momentum in the banking sector. "We believe the impact of the revised norms on bank/NBFC profitability will be negligible, as the existing book remains unaffected. For new project loans, any incremental provisioning cost is likely to be passed on to borrowers, especially in a declining rate environment, through yield adjustments," the brokerage said. The brokerage added that the key positive in the final norms is that they apply only to new and upcoming project loans. Existing exposures will continue to follow the current prudential provisioning framework, ensuring there is no disruption to the back-book. Echoing similar views, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities expect a lower impact from these guidelines compared to the impact from a draft set of guidelines because the incremental provision requirement has been curtailed. The requirement of standard asset provisions for assets under construction is cut from 5 per cent to 1 per cent. "We see this relaxation as yet another step by the regulator toward systemic easing (after the recent relaxations on liquidity, interest rates, PSL, microfinance risk weight and LCR). The headwinds for loan growth are stemming from quality and cost of deposits (LCR compatible deposits), the trade-off between growth and NIM contraction and weak demand for credit from various segments of the economy," the brokerage said. In its report, the brokerage added that it has not seen a reversal in stance from lenders that had tightened their credit filters in retail in the past two years, while they have turned a bit more cautious today on SMEs looking at global factors.
