## EPF: Employees' Provident Fund **EPF** stands for **Employees' Provident Fund**. It's a mandatory retirement savings scheme in India for salaried employees. The scheme is regulated by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. ### How does EPF work? * **Contributions:** Both the employee and employer contribute a fixed percentage of the employee's basic salary and dearness allowance to the EPF account. * **Investment:** The collected funds are invested in government securities, which generally offer a stable and decent rate of return. * **Benefits:** The accumulated amount, along with the interest earned, is paid to the employee upon retirement or can be partially withdrawn under certain conditions. ### Components of EPF contributions * **Employee's Contribution:** Currently, 12% of the basic salary and dearness allowance. * **Employer's Contribution:** * 12% of the basic salary and dearness allowanc