The Public Provident Fund (PPF) is one of the most popular long-term savings options for low-risk investors. The PPF offers stable returns, tax-free interest and tax benefits under Section 80C of...
The Public Provident Fund (PPF) is one of the most popular long-term savings options for low-risk investors. The PPF offers stable returns, tax-free interest and tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. While the maximum investment allowed in a PPF account is Rs 1.5 lakh a financial year, many investors wonder how long it would take to build a corpus of Rs 1.54 crore through disciplined annual contributions. The answer depends on how much you invest every year and how long you stay invested. Since PPF offers the power of compounding, even relatively modest annual investments can grow into a sizeable retirement corpus. Current PPF interest rateThe government currently offers an interest rate of 7.1% per annum on PPF deposits. Interest is calculated monthly and is credited to the PPF account at the end of each financial year. How long will it take to accumulate Rs 1 crore in PPF?The following calculations assume that an investor contributes the same amount every year till April 5 every year to get the maximum benefit of the PPF interest rate, and the PPF rate remains at 7.1% throughout the investment period. The biggest advantage of starting PPF investments at age 30 is the long compounding period. Even though the yearly investment remains fixed, the interest generated over decades significantly boosts the final corpus.The PPF maturity period is 15 years. However, an investor can take five years of unlimited extensions with contribution. Without contribution, they can take one extension of five years. Rs 1.5 lakh per year (the current maximum annual PPF contribution) grows to about Rs 40.68 lakh in 15 years and Rs 66.58 lakh in 20 years. Here, the total interest generated is Rs 18,18,209 and the invested amount is Rs 22,50,000.However, if you invest Rs 1.5 lakh/financial year for 30 years, you can generate a sizable amount which is more than Rs 1.5 crore.How can you generate Rs 1.54 crore retirement corpus through PPF?If an investor starts investing the full Rs 1.5 lakh every year from age 30 and does it continuously till age 60, they can create a Rs 1.54 crore corpus. To take the full benefit of a 7.1% interest rate, the investor needs to invest Rs 1.5 lakh amount as a lump sum till April 5 of every financial year. Starting age for PPF investment: 30 yearsInvest till: 60 yearsAnnual investment: Rs 1.5 lakhInterest rate: 7.1% per annumInvestment period: 30 yearsEstimated corpus at 60 = Rs 1.54 crore (approximately)Total investment in 30 years: Rs 45 lakhEstimated interest earned: Rs 1.09 crore