Having a passive income is becoming the need of the hour with inflations rates rising with each passing year. An investment, small or big, is the only thing that can lead to substantial profits with the least amount of labour.
If you are an avid investor or just a beginner, here are the top 10 investment options in India, with their risk element and profit probabilities explained.
Top 10 instruments of investments
Stocks
Investing in the stock market is one of the most basic options. You can invest in a stock of your choosing as per your budget, with low risk and maximum dividend. It is always recommended that stock investments are made for the long term for minimal risk.
SIP
Opting for a systematic investment plan (SIP) is a strategic way of investing in mutual funds. This gives you the option of investing small amounts periodically rather than make a big investment in one go, being a low risk option.
Equity Mutual Funds
Investing in equity mutual funds can only be beneficial for you if you make the investment for a longer period of time. For a fixed income investor, equity funds offer low risk and a significantly higher payout.
Real estate
With the prices of property going up every year, real estate has become one of the most popular and sought after investment options. Real estate can offer you constant cash flow, tax breaks and build your equity.
NPS
The National Pension Scheme (NPS) can be a good investment option for your retirement plan, as it gives your market linked returns to beat inflation and can also offer you tax benefits, essential for the working class.
Sovereign Gold Bonds
Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) is a government scheme, so the risk factor often remains low. It is a more convenient alternative to holding physical gold, with the risks, costs of storage, and purity issues eliminated.
Public Provident Fund (PPF)
The Public Provident Fund (PPF) has a stable interest rate, giving you consistent returns on your investments. It is a low-risk option and has a tenure of 15 years, which can be extended by 5 more years, making it a retirement option.
Fixed deposit
A fixed deposit (FD) in your bank of choosing can be a good investment option of you have a large sum of money to invest in lump sum. Further, you can withdraw the money at any time without penalty, with lower risk factor that mutual funds.
Senior Citizen Savings Scheme
The Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) is one of the best investment options for fixed income senior citizens, as it ensures a regular flow of income post retirement. It offers returns on quarterly basis. Since it is government-backed, the scheme is a low-risk investment option.
Government bonds
Government bonds or G-secs are backed by the country’s sovereign and are extremely low risk. The maturity period can range from 91 days to 40 years, giving you an option of long term and short term, low risk investment.