What is Forex Card?
03 Jul 2019
Planning to go on a trip abroad? Don’t forget to carry a forex card for a hassle-free trip. So, what is forex card?
A forex card is the safest way of carrying foreign currency for paying for expenses when you are travelling abroad. It is a prepaid card which you can load with a specified amount in a foreign currency. So, when you are travelling overseas, you can swipe this forex card to pay for your expenses, instead of carrying cash around. It works as a debit card. You can also withdraw cash with your forex card from an ATM.
What is forex card and its types?
A forex card is a type of prepaid card in which you can load money in foreign currency. It is globally accepted, and you can either pay for your expenses using your forex card or withdraw cash in foreign currency at an ATM.
Forex cards are largely divided into two types – single currency cards and multicurrency cards.
- Single currency forex card: A single currency forex card can be loaded with a particular foreign currency. You can use load this card with a currency when travelling to a particular country.
- Multi-currency forex card: As the name suggests, you can preload this card with multiple currencies. Check with your bank about the currencies that you can load onto your multi-currency forex card.
What is the use of forex card?
A forex card is your best friend when you are travelling in a foreign country. There are several benefits of carrying a forex card over travelling with wads of cash or looking for places to convert currencies.
- With a forex card, you are likely to get a better conversion rate. Buying a forex card from a bank is a cheaper solution to currency converted.
- Most banks offer a range of forex cards that can suit your needs. You need not necessarily have an existing account with the bank to be able to purchase a forex card.
- You can avail of many deals, offers and discounts that most banks offer when you purchase a forex card.
- A forex card is much safer than carrying cash around. It comes with the chip and pin technology, which adds another layer of safety. Further, if you lose your forex card, you can get your card hot listed immediately to avoid any misuse of the card.
- If your card has a remaining balance when you are back home from travel, you can encash the amount at the existing exchange rates. To avoid maintenance charges, you can get your card blocked until your next visit overseas.
How forex cards work?
What is forex card if not a debit/ credit card for your overseas travels. They are globally accepted and are a safer alternative to cash. But how does a forex card work?
It works exactly like a credit or debit card. You apply for a card. Once your application is approved, you receive the card with a pin. Change the pin. Use internet banking to load the card with your desired amount and currency. Now you are good to go.
When abroad, just swipe your forex card at the point of sale machine whenever you pay for something. Just like a debit/ credit card transaction, you will receive SMS and email notification of your transaction and the balance.
Gone are the days of travelling with cash in hand. The world has gone digital and it’s time you did, too. With a forex card in hand, you can get the best deals. Be a global citizen and shop without any limits with a forex card. Avoid queues for exchanging your currencies. Forget about the hassles of travelling with wads of cash in your pocket. Just swipe your forex card and enjoy your trip to the fullest.
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There are many benefits of recurring deposit.
Small installments
Most banks have a very low amount of monthly installment. Some banks even have recurring deposit schemes where the installment frequency is quarterly or half yearly. This ensures people with low amount of savings can also invest in such schemes.
Goal based saving
One of the best benefits of recurring deposit is that it helps with goal based savings. Regular monthly installments earn interest and work towards building a corpus for the short term. Installments can be planned so that a required corpus is built up for use in the future. To check the maturity amount for a given installment amount, you can use a recurring deposit interest calculator which is available for free on major bank websites. By using this calculator, you can plan your finances so that your monthly investments build up to the amount you need.
High rate of interest
Recurring deposits earn the same rate of interest as fixed deposits. Thus, these can be used effectively as a tool to earn income. Interest is compounded quarterly on the investments made which helps the investor to earn on interest as well as the principal. Senior citizens can get a higher rate of interest on their recurring deposits.
Saving for minors
Most banks allow recurring deposits to be opened by minors with a joint holding by the parent or the legal guardian. This helps to build investments for the minor’s use.
Disciplined investing
A recurring deposit is an excellent way of ensuring disciplined investing. Since the installment amount for a recurring deposit has to be paid on the same day every month, the investor is forced to put aside that amount. It inculcates discipline and a savings habit to the extent of the installment amount.
