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October Rules: 8 Financial Changes from LPG, ATM to FD Impacting Your Pocket!
- •October 2026 brings 8 significant financial rule changes affecting LPG, ATM, FDs, small savings schemes, UPI, and income tax.
- •Interest rates for small savings schemes like PPF, NSC, and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana will be reviewed for the October-December quarter.
- •From October 1, some SBI salary package account holders will see free ATM transactions at other banks reduced from 10 to 5 per month.
- •Fixed deposit rules change from October 1, 2026, giving banks more flexibility in setting interest rates for bulk deposits of ₹3 crore or more.
- •Aadhaar biometric identification becomes mandatory for subsidized LPG cylinders from October 1; car, AC, TV, and refrigerator prices may increase.
Key Questions Answered
Starting October 1, the rule for using other bank ATMs for certain SBI salary package account customers changes to allow only five free transactions per month instead of the previous ten. Financial transactions exceeding this free limit will incur a charge of ₹23 plus GST, while non-financial transactions will cost ₹11 plus GST.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India will meet from October 5 to 7, with a decision on the repo rate scheduled to be announced on October 7. The current repo rate stands at 5.25 percent, and any modifications could influence loan and fixed deposit interest rates.
The last date for filing income tax returns for taxpayers who are subject to a tax audit is October 31, 2026. Additionally, individuals purchasing property from NRIs will no longer require a separate TAN, as a PAN can be utilized instead.
