2. PPF and NSC :
Not only the Lock-in period is high, but also the returns are very less, hitting you hard and sometimes not even covering Inflation.

3. Five Year Bank Fixed Deposits :
Very Low Returns, Low Liquidity and Interest IS Taxed on Maturity.

FREE INSURANCE COVER TOO :
Birla Sun Life Tax Relief and HSBC Tax Saver Equity are offering free critical illness cover, while DWS Tax Saving is giving free life insurance.

The Reliance Tax Saver and Kotak Tax Saver scheme comes with a free life insurance cover.
Taurus Tax Shield and Principal Personal Tax Saver and Prinicipal Tax Saving Fund offer Personal Accident Death Cover.

Apart from the ELSS Funds, there are Pension Funds namely, Templeton India Pension Plan and UTI Retirement Benefit Unit Plan, which invest a minimum of 60 per cent of their assets in fixed income instruments.

Systematic Investment Plan

Best way to invest in ELSS is through Systematic Investment Plan(SIP). With SIP you can invest a small amount every month for a specific time period. With SIP investor can take advantage of fluctuations in the stock market. So investor will get more units when the market is down and get less units when the market is up. For eg if you are investing Rs 1000 every month and you will get 100 units for when Net Asset Value (NAV) is 10 and will get 50 units when NAV is 20. So investing a fixed sum regularly helps to cover the market fluctuations by rupee costs averaging.

SIPs are a tried and tested method of minimizing risk and yet enjoying good returns, by regular, periodic investment, over a long horizon.


A FANTASTIC COMBINATION
SIPs along with the tax benefit that can be availed of by investing in ELSS, makes this investment option very attractive. Instead of simply putting in a chunk of Rs 1 lakh at the end of each fiscal year, if you develop a healthy saving habit, you could invest a fixed amount every month and benefit from the advantages of both SIPs and the tax rebate.

When you invest in ELSS, through the SIP route, you enjoy the multiple benefits of better market-linked returns in the long run, rupee cost averaging and a tax break. So, happy investing!



So........

ELSS give you the two-in-one advantage of saving tax and wealth-building. So, do not wait for the "March" last minute rush to save taxes and make a hasty decision.

Tax Exemption twice in 6 years!!!
You can withdraw your Tax Saver Funds at the end of the 3 years and when you reinvest the same, you get Tax Exemption TWICE in six years compared to just once in the case of NSC.



GO FOR DIVIDEND PLAN :
Almost all equity-linked saving schemes have two fund options — growth and dividend. Unlike a growth plan, an investor gets annual payouts from the dividend schemes before the final redemption of units.

The trick here is to invest in the dividend plan of an ELSS. For instance, if one invests Rs 1 lakh in an ELSS, one saves a tax outgo of Rs 33,990 (at the highest tax rate of 33.99 per cent) under section 80C.