New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- Retail investors often stay in a dilemma when they have to decide between choosing one investment option over another. Although it is recommended to curate a portfolio comprising a number of investment alternatives ranging from equity and debt to precious metals, there could still be occasions when you are compelled to get selective about your choice of investments.

Three popular investment options for retail investors are ELSS (equity linked savings scheme), PPF (public provident fund) and FDs (fixed deposits). Let us compare their unique features to evaluate which one could be better than the others.

ELSS: For the uninitiated, Equity Linked Savings Schemes or ELSS are a form of mutual funds which allow deduction u...