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Safe-Yield Guides

Plain-language rate cards, eligibility, and NRI rules for 12 sovereign and credit-rated instruments.

This page catalogues the twelve live safe-yield guides on 14paisa — sovereign instruments issued by the Government of India and credit-rated instruments that require you to think about credit risk before investing. Each card links to a dedicated, plain-language guide covering the rate, eligibility, lock-in, tax treatment, NRI rules, and how to invest.

14paisa is an educational comparison platform — we are not a SEBI-registered investment advisor. The guides below are organised by tier: the first group carries no principal loss (sovereign guarantee); the second carries credit risk (issuer default exposure).

No principal loss

1 — Very Low
9.50%
National Pension System (NPS)
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹500 · Until age 60 (tier I)
A plain-language guide to the National Pension System (NPS): government-regulated long-term retirement scheme with Tier-I (locked until age 60) and Tier-II (flexible), Section 80CCD(1B) extra ₹50,000 tax break for salaried investors, partial withdrawal rules, mandatory 40% annuity at exit, and how to open via eNPS or any Point of Presence bank
Government Securities
Open guide →
1 — Very Low
8.20%
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹250 · Until girl turns 21
A plain-language guide to the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY): government savings scheme exclusively for a girl child under age 10, 8
Post Office Schemes
Open guide →
1 — Very Low
8.05%
RBI Floating Rate Savings Bond
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹1,000 · 7 years
A plain-language guide to the RBI Floating Rate Savings Bond: how the floating rate resets against NSC, sovereign guarantee, tax treatment, NRI eligibility, and how to invest via RBI Retail Direct or any bank
Government Securities
Open guide →
1 — Very Low
7.10%
Public Provident Fund (PPF)
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹500 · 15 years (partial after 7)
A plain-language guide to the Public Provident Fund (PPF): 15-year government-backed savings scheme with full EEE tax status, 7
Post Office Schemes
Open guide →
1 — Very Low
6.95%
Treasury Bill — 364 Day
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹25,000 · 364 days
A plain-language guide to Treasury Bills (T-Bills): zero-coupon, discount-priced short-tenure securities issued by RBI on behalf of the Government of India
Government Securities
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2 — Low
2.50%
Sovereign Gold Bond
Sovereign · No Principal Loss
From ₹10,000 · 8 years (5-year early exit allowed)
A plain-language guide to the Sovereign Gold Bond: RBI-issued sovereign alternative to physical gold, denomination in grams, 8-year tenor with 5-year early exit, tax-free maturity capital-gains exemption for resident individuals, current RBI issuance pause, and NRI eligibility via the RBI retail window
Government Securities
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Credit risk applies

1 — Very Low
8.20%
Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS)
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹1,000 · 5 years
A plain-language guide to the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS): highest post-office rate at 8
Post Office Schemes
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1 — Very Low
7.70%
National Savings Certificate (NSC)
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹1,000 · 5 years
A plain-language guide to the National Savings Certificate (NSC): 5-year government savings certificate at 7
Post Office Schemes
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1 — Very Low
7.50%
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP)
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹1,000 · 115 months (to double)
A plain-language guide to the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP): government small-savings certificate that doubles the invested amount in 115 months at an implied 7
Post Office Schemes
Open guide →
1 — Very Low
7.40%
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹1,000 · 15 years
A plain-language guide to the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY): government-backed pension-annuity scheme for senior citizens (age 60+), administered by LIC on behalf of the Government of India
Post Office Schemes
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2 — Low
8.20%
Corporate Fixed Deposits
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹10,000 · 1–3 years (premature withdrawal with penalty)
A plain-language guide to corporate FDs: fixed deposits issued by NBFCs and non-bank companies
Fixed Deposits
Open guide →
2 — Low
7.70%
AAA/AA Corporate Bond
Credit Risk Applies
From ₹10,000 · 3–5 years (tradeable)
A plain-language guide to AAA and AA rated corporate bonds: how CRISIL/ICRA investment-grade ratings work, typical ₹10,000 minimum ticket, credit risk vs sovereign, comparison to bank FDs, TDS tax treatment, where to buy on NSE/BSE, and the explicit no-principal-guarantee disclosure
Corporate Bonds
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Disclaimer: 14paisa is an educational comparison platform and is not a SEBI-registered investment advisor. Rates shown are indicative and may change. The tier labels below reflect 14paisa's framing — for binding rates and rules verify directly with the issuing institution or regulator. Read our full disclaimer.