Indian Overseas Bank vs Nainital Bank: Children’s Savings Accounts

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) offers the SB – Little Star account for young children while Nainital Bank allows minors to open a Regular Saving Account through a parent or guardian.

Children’s Savings Accounts from Indian Overseas Bank

SB – Little Star Account

The account has been designed for all children – from 1 day old babies to up to 18 year old young adults.

Features

  • The account can be opened by any child aged 1 day to less than 18 years
  • The minimum balance needed in the account is Rs. 100, while the maximum amount that can be kept is Rs. 50,000
  • IOB offers free collection facility for cheques or draft instruments gifted to the child and valued up to Rs. 25,000 per annum
  • It also offers a Sweep-In, Sweep-Out facility where any amount in the account in excess of Rs. 10,000 is taken out of the account and turned into fixed deposits of Rs. 2,000 each. If the balance falls below Rs. 10,000 then the most recent fixed deposits are put back in the SB – Little Star Account so the balance is back to being at least Rs. 10,000
  • Parents also have the option to invest in other options such as recurring deposits, insurance, mutual funds and so on

Children’s Savings Accounts from Nainital Bank Limited

Nainital Bank does not offer a dedicated children’s savings bank account though its Regular Saving Account can be opened by a minor.

Regular Saving Account

The standard savings account from the bank, the account can be opened on behalf of minors by the guardian.

Features

  • The account is meant to cater to the savings needs of the people by providing a safe place to keep their money
  • The bank has made it easy to operate the account without too much of a fuss
  • The minimum balance for accounts with chequebooks is Rs 500 for rural and semi-urban branches and Rs. 1,000 for urban and metro branches. For non-chequebook accounts, the balance is Rs. 200 (rural), Rs. 300 (semi-urban), Rs. 400 (urban) and Rs. 500 (urban) locations. Details of whether the same balance requirements apply on the Regular Saving Account for minors is not available on the website as of November 2018

Reference Facts

  • Indian Overseas Bank Website: www.iob.in and www.iobnet.co.in (net banking)
  • Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
  • Call Centre Number: 1800 425 4445
  • Nainital Bank Website: www.nainitalbank.co.in
  • Headquarters: Nainital, Uttarakhand
  • Call Centre Number: +91 120 240 1083