Ok. So Prime Minister Modi’s ambitious
Sovereign Gold Bonds scheme ended yesterday. You will ask me than why am
I discussing it today. Well because many of you wanted me to take up
the topic and I thought that you will anyways understand about the
scheme and take benefit of it in the time to come. So without wasting
much of your weekend fuel, I will come straight to the topic and blabber
out all you wanted to know about the Sovereign Gold Bonds.
So, what is the Sovereign Gold Bond?
In a bid to bring down the import of gold
and to give an alternative to buy physical gold, Government of India
had announced the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme. The first tranche of the
gold bond scheme was on till yesterday and subsequent tranches would be
notified later. The borrowing through gold bonds will form a part of the
market borrowing program of the government. The bonds will be issued by
the Reserve Bank.
Twelve important things you should know about investing in sovereign gold bonds
- The gold bond scheme was announced to give consumers an alternative
where they can buy bonds in place of in place of physical gold.
- The minimum bond size was worth 2 grams of gold, and the maximum was 500 grams.
- The Sovereign Gold Bonds were open for public subscription from November 5 to 20th and the subscription period ended yesterday. The bonds will be issued on November 26, 2015.
- The Sovereign Gold Bonds were offered at an interest rate of 2.75%.
The interest will be payable semi-annually on the initial value of
investment.
- There would also be a commission of 1% on the subscription amount for distribution of bonds.
- The bonds were sold through banks and designated post offices as notified by the Finance Ministry.
- The tenor of the bond will be for a period of eight years with exit
option from 5th year can be exercised on the interest payment dates.
- The price of the bond will be fixed in rupees, on the basis of the
previous week’s (Monday – Friday) simple average of closing price of
gold of 999 purity published by the India Bullion and Jewellers
Association Ltd. The same procedure would be followed for calculating
the redemption price for the bonds.
- The interest earned on gold bonds would be taxable, and capital gains tax shall be levied as in case of physical gold.
- The bonds can be used as collateral for loans and the loan-to-value
ratio will be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated by the Reserve
Bank from time to time.
- The bonds will be tradable on exchanges and will be eligible for Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
- The bonds will be restricted for sale to resident Indian entities
including individuals, HUFs, trusts, universities and charitable
institutions.
Benefits of applying in Sovereign Gold Bonds
- The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be available both in demat and paper form.
- The tenor of the bond is for a minimum of 8 years with option to exit in 5th, 6th and 7th years.
- They will carry sovereign guarantee both on the capital invested and the interest.
- Bonds can be used as collateral for loans.
- Bonds would be allowed to be traded on exchanges to allow early exits for investors who may so desire.
- Further, bonds would be allowed to be traded on exchanges to allow early exits for investors who may so desire.
- In Sovereign Gold Bonds, capital gains tax treatment will be the
same as for physical gold for an ‘individual’ investor. The department
of revenue has said that they will consider indexation benefit if bond
is transferred before maturity and complete capital gains tax exemption
at the time of redemption.
Some important FAQs before we proceed further
Why should I buy SGB rather than physical gold? What are the benefits?
The quantity of gold for which the
investor pays is protected, since he receives the ongoing market price
at the time of redemption/ premature redemption. The SGB offers a
superior alternative to holding gold in physical form. The risks and
costs of storage are eliminated. Investors are assured of the market
value of gold at the time of maturity and periodical interest. SGB is
free from issues like making charges and purity in the case of gold in
jewellery form. The bonds are held in the books of the RBI or in demat
form eliminating risk of loss of scrip etc.
Are there any risks in investing in SGBs?
There may be a risk of capital loss if
the market price of gold declines. However, the investor does not lose
in terms of the units of gold which he has paid for.
Can a Minor invest in SGB?
Yes. The application on behalf of the
minor has to be made by his / her guardian. So it’s a good investment
for higher education of your children.
Can I buy 500 grams worth of SGB every year?
Yes. One can buy 500 grams worth of gold every year as the ceiling has been fixed on a fiscal year (April-March) basis.
Is the limit of 500 grams of gold applicable if I buy on the Exchanges?
The limit of 500 grams per financial year is applicable even if the bond is bought on the exchanges.
Can I encash the bond anytime I want? Is premature redemption allowed?
Though the tenor of the bond is 8 years,
early encashment/redemption of the bond is allowed after fifth year from
the date of issue on coupon payment dates. The bond will be tradable on
Exchanges, if held in demat form. It can also be transferred to any
other eligible investor.
What do I have to do if I want to exit my investment?
In case of premature redemption,
investors can approach the concerned bank/Post Office/agent thirty days
before the coupon payment date. Request for premature redemption can
only be entertained if the investor approaches the concerned bank/post
office at least one day before the coupon payment date. The proceeds
will be credited to the customer’s bank account provided at the time of
applying for the bond.
Can I get part repayment of these bonds at the time of exercising put option?
Yes, part holdings can be redeemed in multiples of one gm.
So friends, I believe it’s a better idea
to invest in gold bonds than the real gold itself (but ask your better
half too if they agree to it. Keeping them happy is a more important
thing. ) So if you have missed out this time, better luck next time.
Till than keep reading TradeTalk and we will notify you when early next
time. Have a nice weekend and happy investing.