Fixed Deposits in Companies

Company Fixed Deposit (corporate FD) is a term deposit which is held over fixed period at fixed rates of interest. Company Fixed Deposits are offered by Financial and Non-Banking financial companies (NBFCs). The maturities of various company fixed deposits can range from a few months to a few years.

Factors before choosing Corporate FD schemes to invest in.

• Company Background: Assess a company’s business viability by referring to its Financial Statements, Management Discussion and Analysis (MD & A).
• Credit Rating: Opt for higher-rated corporate FDs based on its credit rating which indicates the underlying risk of the company.
• Repayment History: Companies repayment history helps to determine company’s credit score, credibility and stability.

Reasons to invest:

Short-Term Investments

One of the major advantages of investing in corporate FDs is short-term investments. Bank FDs can be anywhere between a few months to a few years, but corporate FDs cannot exceed more than five years of timeframe, and this makes it a viable option when investors want high returns in a short duration of time.

Interest rates

Corporate FDs are the best in interest rates compared to banks. Considering a debt instrument where the investor needs higher returns, Corporate FDs can find the best fit. These are not influenced by the market performance and the fluctuations in the interest rate and provide much better returns than banks and other financial institutions.

Likewise to the banks, Corporate FDs also take care of the senior citizens. Here, senior citizens can find stability and attractive periodic money that can make life easier. Besides, the interest rates for senior citizens are higher than the banking schemes, which makes it a much more viable option when choosing to invest in FDs.

Ratings and Comparisons

Several corporates offer FDs, but which is the right company to invest the money as a Fixed Deposit? This is a common problem, and to solve this, investors can check the ratings of corporates given by CARE (Credit Analysis and Research Limited), CRISIL(Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited), or ICRA (Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) and then make a wise decision. These ratings are given to corporate after examining the company records, repayments, and interest rates which help potential investors by giving them a clear picture.

Company ratings are in the format AAA, AA, BBB, and more. AAA is the highest rating which signifies an investor can find a potential money hive after investing in such a company. This also gives a clear comparison with other companies, and investors can stop investing in a AA or BBB rating.

Solid Comparison

Several corporates offer Fixed Deposits but not all the corporates offer the same interest rate, they vary, and sometimes the marginal difference is too high. It is better to compare the corporates first before investing and check if they have better CARE, CRISIL, and ICRA ratings. AAA rating is considered to be the best.

Nominee

Nominee can be chosen by the investors when investing in corporate FDs, and this gives a greater advantage for investors. If the investor is holding a huge amount in the corporate Fixed Deposit and there is a sudden unfortunate demise of the investor, the nominee can take charge and possess all the money.

There is a higher return with the Corporate Fixed deposits compared to bank FDs, but there are a few notes that the investors should make before investing in Corporate FDs,

Research

One of the things that most investors do is only follow the rating system. Investors should check the company’s track record with profit and loss-making history. If the loss is a one-time or exceptional case and the track record is much positive. It can stand as a great investment opportunity for corporate FDs. Besides, it is a good practice to know the company’s plans and analyze if it will cause a positive or negative impact overall.

Premature Withdrawals

Most banks penalize the FD investors for premature withdrawals. This is usually around three months after investing. The situation is the same with Corporate FDs, and there is a penalty for premature withdrawal. It is best to know the penalty before investing.