The National Pension System (NPS) is a government-backed retirement savings scheme designed to help Indian citizens build a long-term pension corpus. Originally introduced for government employees, it was opened to all citizens and NRIs in 2009. Anyone aged 18 to 70 can invest through two account types. The Tier I account is the main retirement account, offering tax benefits and limited withdrawal options until retirement. The Tier II account acts as a voluntary savings account with flexible withdrawals but generally does not provide tax benefits, except for government employees.
Contributions and fund management
There is no fixed contribution requirement under NPS, but a Tier I account requires at least Rs. 500 to open and a minimum annual deposit of Rs. 1,000 to remain active. A Tier II account requires Rs. 1,000 to open and Rs. 250 annually to stay active. Investors can contribute any amount, at any frequency, based on their financial goals. NPS also offers two investment styles: Active Choice, where individuals set their own allocation across equity (E), corporate debt (C), and government securities (G); and Auto Choice, where the asset mix adjusts automatically with the investor’s age.
Withdrawals and retirement benefits
Investors can access their NPS corpus once they turn 60. At retirement, up to 60% of the accumulated amount can be withdrawn tax-free, while the remaining 40% must be used to buy an annuity that provides a regular pension. Withdrawals from a Tier I account are otherwise restricted and allowed only for specific purposes.
If the subscriber passes away, the full NPS balance is paid to the nominee. NPS also offers strong tax benefits: contributions to the Tier I account qualify for deductions up to Rs. 1.5 lakh under Section 80C, with an additional Rs. 50,000 deduction available under Section 80CCD(1B).
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