Being one of India’s leading public sector banks, BOB or Bank of Baroda offers several banking solutions to customers to help them meet their needs. From helping them save and invest their funds to providing them with financial support via loans, they have everything for every customer.
One of these solutions includes the provision for applying for a National Pension System (NPS) as it has been authorized to help you open an NPS account.
What is the NPS Scheme?
With the help of the National Pension System or NPS, which is a long-term investment option, investors can build a solid retirement fund. As a result, they will be able to better secure their future post-retirement when they get a steady pension when their NPS investment matures.
The NPS scheme is linked to the market which increases the potential of the investment to grow in line with market movements while investors build a robust, inflation-adjusted retirement corpus.
Opening Bank of Baroda NPS Account
If you are looking to invest in the National Pension System (NPS) through the Bank of Baroda, there are two hassle-free ways you can do this; online or offline. Here is a descriptive method on how to follow both these options.
Open Your NPS Account Online
In this day and age, almost everyone has access to the internet. This is why investing through the online option can prove to be easy for most. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how this can be done.
Start by visiting the Bank of Baroda’s NPS page.
From here, investors will be redirected to a page that states that online NPS account openings are handled by Karvy Computershare Pvt. Ltd.
To continue to Karvy’s website, click ‘Accept’.
Continue by filling in the required details on the online form provided.
Upload your KYC documents and a scanned signature for verification.
Once the steps mentioned above are completed, you need to make your first payment to activate your NPS account.
After the bank verifies your details, your BOB NPS account will become active.
Open Your NPS Account Offline
If applying for the NPS scheme online is not your cup of tea, you could always do it offline. Here is a breakdown of how this can be done in person.
Start by visiting any BOB branch that has been authorized as a Point of Presence Service Providers (POP-SPs) for NPS.
At the bank, acquire the NPS subscriber registration form and fill it out.
Now submit the filled-out form and your KYC documents to the bank to be verified.
Once all your details have been verified, you can operate your NPS account.
Eligibility for opening Bank of Baroda NPS Account
If you are looking forward to opening an NPS account, which is a fairly simple process, it is also important that you know whether or not you are eligible to do so in the first place. Here is a look at the eligibility criteria for investors who want to open an NPS account.
Individuals who are aged between 18 and 70 years are eligible to open an NPS account.
The individual must be an Indian citizen to open the account. This applies to resident Indians, NRIs and OCIs
An NPS account can also be opened as an employer-employee group
Contribution to the NPS scheme
Once you open an NPS account with the Bank of Baroda, there are two account types you can choose from; Tier I and Tier II. Since the functioning of both these options is different where contributions and withdrawals are concerned, it is important to understand the difference to make the right choice.
Tier I Account
If you want to invest in an NPS scheme, opening a Tier I account is mandatory. The account provides holders with tax benefits and a disciplined way to save. Withdrawals in the Tier I account are restricted until maturity except in certain cases.
The contributions in a Tier I account have a minimum deposit amount to open the account of ₹500. The minimum yearly contribution stands at ₹1,000 and there is no maximum limit to how much you can invest in the account.
Tier II Account
The Tier II account can essentially be described as an add-on to your pre-existing Tier I Account. With the help of the Tier II account, you get the flexibility to withdraw your money anytime. The one drawback of the account is that it does not offer tax benefits unless you are a Central Government employee, and that too only under special conditions.
Under the Tier II account, investors need to deposit a minimum of ₹1,000 to open the account and with a minimum yearly contribution of ₹250.
Tax Benefits on National Pension Scheme in Bank of Baroda
Opting for an NPS scheme could be a very good decision, especially if you are looking for a smart way to save on taxes as you build your retirement fund. The scheme offers attractive tax benefits during the investment process and during withdrawals. Here is a detailed look at the tax benefits on NPS in BOB.
With a Tier I Account, your contributions, under Section 80CCD (1) qualify for deductions under up to ₹1.5 lakh investments.
An extra deduction can also be claimed amounting to ₹50,000 under Section 80CCD (1B).
The NPS also offers the provisions to make tax-free withdrawals as long as you meet the T&Cs of the scheme.
Once the account matures, you can easily withdraw 60% of the corpus, tax-free, as a lump sum.