Know the benefits of maintaining an Average Monthly Balance (AMB)

Understand HDFC Bank’s Average Monthly Balance, its calculation, key benefits, and ways to avoid non-maintenance charges on Savings Accounts.

Synopsis:

  • The minimum balance required to avoid non-maintenance charges, calculated monthly from daily closing balances.

  • AMB varies by account type and location, with specific requirements for different HDFC Bank accounts.

  • Maintaining AMB promotes financial discipline, improves credit health, and may lead to higher interest earnings and exclusive offers.

Overview

When you open a Savings Account with any bank, you ought to come across the term, Average Monthly Balance (AMB). The bank will urge you to maintain this balance in your Savings Account at all times. If you fail to maintain the Average Monthly Balance in your account, the bank can levy non-maintenance charges. In this article, you can get information on what Average Monthly Balance (AMB) is and how maintaining AMB will benefit you.

What is Average Monthly Balance?

Average Monthly Balance, or AMB, is the average balance you need to maintain in your Savings Account during a month.

To calculate your AMB, the bank takes the sum of the closing balances for all days in a month and divides it by the number of days in the month. If the average is less than the AMB, the bank will notify you in 2 months that you maintain the minimum balance to avoid the non-maintenance charges. This charge will be directly deducted from your Savings Account funds.

The AMB can differ across account variants and areas. For instance, AMB for an HDFC Bank Regular Savings Account is ₹10,000 for metro and urban areas and ₹5,000 for semi urban areas; whereas AMB for an HDFC Bank DigiSave Youth Account, is ₹5,000 and ₹2,500, respectively. HDFC Bank offers a Savings Max Account that comes with a ₹ 25,000 AMB. 


Illustration 
 
Let’s understand how AMB works with the following example. Let’s assume the bank has set an AMB of Rs 10,000.

Days Number of days Closing balance Number of days x closing balance
1st to 5th 5 ₹ 30,000 ₹ 1,50,000
6th to 8th 3 ₹ 15,000 ₹ 45,000
9th to 14th 6 ₹ 5,000 ₹ 30,000
15th to 30th 16 ₹ 10,000 ₹ 1,60,000


The formula to calculate AMB = (Sum of closing balances for the month)/ (Number of days in the month)

Per this formula, the AMB for the above example would be:

AMB = (₹1,50,000 + ₹45,000 + ₹30,000 + ₹1,60,000)/30 = ₹3,85,000/30 = ₹12,833.33

Since this is higher than the required AMB of ₹10,000, the bank will not levy non-maintenance charges. As an HDFC Bank Savings Account holder, you can check the charges here.​​​​​​​

Benefits of maintaining an Average Monthly Balance

Maintaining an Average Monthly Balance in your Savings Account comes with various benefits:

Encourages financial discipline 

Having to maintain a minimum average balance every month can potentially discourage you from making unnecessary withdrawals or purchases and help foster an outlook for saving.

Indirect impact of credit health

Your credit score is dependent on your debt repayment capacity. You are better equipped to repay your debt on time when you have sufficient funds in your bank account. 

Potential to earn higher interest 

The higher the balance in your account, the better are your chances of earning greater interest. You can check the Savings Account interest rates offered by HDFC Bank here.

Access to exclusive offers 

By opting for HDFC Bank’s Savings Account, you can avail yourself of exclusive offers on Debit and Credit Cards, lifestyle benefits, reward points as well as preferential pricing on certain products such as Personal Loans, amongst others.

Ways to maintain Average Monthly Balance in your account

Here are ways you can ensure maintenance of the Average Monthly Balance:

Select the right account variant

You need to select the right Savings Account variant so that you can maintain the balance in a hassle-free manner. For instance, if you are above 60 years old, you can opt for an HDFC Bank Senior Citizen Account which has a relatively lower AMB of Rs 5,000. If you’re an individual aged between 18 years and 25 years, you can opt for a DigiSave Youth Account which has a lower AMB of Rs 5,000 in metro and urban areas and Rs 2,500 in semi-urban and rural areas.

Opt for sweep-in facility

HDFC Bank offers sweep-in and sweep-out facilities with Fixed Deposits (FDs) on select Savings Account variants. With this facility, your FD will be automatically dissolved to meet the shortfall in the Savings Account.

Set standing instructions for transfers.

You can set standing instructions for scheduled transfer of funds to your Savings Account. For instance, if you hold a Salary Account with another bank, you can set up automatic transfer of a certain specific amount for your preferred date and ensure sufficient Savings Account balance.

Ways to keep track of your balance

Net Banking and Mobile Banking platforms allow you to track your account balance whenever and wherever you want. This way, you can make provisions to ensure the AMB is maintained when your account balance is running low.

Conclusion

Maintaining the required Average Monthly Balance (AMB) helps you manage your HDFC Bank Savings Account smoothly and avoid non-maintenance charges. Use the HDFC Bank Average Monthly Balance (AMB) Calculator to check your balance requirement and plan your account better.

Open an HDFC Bank Savings Account and manage your balance with ease.

*Terms and conditions apply. The information provided in this article is generic in nature and for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for specific advice in your own circumstances.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If the required Average Monthly Balance (AMB) is not maintained, non-maintenance charges may be applicable depending on your Savings Account type and branch category.

Average Monthly Balance is calculated by adding the daily closing balances for a month and dividing the total by the number of days in that month.

Average Monthly Balance = Sum of daily closing balances ÷ Number of days in the month

For select HDFC Bank Savings Accounts and branch categories, customers may have options such as maintaining balances through eligible Fixed Deposits or relationship-based criteria, subject to account terms and conditions.

You can monitor your account balance regularly through NetBanking, MobileBanking, account statements, or by using the HDFC Bank Average Monthly Balance Calculator.

Yes. The AMB requirement may vary based on the type of Savings Account and the branch location category such as Metro, Urban, Semi-Urban, or Rural.