Bank of Maharashtra vs Union Bank of India: Children’s Savings Accounts

Bank of Maharashtra vs Union Bank of India: Children’s Savings Accounts

Bank of Maharashtra has Mahabank – Yuva Yojana for children in the 10-18 years age group. This is a savings cum investment account as a child can open a savings account and invest in recurring deposits and fixed deposits. Union Bank of India does not offer dedicated children’s account but instead offers minors the chance to have an account through its Regular Savings Account and Union Family Savings Scheme products.

Children’s Savings Accounts from Bank of Maharashtra

Mahabank – Yuva Yojana

Bank of Maharashtra offers the Mahabank – Yuva Yojana as a comprehensive solution to take care of the savings needs and expenses of young children.

Features

  • Under this, children can open savings accounts and invest in recurring deposits and fixed deposits
  • The savings account has no minimum balance requirements and can be opened with only Rs. 10
  • Children do not get any chequebook until they are over 18 years, but by then the account becomes a standard savings account with minimum balance requirements and other terms and conditions that apply to the standard account
  • The Mahabank – Yuva Yojana account comes with a free debit card but with specified spending limits
  • Account holders can put in standing instructions to transfer money from their accounts to their recurring deposit. In addition, parents can put in standing instructions to put in money from their account to the child’s account
  • Bank of Maharashtra also sanctions education loans to deserving students at the time to admission if they have held the account for over 6 months

Savings Account

The bank also allows parents and guardians to open a savings account jointly with a minor child.

Features

  • The minimum average balance requirements for the Mahabank – Savings Bank Scheme are calculated on a monthly basis. Service charges are applicable if the balance is less
  • The documents needed to open the account (besides the application, of course) are an ID proof, an address proof, two passport-sized photographs and the PAN card or Form 60/61
  • Interest is calculated on the daily balance on a quarterly basis

Children’s Savings Accounts from Union Bank of India

Union Bank does not offer a dedicated children’s account. However, minors can have accounts under its Regular Savings Account and Union Family Savings Scheme products. From a reading of the website, it seems minors can also open an account through parent or guardian under the Union Flexi Savings Deposit and Union Flexi Plus Savings Deposit schemes.

Regular Savings Account

The standard savings account from the bank.

Features

  • Can be opened by an individual for her child
  • Just like adults, the child is entitled to receive a free chequebook of 20 leaves every year
  • Allows students to keep the account with zero balance

Union Family Savings Scheme

A savings scheme under which up to 6 family members can open accounts.

Features

  • The average quarterly balance for the entire group is Rs. 1 lakh
  • Each account holder gets up to 2 chequebooks per account
  • They also can make up to Rs. 20,000 in pay orders or demand drafts each month
  • Each account holder can make ATM withdrawal or POS transaction of Rs. 25,000 each per day
  • Family members who can be included in the account are parents, grandparents, spouse, sibling and children

Union Flexi Account and Union Flexi Plus Savings Deposit

These two are higher end savings accounts, which also come with sweep facilities to put the excess money in a fixed deposit once the transaction limit crosses a specified limit. Though the Union Bank website does not specifically mention that the accounts are available for minors, it does say that individuals can open the account.

Reference Facts

  • Bank of Maharashtra Website: www.bankofmaharashtra.in and https://www.mahaconnect.in/jsp/index.html (net banking)
  • Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
  • Call Centre Toll-Free Number: 1800 233 4526, 1800 102 2636
  • Union Bank of India Website: www.unionbankofindia.co.in and www.unionbankonline.co.in (net banking)
  • Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
  • Call Centre Number: 1800 208 2244, 1800 22 2244