rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
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.
rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
Just ahead of its mega FPO opening to public investors, Vodafone Idea (VIL) has announced closure of its anchor book allocation, raising about Rs 5,400 crore from marquee global as well as domestic investors, according to a statutory filing by the telco. This could be the third-largest anchor book after One 97 Communications and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). One 97 Communications and LIC had raised Rs 8,235 crore and Rs 5,627 crore in the anchor round, respectively.
Investors with a long-term horizon and high-risk appetite seeking capital appreciation can consider investing in ELSS.
According to the Mutual Fund Monthly Performance Report by Reliance Money, the fund houses were sitting on a cash pile of Rs 15,074.27 crore (Rs 150.74 billion) at May-end against that of Rs 20,108.92 crore (Rs 201.08 billion) at the end of previous month. Fund managers said that availability of stocks at cheap valuations renewed their interest in the secondary market.
Since April there have been no new NFOs because of the delay in the implementation of the new norms around pooling of funds.
Dwaipayan Bose simplifies the whys and hows of revisiting your financial goals
There was no smooth surge in middle class prosperity for foreign businesses to tap into because of the Indian economy was mismanaged, argues Debashis Basu.
It did come as a surprise when, last week, Religare Enterprises (promoted by the former promoters of Ranbaxy) decided to acquire a majority stake in the ailing Lotus India Asset Management Company. This is the first deal in India since the financial crisis caused the market to crash 23 per cent in October, and Lotus' assets under management from Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) to about Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion).
The answer depends on your financial goals and risk appetite, says Certified Financial Planner Ramalingam Kalirajan, and explains why.
Do not, however, enter expecting quick returns.
How do you stay calm, relaxed and focus on the important things that matter in the countdown to your special day? Get expert advice from rediffGURUS.
You can ask for written communication from your HR manager seeking an explanation about your resignation. Please mark the copies to your senior authorities as well as top executives especially if you feel you are being harassed, suggests rediffGURU Pradeep Pramanik.
Mutual funds (MFs) reinforced their record monthly inflows in October with an investment of Rs 87,000 crore (up to October 29), softening the downside pressure on domestic markets. Their prior record for monthly inflows was Rs 48,139 crore in May. This unprecedented monthly buying partially countered record monthly sales by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) of Rs 1.1 trillion last month.
'A long-term investor with a 4 to 5 year horizon could invest in this theme via SIPs.'
'In an economy that is set to double in the coming years, stopping SIPs will take investors out of this growth path.'
Commissions paid to mutual fund distributors (MFDs) increased by over 20 per cent for most large fund houses in 2023-24 (FY24), driven by a sharp market rally and strong inflows. The largest fund house, SBI Mutual Fund (MF), which now manages nearly Rs 10 trillion in assets, paid Rs 2,025 crore to its major distributors - 21 per cent higher than the Rs 1,675 crore payout in 2022-23 (FY23).
Younger investors with long investment horizons may continue their SIPs.
SEBI has published data showing that more than 90 per cent of investors lose money in futures and options, explains Harsh Roongta.
'He will be remembered more for what he did as finance minister -- as someone who functioned well when the political fallout was taken care of.'
The return filed could be treated as defective, invalid, or even be considered as not filed at all.
Crorepatis build wealth through disciplined saving, smart investing, and strategic risk-taking, proving that true financial freedom is earned, not inherited, says Ramalingam Kalirajan
The RBI added roughly 3 tonnes in 2025, taking its gold reserves to 879 tonnes as of January 31, 2025.
Zomato on Monday became the first new-age company to join the prestigious 30-share benchmark Sensex, replacing JSW Steel. This milestone marks a significant achievement not only for Zomato but also for the Indian startup ecosystem, which is increasingly making its presence felt in the $5.2 trillion listed ecosystem.
Inflows into gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which manage a total of Rs 37,390 crore, have surged sharply in recent months. This trend is likely to continue, especially after the reintroduction of long-term capital gains tax (LTCG), which is likely to attract smart money into mutual fund offerings amid a robust outlook for the yellow metal. Smart money, also known as opportunistic flows, refers to strategic investments that are generally of a short-term horizon.
Automobile retail sales in India rose 6 per cent to 2,61,43,943 units in FY25 with rural areas performing better than urban regions across passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments, dealers' body FADA said on Monday. The last financial year saw growth in sales of passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
'Indian investors have always been debt-heavy but with growing financial awareness they are getting comfortable with equities.'
Investors pumped in a record Rs 40,608 crore into equity mutual funds in June, 17 per cent higher than in May 2024, industry body Amfi said on Tuesday. The flows into the systematic investment plans (SIPs) also reached a new high at Rs 21,262 crore for the month, which was higher than the previous high of Rs 20,904 crore recorded in May, it said. The net assets under management (AUM) for the entire MF industry on equity schemes stood at Rs 27.67 lakh crore, while the same from SIPs was Rs 12.43 lakh crore, the body said.
Arbitrage funds have recorded net inflows for three months straight, after steep outflows for half a year before that. The trend changed as mutual fund (MF) schemes improved amid a rise in equity market volatility. Investors redeemed over Rs 31,000 crore from arbitrage schemes between June and November before putting in Rs 3,000 crore in the last three months, shows data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).
An allocation to ESG theme funds can bring down the overall risk of an equity portfolio. Investors with long-term financial goals, such as retirement, should not ignore sustainable investing.
Excess earnings of unlisted companies over and above their interest costs are at a record level. The interest-coverage ratio of 2.94 is the highest going back to 1990-91, according to numbers from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). The ratio measures earnings relative to every rupee to be paid as interest on outstanding debt.
The government on Thursday appointed PSU mutual funds UTI MF and SBI MF as managers of the corpus lying with postal and rural life insurance entities, a move that could lead to investment of the sum into the booming capital market.
'If you align your ambition with India's rise, the peak of your careers will unfold alongside the peak of India's power.'
The stock market regulator's definition of large, mid, and small-cap companies has irked mutual fund managers, reports Samie Modak.
Apart from the emotional value attached to buying gold, the yellow metal offers protection against inflation, interest rate spikes, currency and geopolitical risks, says Anamika Pareek.
'Liquid ETFs help in cash management by enabling a smooth transition between equity and cash within the same settlement cycle, as they trade in the same segment as equity.'
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