MAM
Top 5 features to look for in a high-interest salary account
Is your monthly income just lying in a basic salary account, earning an interest rate that is below the average inflation rate? Many people don’t realise their salary account can be more than an instrument to deposit a pay cheque. All you have to do is choose the right high-interest salary account. But how do you figure out which account to select? This decision matters because choosing the wrong one could mean missing out on useful benefits and financial opportunities.
Given the importance of this decision, let’s learn the top 5 features that you should look for in a high-interest salary account. Get ready to grow your savings and enjoy value-added advantages to enhance your entire banking experience.
1. Zero balance requirement
If you have just started working or have other financial obligations (e.g., loan EMIs), keeping a consistent balance in your account can be a difficult task. In such situations, opting for an IDFC FIRST Bank Salary Account could be helpful. Its “zero balance” feature means you are not obligated to maintain any minimum balance in your account. You decide whether to spend or withdraw your full salary, without having to stress about falling below the required minimum balance.
2. Fee waivers on services
Service charges can eat into your savings, which is why opting for a high-interest salary account that minimises or fully eliminates these charges is very important. You can consider the IDFC FIRST Bank Salary Account to enjoy fee waivers on savings account related services such as:
• ATM withdrawals
• NEFT/RTGS/IMPS transactions
• SMS alerts
By avoiding these costs, you can retain more of your hard-earned money and allocate the funds towards other goals.
3. Access to better loan and credit card terms
Another non-negotiable feature to look at in a high-interest salary account is if it offers lenient terms on personal loans, home loans, or auto loans. These could mean relatively lower interest rates, faster approval times, and an easy paperwork process, all of which can make borrowing more affordable and stress-free.
Also, check if the bank offers customisable credit cards that offer features like:
• Higher credit limits
• Lower interest rates
• Annual fee waivers
• Reward points or cashback on purchases
These perks make it easier to handle big purchases, build your credit score, and enjoy spending flexibility when you need it most.
4. Easy access and digital banking features
Many people prefer to manage their accounts digitally without having to visit a bank or go through tiring paperwork. After all, it is a digital world today where time and convenience are highly prioritised. So, when choosing a high-interest salary account, check if it offers useful online and mobile banking features.
For example, with the IDFC FIRST Bank Digital Salary Account, you can use 250+ banking services via a dedicated mobile banking app. This includes features like:
• Goal-based investing
• Account aggregator
• Quick bill payments and recharges
• Option to apply for UPI enabled credit cards
• Spends categorisation
• Rewards and redemptions
• Superfast fixed deposit and recurring deposit booking
These premium digital banking solutions can be highly useful if you are trying to manage your money more responsibly.
5. No hidden fees or charges
High interest rates are beneficial, but hidden fees can silently reduce your earnings. These costs look small at first, but over time, they accumulate and offset the benefit you get from high interest rates. Therefore, opt for a salary account that comes with free ATM withdrawals, zero maintenance fees, and minimal or no transaction charges. That way, you won’t lose much to fees and keep most of your earned interest.
Conclusion
While selecting a high-interest salary account, it’s crucial to take note of other features such as zero balance requirements, fee waivers, easy access to loans or credit cards, and additional perks. By concentrating on these 5 critical factors, it is possible to find a salary account that aligns with your spending patterns and boosts your financial health.
With the IDFC FIRST Bank Salary Account, you can get all the above-mentioned benefits and make sure your deposited balance grows without unnecessary fees. It’s a smart way to make your salary work harder for you and enjoy both high growth and maximum convenience.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