Loan facility
Most banks offer a loan facility on the recurring deposit amount. This loan is given up to 95% of the recurring deposit amount. This can be resorted to in case of any emergency.
Easy to open
Opening a recurring deposit is extremely simple. You do not need to have a savings bank account in that particular bank to open a recurring deposit account. Opening a recurring deposit account can be done online via net banking of the particular bank. In case it is not possible to open it online, you can visit the bank branch, fill up the recurring deposit form and submit the required documents along with a cheque for the installment amount.
TDS limits
The recurring deposit benefits to tax are available when it comes to TDS. Banks deduct tax on the recurring deposit interest only when it exceeds Rs. 10,000 in a particular year. If the total interest amount does not exceed Rs. 10,000, then they do not deduct tax. Also, no tax is deducted if the depositor submits Form 15G/15H certifying that their income is below the no tax limit.
Nomination facility
Recurring deposits come with a nomination facility. This means the recurring deposit amount will be paid to the nominee in case of death of the deposit holder. Setting up nomination for a recurring deposit is very simple. This detail can be provided while opening the recurring deposit account.
Deduction on interest earned
While the interest earned on a recurring deposit is chargeable to tax, interest earned up to Rs. 50,000 is deductible under Section 80TTB of the Income Tax Act for senior citizens. This provision ensures a higher amount of income remains in their hands.
A recurring deposit is an excellent investment option for people who have small savings and want to build up a corpus for specific goals
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Life can be pretty uncertain. The death of a loved one is always painful, but it can have pretty serious financial consequences if it happens to be an earning member. Life insurance was devised to protect a family in the event of the death of an earning member. So let’s look at what is life insurance in some detail.
Life insurance definition is that it’s a contract between an individual and an insurer. The individual takes out an insurance policy and pays monthly or annual premiums. If the insured person meets with an untimely death, a lump sum is paid to his family, whether it’s parents, spouse or children.
Now that we have understood life insurance meaning, let’s look at the various types of products available to you.
Term Insurance
When you are finding out what is life insurance policy, you should also understand all the different options. Among them is term insurance. This plan is for a certain fixed period of time. For instance, many people choose to have a life insurance policy till the time they are earning, so that their families do not have to suffer loss of income. The lump sum or death benefit paid will ensure that the families will be able to continue the lifestyle they are accustomed to. Some policies cover permanent disability as well. You can take out a term insurance that lasts for as long as you wish – till you are 60 years old or even a hundred! Of course, you will have to pay higher premiums if you take longer policies.
Whole life insurance
Here’s another term you need to learn while learning what is life insurance policy, and that is whole life insurance. This will provide you with lifetime coverage. Of course, you will have to pay premiums for your entire life for this kind of policy.
Endowment policy
An endowment policy is one that combines insurance with investment. The policy is for a fixed period and the policy holder gets a certain amount at the end of it, if he or she survives that period. If the policyholder does not survive, the nominee will get the sum insured.
Unit Linked Insurance Plan
The Unit Linked Insurance Plan or ULIP is a type of endowment policy which combines life insurance with investment. A portion of the premium goes to cover life insurance, while the remainder is invested in either equity or fixed income instruments. The policyholder has the option of selecting the mix of instruments depending on his or her risk appetite and investment goals.
Benefits of life insurance
Now that we have seen what the meaning of life insurance is, let’s look at the benefits.
Protection for family
Obviously, the biggest advantage of life insurance is that it provides financial protection for your family in the event of an untimely death. Ideally, you should take a life cover that is 10 times your annual income to protect your family’s interests.
Tax benefits
There’s another reason to invest in life insurance, and that is tax benefits. Premiums paid are eligible for a reduction in taxable income under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. However, the amount is limited to 10 percent of the sum assured.
Varied choices
There are many choices available, from plain term insurance to ULIPs that combine insurance and investment.
Savings
Policies like endowment or ULIPS will help you save for long periods.
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