The spike in volatility, amid election uncertainty, has done little to dent the confidence of retail investors, shows demat account addition and equity mutual fund (MF) investment data. In May, investors opened a net 3.6 million demat accounts, taking the total to 158 million. MF data released on Monday pegged the net inflows into equity schemes and SIP investments at new record highs of Rs 34,697 crore and Rs 20,904 crore, respectively.
Nikunj Saraf, Vice President Choice Wealth, answers your queries.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
The systematic withdrawal plan stands out as a superior option, providing steady income despite market fluctuations and inflation, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
Ulhas Joshi, Head -- Sales, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
As the rally in precious metals takes centre stage in 2025, most analysts recommend a larger allocation to gold over silver despite the latter's outperformance this year. In the current calendar year (CY25), spot gold prices in dollar terms rallied
Equity benchmark Sensex declined nearly 390 points on Friday, pressured by heavy selling in IT, tech and energy stocks despite a positive trend in the global markets. Besides, rising crude oil prices and relentless foreign capital outflows further weighed on sentiment, traders said. The 30-share BSE Sensex opened strong but came under severe selling pressure to close 389.01 points or 0.62 per cent lower at 62,181.67.
Reels often induce the FOMO-'Act now!' mentality. But sound investing is about consistency, diversification and a long-term horizon.
It is a close-ended plan for a period of three years from the date of allotment of units, and will be converted into an open-ended one at the end of this tenure
The regulator has sought an increase in the investment limit for tax-saving equity mutual fund schemes to Rs 200,000 from the current Rs 150,000.
Many retail investors, who are experiencing their first bear market, are shocked at the erosion in the value of their mutual fund (MF) portfolios. The pain is especially acute for those who had taken excessive exposure to sector/thematic and small-cap funds. Even international diversification has failed to stanch the bleed in this downturn.
Specialised investment fund (SIF), a new asset class, will have the same expense structure as that of mutual funds (MFs), according to rules notified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). SIF, which was first proposed by Sebi in July 2024, aims to fill the gap between MFs and portfolio management services (PMS), and it looks at informed investors, who are willing to take riskier bets.
Adopting overly aggressive strategies without considering risk could lead to significant losses during the next downturn.
HDFC Asset Management Company (HDFC AMC) reported a healthy profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 430 crore for the July-September quarter (Q2) of financial year 2023-24 (FY24). It rose 20.2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and decreased 8.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q). This was driven by good equity returns, leading to a sequential improvement in revenue yields.
Mutual funds' average cash holdings in equity schemes topped 6 per cent in February as fund managers went slow on deployment of new inflows on expectations of better buying opportunities amid uncertainties in the market.
'Arbitrage funds make the most sense for those in the 30 per cent tax bracket, are viable for those in the 20 per cent bracket, but less so for those in the 10 per cent bracket.'
Use sector funds to get tastier returns, but only if you already have a diversified portfolio, experience in investing and can digest the volatility heat
Ask rediffGURU Ulhas Joshi your mutual fund queries.
Despite similar tax treatment, debt MFs enjoy certain advantages over FDs.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Investors should not go for lump-sum investments in infrastructure funds at this point.' 'The SIP route is the best to avoid any major disappointment.'
'...aggressive pricing amid volatility, but these are exceptions.'
'An equity-based index fund should be held for more than five years to average out market volatility and achieve financial goals.'
Stopping SIPs during a downturn undermines the benefit of rupee-cost averaging.
rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
This product was first introduced by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund (ICICI Prudential FMP Series 33) and Deutsche Mutual Fund in February. Recently, Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund has also floated a similar fund. The Nifty return, multiplied by the participation ratio (that is pre-decided by the fund) is the final returns. In Aviator, the participation ratio is 140-145 per cent, leading to returns of 43.14-44.5 per cent in our given example.
That's what ELSS investments have to offer, coupled with other benefits.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan, or SWP, can help you achieve your financial goals. Ramalingam Kalirajan's step-by-step guide on how to effectively use an SWP.
Non-government provident funds have been allowed to invest five per cent of their assets in blue-chip shares and 10 per cent in corporate debts and equity-oriented mutual funds from April 2005.
Follow this 15 x 15 x 15 rule to become a crorepati without taking big risks. Ramalingam Kalirajan explains how
Investors can sell their entire equity and move to debt when stocks get expensive
'A balanced portfolio mix of domestic and international equity, fixed income, and precious metals is recommended.'
Most mutual funds charge an entry load of 2.25 percent on your investment. Here's why you NOT pay the load.
From how to open an NPS Vatsalya account to knowing how this scheme compares to investing in mutual fund or in provident fund, Ramalingam Kalirajan offers a 360-degree view and the pros and cons of investing in a scheme that has the potential to secure your child's financial well-being.
Debt mutual funds are likely to be stripped of the long-term tax benefit if they invest less than 35 per cent of their assets in equities. Such mutual funds will attract short term capital gains tax. The government is likely to make such a proposal in the form of an amendment to the Finance Bill 2023 in the Parliament, sources said.
The Labour Ministry has relaxed investment norms for retirement fund manager EPFO, but refrained from allowing the body to invest a part of its huge corpus of around Rs 5 lakh crore in equity markets.
The rupee plunged 26 paise to an all-time low of 90.75 against the US dollar in intra-day trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
If you already hold significant amounts of equity in your portfolio, avoid MAAFs with over 60 per cent equity. But if you lack equity exposure, an aggressive MAAF may be appropriate.
New investors should not allow themselves to fall prey to FOMO and rush headlong into gold.
