BUSINESS
When should you increase your VPF contributions?
While the employer’s contribution is restricted to a maximum of 12%, as an employee, you can increase your contribution further through Voluntary Provident Fund, over and above the mandatory 12 percent. Here is a guide on how and when to do it.
BUSINESS
When should you sell your mutual funds?
While regular and unnecessary churn is best avoided, it is important to know when to exit a mutual fund. You should not neglect your exit strategy just to avoid paying taxes
BUSINESS
Is there a need to invest in multiple schemes of the same fund categories?
In the large-cap fund category, there is a lot of overlap between schemes, which is limited in midcap and specially small-cap funds.
BUSINESS
Equity or debt funds, SIP is an all-weather friend
SIP is not just good to overcome volatility’s side-effects. It also helps in wealth creation, if you are a salaried and want to invest every month in equity and debt.
BUSINESS
Missed the April 5 PPF deadline? Don’t fret; you won’t lose much
Getting your asset allocation right and then investing the correct amount regularly are far more important than just trying to push Rs 1.5 lakh into your PPF account before 5th April.
PERSONAL-FINANCE
With rates rising, should you prepay your home loan now?
If you have taken a home loan in the last year or two, the rate hikes would have hit you. Consider making part prepayments to better manage your home loan if your finances allow for it. Floating-rate loans work both ways — if you took advantage of a low rate when starting your loan, you should be prepared to pay a higher rate when rates start rising.
BUSINESS
Does the new tax regime do more damage than good by disincentivising savings?
Many people who don’t understand the need to save for the future, may decide not to save anything at all, if they have the option to pay lower taxes without deductions under the new tax regime. For such people with little to no savings, the negative fallout from this issue will manifest in the next decade or two.
BUSINESS
Lessons learnt from SVB fiasco: What savers and depositors in India must do
Most Indian banks are safe and the reason is that the RBI monitors them closely and forces them to take corrective actions proactively if there is something amiss.
BUSINESS
Why a pure term plan + MF works better than traditional insurance policies
Don’t fall for the tax-free narrative that traditional life insurance agents will be aggressively pushing over the next one month before the Budget tax proposals become applicable. Stick to term plans for insurance and equity funds for your goal-based long-term investments.
BUSINESS
How senior citizens can optimise use of SCSS, PMVVY scheme
The SCSS and PMVVY combination is good for regular income seekers, including most retired people. However, the PMVVY scheme is scheduled to end in March.
BUSINESS
It’s well-intentioned, but should women add a Mahila Samman Certificate to their portfolio?
This scheme is mostly targeted at women who generally do not park money in formal small savings instruments
BUSINESS
Make tax-saving a part of your overall investment plan
Random investments in tax-saving instruments is an annual ritual for many. But it needs to be aligned with your goals and existing investments.
BUSINESS
Mutual Funds: Why investing in last year’s winner may prove to be a dud
A fund’s past performance is an inadequate measure. You need to look at other factors to filter and shortlist the funds that you want to add to your portfolio.
BUSINESS
How to invest in gold when prices ride high
Gold prices at record levels: Lately, inflation seems to be cooling and the pace of rate hikes might slow down and eventually stop in 2023-24. This will bode well for gold in future
BUSINESS
Fixed deposits or debt mutual funds: Where to invest when interest rates rise?
Rising interest rates have led to an increase in bank fixed deposit rates and lowered the returns of debt funds. But comparing the two is a mistake. Your debt fund returns are about to get better.
BUSINESS
Does size of mutual fund schemes matter?
There is no one right size or one definition of what a good corpus size is. Many variables impact the performance of a fund. A large fund may continue to do well even after it has become too large. Size is important if you choose to invest in a small-cap or a mid-cap fund.
BUSINESS
MC Explains: How is an ESOP different from RSU and ESPP
Employee stock options are offered by companies as part of compensation to retain talent. But not all ESOPs are the same. The terms of one company’s program may differ from another by the way shares get vested and the tenure. And while ESOPs are great, don’t forget to prune them, to avoid concentration risk.
BUSINESS
Should you buy car now by taking loan or save for it and buy later?
Car is a depreciating asset and hence, it’s better to take as small a loan as possible.
BUSINESS
Which mutual fund categories to invest in when retirement is 20 years away?
Depends on your risk appetite. Index funds, certainly, along with a sprinkling of mid- and small-caps for some added upside.
BUSINESS
Why you should buy health insurance now, and not wait till retirement
Buying health insurance when you are comparatively younger and healthier will supplement your employer-provided cover for any higher hospitalisation bills and there will be no hassles in terms of renewability. If you want to buy insurance at an advanced age and have some new health issues, insurers may not even be willing to cover you.
BUSINESS
When a fall in tech company shares affects your ESOPs
The crash in share prices of technology companies on the US markets reminds us of a painful lesson: Don’t let employee stock option plans become too big in your investment portfolio
BUSINESS
Looking to buy your first house? Take a calculated view sans family or peer pressure
Interest on home loans has risen lately, making house purchases that much costlier. However, owning a house does give a feeling of security that isn’t easy to quantify mathematically.
BUSINESS
Three investment options to secure your child’s future
The mix of investments largely depends on your time horizon for the same, the size of your target amount, and your risk profile
BUSINESS
How to make the most of fixed deposits in 3 easy steps
Fixed deposit ‘laddering’ is about dividing your FD investments and spreading them over multiple smaller FDs with different maturity periods.
