New Delhi, March 31 -- Do you have demat accounts with multiple brokers? Not only are you paying higher annual maintenance charges (AMCs), but these charges add up for every such account. But there is a way to lower this payout: open a basic services demat account (BDSA).

The annual maintenance charges of BDSA, introduced by market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), is nil if the value of holding is up to Rs.4 lakh. If it is more than Rs.4 lakh, but less than Rs.10 lakh, the annual charges are capped at Rs.100. For more than Rs.10 lakh, the brokers can levy regular AMC. If you have a delisted share, its value is pegged at zero.

However, to be eligible for BDSA, you must have only one demat account, where you are th...