Keep track of your foreign remittances to avoid giving incorrect declarations as these could be held against you.
Be wary of co-operative banks which have historically been most vulnerable.
The choice should depend on the size of the retirement corpus, stage in life, and state of health.
A term plan's premium is lower than that of a wholelife plan.
Before opting for this scheme, consider how EPS is calculated.
'Investors don't have to worry about underperformance in passive funds, which earn market-equivalent returns.'
If a 5% to 10% fall in the equity market gives you sleepless nights, you are not cut out for a 75% to 80% allocation to equities and must reduce it.
Senior citizens should avoid putting their entire retirement corpus in SCSS.
Buy from an established agent rather than a novice who may not be around when you need his assistance.
'Non-par plans returns are not market-linked. Hence, they can offer guaranteed returns.'
Remember, pension from EPS will be taxable at slab rate, reducing the post-tax income for people who remain in the higher tax brackets after retirement.
'Comparing the rates of interest with PSU banks, the three- and five-year time deposit rates of the post office are more favourable.'
Avoid discontinuing your SIPs. Persist for at least 7-10 years.
If you opt for a term-life cover, buy separate policies to cover the loan for all the co-borrowers in a home loan for a sum assured equal to the home loan amount.
If you pledge market-linked instruments and their value plummets, you will have to provide additional collateral, points out Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Avoid discontinuing your SIPs. Persist for at least 7-10 years.
One of the biggest advantages of index funds and ETFs is their low cost, points out Sarbajeet K Sen.
If a retail investor wants exposure to a healthcare ETF, it should be a part of his satellite portfolio, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.
When looking for alternatives, consider several parameters -- your investment horizon and liquidity requirement, post-tax returns, and risk.
Stick to low-cost ULIPs launched in the past few years. Go with an insurer with a good investment team and solid track record of long-term returns, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.
LIC is currently allowing customers to revive policies that have lapsed for more than two years.
Systematic withdrawal plans in equity funds can spell trouble in a falling market, points out Deepesh Raghaw.
Allotment could be low, and expected listing-day gains can quickly morph into losses if sentiment takes a turn for the worse
Incomes such as dividend, interest on tax-free bonds, eligible gifts, etc should also be reported even though they are tax exempt, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Now govt employees to enjoy greater say in how their NPS corpus is invested. Younger employees should raise their allocation to equities in this very long-term investment instrument
Do not go for riskier options like co-operative bank only for the higher return. Even if you go for them, park only a small portion of your capital there, say Tinesh Bhasin and Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Customers need to weigh whether they will be better off selling their mutual fund holdings or taking a loan against it.
The point to note is that since the new rebate is up to a taxable income of Rs 5 lakh, if anyone earns even little more (say, even Rs 100 more) than this amount, he would have to pay all the taxes, according to the existing slabs.
These ETFs will also carry interest-rate risk, especially the 10-year ETF. The investor can overcome this risk by holding them till maturity, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Tax planning should not be left for March. If you do so, you could face a severe cash crunch in that month, warns Sanjay Kumar Singh.
'Avoid taking excessive credit risk via mutual funds such as high-yield fixed maturity plans and credit opportunity funds.'
It makes sense to shift to a home loan provider offering a lower interest rate or make occasional prepayments by using bonuses or other windfalls, says Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Sanjay Kumar Singh speaks to experts to find out if Tata Housings new loan offer should interest you.
Allowing it to lapse leaves you unprotected and can, in some cases, cause loss of premiums paid, experts tell Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Agents often influence customers into buying new products every year instead of continuing with their existing policies
Before you rush to invest in these funds, understand the risks they carry and whether you have the appetite for them, says Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Keep a close eye on credit quality, financials of NBFCs before investing. These instruments should not constitute more than 15 to 20 per cent of your debt portfolio.
When selecting investments, pay attention to potential return, risk and how easily you can exit it.
While seniors seeking a regular income should switch to debt funds from balanced funds, younger investors should invest in balanced funds after understanding their risks.
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