New Delhi, April 16 -- The Public Provident Fund (PPF) comes with a 15-year lock-in period, making it a popular choice for long-term savings. Backed by the government and offering assured returns, the scheme is often favoured by conservative investors who want to build a stable corpus while enjoying tax benefits under the EEE (exempt-exempt-exempt) regime.

However, many investors may be surprised to learn that the actual duration their money remains locked in can be slightly longer than 15 years, depending on when their PPF account is opened. Here's how it works.

The 15-year tenure of a PPF account is not counted from the exact date you make your first investment, but from the end of the financial year in which the initial contribution ...