Are time deposits a good investment option? Cliche as it may sound, the answer is “It depends.”
It depends on your financial goals, as well as the bank where you’ll open a time deposit account. Several other considerations may also affect your decision whether to go for it or invest elsewhere.
Making a smart investment decision starts with knowing and understanding what you’ll be getting into. Of course, you want to grow your money—not lose it. Here’s everything you need to know about time deposits in the Philippines.
What is Time Deposit?
A time deposit (also known as term deposit or fixed deposit) is a type of bank account that earns a fixed interest but cannot be withdrawn over a specified term or period.
Although time deposits in the Philippines are deposit accounts like regular savings and checking accounts, these bank products differ from one another, especially in terms of earning interest.
How Does Time Deposit Work?
Opening a time deposit account is simple. Choose a bank, prepare the requirements, and make sure you have an initial deposit. The initial deposit or minimum placement depends on the bank you choose. Minimum amount for time deposit can be as low as PHP 1,000 and as high as PHP 50,000.
From there, select your lock-in period or the length of time you want your money to remain in the bank. Most financial institutions in the Philippines have a lock-in period of 30 days to 5 years.
How to Compute Interest in Time Deposit
Follow this formula to compute the interest you can gain:
For lock-in periods of less than or equal to 1 year:
(Interest rate) x (360) x (Lock-in period in days) / 360) x (Deposit amount)
For lock-in periods of more than 1 year:
(Interest rate) x (lock-in period in days) / 365) x (Deposit amount)
However, take note that the bank will charge a withholding tax of 20% which means you will only receive 80% of the interest income upon maturity of tenure.
What is the Best Bank for Time Deposit?
Top banks in the Philippines offer time deposits with different terms and interest rates. So the best bank for time deposit is one that works best for you and meets your savings goals and requirements.
To help you decide, here’s a list of banks that offer time deposits in the Philippines and their interest rates. Rates are based on an initial deposit of PHP 100,000 with a lock-in period of 360 days.
As of date, Chinabank has the highest interest rate for time deposits in the Philippines.
What You Need to Know Before Investing
1. You Can Invest for as Low as P1,000
The required minimum amount to open time deposits in the Philippines ranges from PHP 1,000 to PHP 100,000, depending on the bank and the specific product it offers.
It’s cheapest to open time deposits in AUB, BDO, and LANDBANK with just a minimum placement of PHP 1,000.
Time deposits in other banks with higher interest rates and longer terms require higher minimum placements. For example, Security Bank has the highest required minimum placement for a Peso time deposit at PHP 100,000. It also has the longest term option of seven years and competitive rates ranging from 3.50% to 4.60%.
2. Funds are Locked in for 30 Days to Seven Years
Time deposits in the Philippines are suitable for short-term to medium-term financial goals. This is because their lock-in or maturity periods can be as short as one month to as long as five or seven years.
Depositors can choose to have their money held (and keep earning interest) by the bank for a fixed term of 30 days, 12 months, five years, or whatever holding period is available for a particular time.
This means your funds in your account remain with the bank during the entire duration of its maturity period, unlike with regular savings and checking accounts that can be withdrawn at any time. With a time deposit, you can access your money only when its term or maturity period ends.
Depending on your investment horizon, you have the option to either withdraw your funds upon your account’s maturity or let it continue earning interest for another term, which can be shorter or longer than the original term.
3. Time Deposits are a Safe and Stable Investment Option
It has a lower risk than other types of investment. Unlike stocks and real estate, they guarantee a return on your investment (plus any interest earnings).
Simply put, there’s no danger of losing your money in a time deposit.
This makes it perfect for conservative investors who want to grow their money but have a low tolerance for risk. It’s also ideal for capital preservation, especially for senior citizens who can’t afford to lose their pension or retirement fund.
4. Interest Rates are Higher Than Regular Savings Accounts
Most savings accounts yield only less than 1% interest. Even the so-called high-interest savings accounts in the Philippines earn just a little over 1%.
In contrast, time deposits can earn as high as 5%, depending on the term and deposit amount.
