A flexi fixed deposit, as the name suggests is a fixed deposit which offers flexibility and convenience to customers. It is traditionally a combination of a fixed deposit and a recurring/savings account, ensuring customers get the benefit of high interest rates offered by Fixed Deposits plus liquidity offered by saving accounts.
Banks offering flexi fixed deposit schemes
A number of banks in India offer flexi fixed deposit schemes to customers, some of which are mentioned below.
Union Bank of India– Union Bank of India offers a flexi fixed deposit scheme which goes by the name of “Union Savings Flexi Deposit Account”. This scheme merges the features of fixed deposits and saving deposits, offering a unique entity to customers.
Allahabad Bank – The “Flexi Fix Deposit” scheme offered by Allahabad Bank offers maximum returns to customers without them having to sacrifice liquidity of their funds. The minimum deposit required for this account is Rs 25,000.
Bank of Baroda – Bank of Baroda offers Flexi Deposit Schemes for corporates, helping them manage their funds efficiently, with deposit periods ranging from 7 days to 1 year. The minimum deposit under this scheme is Rs 5 crores.
State Bank of India – State Bank of India offers flexi FDs under its Flexi Deposit Scheme with a minimum deposit requirement of Rs 5,000 and a minimum tenure of 5 years. Individuals can choose to increase their deposit through flexible instalments.
ICICI Bank Flexi Deposit Scheme – The Flexi Deposit Scheme offered by ICICI Bank merges a Savings or Current account with a Flexi Deposit. Individuals should ensure they maintain a balance of Rs 10,000 for a Savings account or Rs 20,000 for a Current account. The term for a Flexi Deposit account ranges from 15 days to 91 days.
Bank of India – Bank of India offers a Flexi Fixed Deposit under the name of “Star Flexi Recurring Deposit Scheme” which can be opened either as an individual or joint account. Terms for this deposit range from 12 months to 10 years, offering customers flexibility and ease of operation.
Axis Bank – Axis Bank offers Flexi Fixed Deposits under the name of “Encash 24 Flexi Deposit”, combining the liquidity of a Savings Account with the interest of a Fixed Deposit. The term for this deposit ranges from 6 months to 5 years.
Features and Benefits of Flexible FD
Flexi Fixed Deposits offer a host of features and benefits to account holders, some of which are mentioned below.
- Attractive interest – Flexi Fixed Deposits earn higher interests compared to Savings Accounts, enabling one to earn more through their money.
- Flexible tenures – Different banks have different tenures for the flexi deposit schemes, ensuring one finds a tenure which best suits his/her financial needs.
- Investment amount – Individuals can choose the amount they intend to deposit, with different banks allowing different amounts as deposits.
- Premature withdrawal – Most banks allow premature withdrawals from flexi fixed deposit accounts, subject to individual policies in place.
- Loan facility – Account holders can generally avail loans against flexi fixed deposits, subject to policies implemented by banks.
- Easy to open – Opening a Flexi Fixed Deposit account is simple and hassle free, with most banks following a fast and transparent process.
- Auto renewal – Banks generally allow auto renewal of flexi FDs, ensuring account holders don’t have to worry about renewal.
How Flexi Fixed Deposits differ from Normal Fixed Deposits
Flexi Fixed Deposits offer certain benefits over normal FDs, primarily due to the flexibility and liquidity they offer. In a normal fixed deposit, individuals generally deposit a certain sum of money for a particular period of time, with this amount earning fixed interest. Withdrawing this amount before maturity is generally not permitted, which can be a problem in emergencies. Flexi Fixed Deposits overcome this problem by allowing account holders to withdraw certain sums of money, which could be from their savings/current account, which is generally merged with a fixed deposit in flexi FDs.