The Bombay High Court has ruled that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) takes precedence over debt recovery laws like SARFAESI and RDB Acts when it comes to the attachment of proceeds of crime.
ICICI Bank delivered satisfactory results in the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), sustaining return on assets (RoA) of around 2.3-2.4 per cent and improving asset quality. Provisions declined 26 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and 50 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q).
Balanced advantage funds (BAFs), which adjust between stocks and bonds depending on market conditions, have increased their equity holdings over the past year, with most schemes now predominantly invested in equities.
'If you go by the capital expenditure, this is a good defence budget. But we will have to see if the government can keep defence spending at 2 per cent or higher in 2027-2028.'
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
New investors should enter gradually and with a long horizon. 'Staggered investment through systematic purchase plans is advisable rather than lump-sum buying.'
A fall in the Nifty 50 to around 19,000 is not impossible, but that would likely require nuclear options to be exercised.
'AUM reached an all-time high of Rs 79.9 trillion in October 2025, driven by strong retail participation and record SIP inflows of Rs 29,529 crore from over 94.5 million contributing accounts.'
'Money is not just about greed or accumulation. It gives you freedom, dignity and choice. And you have every right to all three.'
Sometimes, the most powerful Budgets whisper and the wisest investors listen, notes Ramalingam Kalirajan.
'The problem is not just slower growth, but also the quality of growth.'
'Earnings growth will be the main driver of India's market in 2026, with profits expected to rise 9% to 10% in H2 FY26 and accelerate to 12% to 15% in FY27.'
After years of rapid expansion, the Centre's capital spending growth eases as private investment shows early signs of revival, points out A K Bhattacharya.
'The next phase of India's IPO cycle will be defined by quality, pricing discipline and investor selectivity.'
Investors encountering underperformance must be patient.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Strikes into the Gulf countries are proof that the security guarantees offered by the US are ineffective and that the Gulf countries cannot rely on American security assurances for their safety.'
Investors with a 6 to 12 month horizon may consider them. They should align their holding period with the fund's maturity profile and prefer schemes with a lower expense ratio.
Companies in the lower mcap deciles have recorded the fastest growth in median mcap.
Investors should avoid making drastic changes to their asset allocation during a market correction.
'The day that the market realises that they've overspent (on AI) and there's a sudden collapse in the capex, then India can start outperforming again.'
'Credit growth in India remains in double digits, even though corporate borrowing is subdued.' 'Corporate credit is weak because companies are cash-rich and cautious amid global uncertainty.'
'First-time investors, busy professionals, NRIs and those with modest sums looking for curated strategies may find FoFs especially appealing.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Largecap equity funds remain suitable for conservative and moderate risk-taking investors seeking relatively stable returns.
From Rs 73k to over Rs 1.2L between January-December 2025 -- is buying gold in 2026 still sensible?
'Asset allocation should change only if your goals, life situation, or risk profile have changed.'
Rediff explains why the system, not the Budget, is the problem.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Investors seeking higher returns at relatively higher risk should consider allocation to smallcap equity funds.
Passive funds appeal to investors seeking to avoid the risk of underperformance by the fund manager and minimise the need for frequent chopping and changing of funds.
MFs offer scale, simplicity, liquidity, and tax efficiency, and are an excellent vehicle for disciplined SIP investing. PMS is better suited for larger portfolios with equity allocation of Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore.
Multi-asset funds offer exposure to gold, which tends to do well in times of geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures, suggests Sanjay Kumar Singh.
'It takes time and the experience of a few market cycles to develop awareness about one's true risk appetite.'
The change in debt fund taxation is seen as boosting the demand for hybrid funds. It is no surprise then that asset management companies (AMCs) have launched a raft of new products in the multi-asset category. However, they seem to be divided on the asset mix and approach. The multi-asset space, which provides fund houses ample scope to innovate, has seen five launches in as many months.
Investors are moving away from the commercial paper (CP) market towards certificates of deposit (CDs), as primary CD issuances and rates on these short-term instruments rise.
The idea of back-loading the target of fiscal consolidation is perhaps guided by the government's desire to be prepared for any adverse developments in the coming year, points out A K Bhattacharya.
So far this year, the rupee has fallen by 4.2 per cent, the worst among its Asian peers.
The Union Budget backs skilling across animation, gaming and comics. But creators and studios confront a hard question: who owns what comes next?
The government's Budget announcements providing tax holiday for data centres, setting up of city economic regions (CERs) and funding to improve infrastructure in Tier-II and -III cities may give an indirect boost to India's realty sector, said industry executives.
