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    Everything you want to know about Savings Account

    Updated on: 24 May, 2024 05:50 PM

    Would you earn any interest if you kept your cash in a safe deposit box? No! That's why you deposit your money in a savings account, where it can grow over time. Read this guide to know everything about savings accounts.

    What is Savings Account?

    As the name suggests, Savings Account helps customers to save their money in banks and enjoy the dual benefit of liquidity and interest. This account is maintained by fixed-salaried persons or who have a fixed income. Basically, people park the amount of money into savings accounts that they are not willing to use as a daily requirement, and the best part of having a savings account is you can withdraw your amount anytime, which makes it completely liquid.

    Previously, interest rates of the savings account were fixed at 3.5% per annum, but later in 2011, RBI deregulated the rates and now every bank can set their own interest rates. In India, it ranges from 3.5%-7%. To understand more about the savings account, read the below article-


    Benefits of Savings Account

    • A savings account allows a customer to earn interest on deposited money without blocking them for a period of time.
    • It encourages the saving habits in the individuals
    • Banks also give other facilities to their customers, such as passbooks, net banking, debit cards, and fund transfer facilities, i.e., IMPS & NEFT, paying utility bills, linking your credit card accounts to your savings accounts, etc., which are completely hassle-free.
    • Savings account gives a feeling of security to the individuals and they feel financially secure.
    • Savings account passbook can be treated as the ID and residential proof of the individual.
    • Some of the savings account provides the feature of a zero balance account.

    Minimum Average Balance(MAB) Requirements in Savings Account

    Different terminologies have been used for this term, such as minimum balance, minimum daily balance, and minimum quarterly balance. It is the average balance that you should keep in your account for a specified period of time.

    The easiest way to calculate Average Balance is adding up the everyday balance and dividing it by the number of days in a particular period. In case of non- maintaining minimum average balance you will have to pay the non-maintenance penalty. Every bank has its own policy for maintaining an average balance.


    Saving Account Interest Rates

    Bank Interest Rate
    HDFC Bank 3.5%(Up to 50 Lakh) 4%(above 50 Lakh)
    ICICI Bank 3.5%(Up to 50 Lakh) 4%(above 50 Lakh)
    Yes Bank 5%(Up to 1 Lakh) 6%(1 lakh-1 Crore) 6.5%(Above 1 Crore)
    IndusInd Bank 4%(Up to 10 Lakh) 5%(10 Lakh-1 Crore) 6%(Above 1 Crore)
    Kotak Mahindra 5%(up to Rs 1 Lakh) 6%(above Rs 1 lakh)
    Axis Bank 3.5%(Up to 50 Lakhs) 4%(above 50 Lakh)
    IDFC Bank 4%

    Do you know you can save tax on Interest from Saving?

    As per section 80TTA of the Income Tax Act,1961 interest earned on the savings account is exempt from being taxed if the interest earned amount is up to 10,000 rs. Interest earned on the savings account that is above 10,000 is liable to be taxed as per the income tax slab and will be mentioned under Income from other sources while filing Income Tax Return.


    What is 0 balance saving account?

    A zero-balance savings account is a type of savings account that doesn't require you to maintain a minimum balance to avoid charges. This means you can keep zero dollars in the account and still have access to features like a debit card and online banking, although some restrictions may apply.

    Earning interest from a savings account along with other sources of income? Our team of online CAs can help you file your income tax return while maximizing your savings. Book an eCA today!


    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q- What is ICICI saving account interest rate?

    ICICI Bank offers a range of savings accounts with interest rates varying depending on the account type and your account balance. The interest rate can be anywhere between 3.00% and 3.50% per annum.


    Q- What is Axis Bank savings account interest rate?

    The interest rate on Axis Bank Savings Accounts can range between 3% and 4% depending on your daily maintained balance.


    Q- What is minimum balance in sbi savings account?

    There is no minimum balance required to maintain an SBI savings account (except for a specific case).


    CA Abhishek Soni
    CA Abhishek Soni

    Abhishek Soni is a Chartered Accountant by profession & entrepreneur by passion. He is the co-founder & CEO of Tax2Win.in. Tax2win is amongst the top 25 emerging startups of Asia and authorized ERI by the Income Tax Department. In the past, he worked in EY and comes with wide industry experience from telecom, retail to manufacturing to entertainment where he has handled various national and international assignments.

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