Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
So, the next time someone tempts you with a slightly higher FD rate from a lesser-known bank, point them to hybrid funds that can deliver extra returns without the administrative and emotional rollercoaster.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
The fear of losing purchasing power due to inflation and low-interest rates has led many to explore safe alternatives to fixed deposits with high returns
Manas Sood, a Class 12 student from the Delhi Public School, has distributed 2,650 boxes of Tax City Education and empowered over 12,000 students from 52 schools across India. His aim? To help young Indians understand taxes and become financially literate.
Despite similar tax treatment, debt MFs enjoy certain advantages over FDs.
Feature for feature, bank FDs are indeed better than debt funds today, mainly thanks to Ms Sitharaman, notes Debashis Basu.
'Young investors should focus more on equity, while retired senior citizens should prioritise fixed income.' 'Mid-career investors should aim for a balanced allocation.'
When investing in fixed-income products, balancing considerations like safety, liquidity, and income is essential.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Senior citizens and others depending upon income from bank fixed deposit (FD) schemes will be at the receiving end with the retail inflation exceeding the interest rates. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest monetary policy review has projected retail inflation at 5.3 per cent for the current financial year. Last week, the RBI said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation is now projected to be at 5.3 per cent for 2021-22 with risks evenly balanced.
rediffGURU Ramalingam Kalirajan answers your personal finance queries.
rediffGURU Jinal Mehta answers readers' financial planning and health insurance queries
FDs are not advisable for long-term wealth creation as their post-inflation, post-tax returns are not very attractive.
Many senior citizens 'underestimate the impact of inflation, taxation, health-related expenses, and the heavy premium they will have to pay on health insurance.'
Longer-tenure FDs generally give higher returns. Nonetheless, going for a tenure higher than two to three years is not advisable.
Ramalingam Kalirajan explains the pros and cons of both investment types.
Investors need to evaluate how they stack up against other high credit quality fixed-income options before putting money in them.
Is it a good idea to invest in debt-oriented mutual funds as the interest rates are rising? Or is it a good idea to invest in fixed maturity plans? Financial expert Vetapalem Sridhar answered these and other queries relating to financial planning for the young.
The bulk of an investor's portfolio should be in shorter-duration funds of up to one year portfolio duration.
Individuals could soon lose tax benefits available on fixed deposits with an over five-year term once the direct taxes code comes into force from April 2011.
Dwaipayan Bose on how index funds play a key role in the diversification of portfolios and help manage risks
Even as the returns of mutual fund (MF) schemes have improved considerably in the past three months, addition of new investors has remained in the slow lane for the MF industry. According to industry data, during the first six months of CY 2023, MFs onboarded only 1.6 million new unique investors, in stark contrast to the 4.7 million investors added during the same period last CY and the 2.4 million in 2021. It is noteworthy, however, that the current additions for this year have doubled in comparison to the figure of 800,000 seen in 2020.
If you are looking for a fixed income avenue that yields a reasonable return with minimum risk, adequate liquidity and tax efficiency, FMPs will provide you with an effective shelter.
Mutual funds (MFs) invested a record Rs 1.73 trillion in equities in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23), providing strong support to the Indian markets at a time when foreign investors were redeeming their holdings. They exceeded the previous high of nearly Rs 1.72 trillion investment in equities in FY22. The data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) shows MFs were net buyers in the equity market in eleven of the twelve months last financial year.
'Comparing the rates of interest with PSU banks, the three- and five-year time deposit rates of the post office are more favourable.'
Be wary of co-operative banks which have historically been most vulnerable.
Instead of only focusing on the tenure for which the best interest rate is available, investors should also focus on their own investment horizon.
Senior citizens should avoid putting their entire retirement corpus in SCSS.
'Stick to FDs of shorter tenures, preferably one-two years.'
If you don't have a specific goal, but want intermittent liquidity, then ladder your FDs, that is, invest in FDs of varying maturities, such as one, two, three, five or even 10 years. Laddering ensures FDs mature at regular intervals.
'It's important that every portfolio is well diversified.' 'My own portfolio is diversified across asset classes: 50% is in equity funds, 15% in international schemes, 25% in debt funds and 10% in sovereign gold bonds.'
Unlike bank FDs that are considered risk-free investments, NCDs do carry a certain amount of risk, primary among them is the risk of default, either servicing the interest payment or meeting their principal repayment obligations.
Postpone the purchase of big-ticket consumer durable items, recreational spending on holidays, and other such expenses unless your financial position is very secure, advises Sarbajeet K Sen.
The next revision will make the rates similar to those of bank FDs.
If you invest for the shorter-term now, you will be able to roll over to higher rates when the interest-rate cycle turns, advises Sarbajeet K Sen.
Remember it is very important for an investor to consider even the taxation aspect of their investment as taxes can significantly lower your returns generated by the investment. In case of FDs, banks deduct TDS before letting you withdraw the final amount at maturity.
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