Time deposit rates in the Philippines are higher than interest rates of traditional savings accounts because funds remain on hold for a pre-specified period. During this time, banks can use the funds to re-invest or lend them for higher profits.
5. Interest Rates are Fixed and Guaranteed
A time deposit’s interest rate doesn’t change throughout the lock-in period, which means its fixed rates in the Philippines have their pros and cons.
Because your rate will remain the same, you can compute how much interest your time deposit will earn, even if market rates begin to drop after you’ve opened your account.
The fixed rates become disadvantageous, though, when market interest rates increase. You’ll be stuck on your lower rate.
6. You’ll Get Higher Earnings with a Higher Deposit and Longer Term
Banks in the Philippines have tiered time deposit rates, which increase as the minimum placements go higher and the terms grow longer. For example, you’ll get a higher interest rate with a PHP 50,000 deposit for a five-year term than a lower deposit of PHP 1,000 for only one month.
Thus, the larger the amount you invest for a longer period, the higher your earnings will become.
7. You Can Receive Interest Payouts
You can still receive interest payments even if you can’t withdraw money from your account. Banks release interest payouts every month, quarter, or year through a check or through your savings or checking account.
Alternatively, you may opt to receive your interest payment along with your principal (the amount you deposited) when the term ends.
8. Time Deposits are Also Available in Foreign Currencies
Time deposits in the Philippines are not just limited to Philippine Peso accounts. Most banks offer time deposit products in US Dollar. A few ones like BPI and Metrobank have a wide variety of foreign currencies, including Chinese Yuan, Japanese Yen, and British Pound.
This is a great option for Filipinos, especially OFW families, who receive overseas remittances. You can place the amount straight to your account without having to convert it to peso and paying foreign exchange fees.
9. It’s Simple to Set Up and Understand
Opening an account is as easy as opening a regular savings or checking account. You just need to visit your bank of choice, present at least one valid ID, and fill out account opening forms.
However, instead of an ATM card or passbook, the bank will issue a certificate of time deposit that serves as your proof of deposit. This document will also show the account details, such as the term, interest rate, and maturity date.
Time deposits in the Philippines are easy to learn and understand, too. Once you’ve opened an account, you won’t have to spend time learning about it. Unlike with stocks, real estate, and mutual funds that require time and effort in analyzing market trends. Just wait until it matures. You can then decide whether you’ll withdraw your funds or invest again for another period.
10. No Fees Involved, But Earnings are Taxed
Most banks don’t charge any upfront or ongoing service fees on their time deposit products. However, time deposits in the Philippines aren’t exempt from government-required taxes (except for accounts with a term of five years or longer). A 20% final withholding tax and a documentary stamp tax (PHP 1.50 per PHP 200) are deducted from the interest earnings.
11. There’s a Penalty Fee for Early Withdrawal
If any emergency comes up, the bank will allow you to make an early withdrawal from your time deposit account. But withdrawing before the maturity date has a consequence: you’ll be charged a pre-termination penalty, which is a percentage (usually 10% to 50%) of the interest earned. Other banks have an early withdrawal penalty in the form of reverting to the bank’s regular savings rate that’s lower than the time deposit rate.
12. Time Deposits are Insured
Time deposits in the Philippines have an insurance of up to PHP 500,000 by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC)[1]. This means you’ll get your money back in case the bank closes down, as the PDIC will pay you deposit insurance.
13. You Can’t Place Additional Deposits
Once you’ve deposited a certain amount in your time deposit account, you can’t place extra deposits as you can with a savings or checking account. If you have extra money that you want to invest, you’ll have to open a new account or put it in another investment channel.
14. You Can Borrow Money from Your Time Deposit Account
Time deposits in some banks like PSBank have a credit facility of up to 90% of the total deposit amount. If your time deposit has this feature, it means you can borrow up to a certain percentage of your total placement.
Final Thoughts
Educating yourself about time deposits in the Philippines—or any savings/investment products—is the key to making a sound financial decision.
This type of investment is a good option if you’re looking for more than just safekeeping your money. But if it isn’t aligned with your financial goals, explore other higher-yielding investment tools such as stocks, mutual funds, and UITF.
Source: www.moneymax.ph
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