Use these loans to meet emergency needs, and not to fund holidays or luxury purchases.
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
'An asset must generate income. Equities yield dividends, bonds pay coupons, deposits give interest, and real estate earns rent.' 'Gold, silver, and even Bitcoin produce no income, they merely store value. So, they should not be compared to productive assets.'
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
'Always keep accurate and transparent records of the source of the investment or property's funding: Loan agreements, transfer records of the property, and bank statements of co-owners if available.'
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).
Allocation to bank deposits -- fixed deposits, savings account deposits, and current account deposits -- came down.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Investing is not just about setting aside money -- it's about making it work for you, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries.
'Most tax notices arise not from wrongdoing, but from unintentional mismatch or ignorance.'
After a subdued first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26), banks are now betting big on the festive season, rolling out attractive loan offers to boost credit growth in the second half of the current financial year (H2FY26) - a trend likely to be further accentuated by the second-order effects of the good services tax (GST) cuts.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries.
Customers must sign the agreement promptly to avoid disruptions. They should read it thoroughly and understand their rights and obligations.
After big win in Bihar, the BJP is likely to push harder in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK government and the uneasy BJP-AIADMK alliance are preparing for a tense election filled with seat-sharing fights, changing alliances, and the unpredictable entry of Vijay's TVK party, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Think again. Not filing could cost you. Here's who must file, who should, and why it matters. What's more, the deadline to file your ITR has been extended till September 15, 2025
Deductions missed in Form 16 can still be claimed while filing ITR.
The systematic withdrawal plan stands out as a superior option, providing steady income despite market fluctuations and inflation, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
In response to the panic triggered by Trump's trade policies, the RBI net sold approximately $43 billion in the second half of FY25 to curb volatility, as the rupee plunged to a low of 87.95 per dollar in February this year.
Do you have financial planning or income tax queries? Ask rediffGURU Anil Rego.
Saurav Ghosh's step-by-step guide will help you understand what bonds are, how they help investors make money, how much money they make and which bonds to invest in.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the trading hours for the interbank call money market from July 1, and that of repo and tri-party repo markets from August 1. Market participants said the decision is intended to help reduce the large Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) balances held by banks with the RBI, thereby addressing liquidity mismatches.
Tough times don't last, but tough people -- and smart financial strategies - do, says Ramalingam Kalirajan
If the gift is received from a relative, there is no tax implication. But if the gift is received from a non-relative and exceeds Rs 50,000 in value during a financial year, the entire value of the gift is taxable.
UPI has catapulted India into the forefront on the global digital payments landscape. Working hand in hand, the AePS payments system is making life easy for rural folks, notes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
ELSS investments require a long-term commitment of at least seven years.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Heed your liquidity needs before investing in an FMP.
P V Subramanyam clears some misconceptions about debt funds.
Many senior citizens 'underestimate the impact of inflation, taxation, health-related expenses, and the heavy premium they will have to pay on health insurance.'
FOMO-driven investing is reshaping India's stock market. Swati Saxena explains how social media hype fuels risky bets and how to protect your wealth.
'Choose an equity allocation that will allow you to remain invested even if the market falls by 50 to 60 per cent.'
DAP does not consider past I-T returns to match a taxpayer's resources with their expenditures or investments, points out Harsh Roongta.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
In addition to interest rates, review the fine print for penalties and repayment terms, and select a reputable lender to avoid harsh recovery practices.
The 2023 Budget set off a downtrend in the listed life insurance company stocks. The key reason was a proposal to tax income from insurance policies (other than unit-linked insurance plans or ULIPs) with a premium, or aggregate premium, of above Rs 500,000 per annum. This impacted the traditional savings profile since it affected the returns for these products.
When evaluating bonds, returns shouldn't be the sole factor. Pay close attention to the bond's credit rating. It should ideally be AA or higher.
