Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Home loan demand is moving away from core metropolitan markets, with Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities emerging as the dominant contributors to growth in 2025, a report said.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
Some public sector banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, and Bank of India, are increasing the spread on home loans for new customers to protect margins.
'Do exhaustive research and then select the one that best fits your budget and requirements.'
'Money is not just about greed or accumulation. It gives you freedom, dignity and choice. And you have every right to all three.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
At the end of the day, this isn't about choosing between EMIs and SIPs. It's about choosing your path to financial freedom.
The most common mistake is investing without assessing suitability and long-term implications.
Housing sales fell 1 per cent last year to over 3.48 lakh units across eight major cities, with demand stagnating amid an average price rise of up to 19 per cent, according to Knight Frank. In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, real estate consultant Knight Frank India noted that the decline in interest rates on home loans, strong economic growth and lower inflation were some of the key factors that helped in sustaining the housing demand during the 2025 calendar year despite fears of an impending correction.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
While investments are typically reviewed annually, risk cover is often left unchanged for years.
Housing demand should improve nationwide after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the repo rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points (bps) on Friday, said real estate industry executives. The rate cut comes after housing sales in top Indian cities in the first quarter of 2025 dipped 28 per cent due to skyrocketing residential property prices and geopolitical headwinds, according to Anarock.
Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) such as Bajaj Finance, Shriram Finance, Muthoot Finance, and IIFL Finance have regained their growth momentum after losing market share to banks in the post-Covid period. The growth surge is being led by diversified lenders and gold-loan companies while development-finance institutions such as Power Finance Corporation (PFC), REC, and Housing & Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) continue to grow at a slower pace.
India's housing finance sector is riding a wave of post-pandemic revival, driven by policy support, digital innovation, and growing demand from younger homebuyers in emerging cities.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
State Bank of India has embarked on a drive to cut the Know Your Customer (KYC) process to a single one across its branches, a top official said on Tuesday.
Younger customers should opt for increasing cover as their financial commitments are likely to rise in the future.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance, mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Using mantras from the Bhagavad Gita, Vatsal Ramaiya explains how you can conquer your home loan debt and unlock a world of financial freedom and peace of mind.
The reduction in goods & services tax (GST) on individual life and health insurance premiums has been called a "landmark step" for making insurance affordable and inclusive. In a panel discussion at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, Anup Bagchi, managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance; Mahesh Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Kotak Life Insurance; Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life Insurance; and Ratnakar Patnaik, MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), listed what else the industry needs to reach more people.
Before booking a flat, buyers should confirm that the project is registered with the state's Rera portal.
'If the borrower can't repay the loan due to lack of income or losses from speculative activities, they risk defaulting on it.' 'This could lead to the bank seizing the property.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Card and Internet banking frauds formed 56.5% of all cases in FY25.
When and how you can access EPF money before retirement without jeopardising your long-term retirement savings.
For homebuyers, the OC is not just an administrative formality but the very basis of lawful possession. Without it, the property is deemed unauthorised, exposing buyers to risks such as eviction, denial of utilities, or even demolition.
The recent policies that have been announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will allow banks to fully use its capital, funding profile to keep business at an equilibrium level, which otherwise was getting skewed towards retail, said K V Kamath, chairman, Jio Financial Services.
Since February 2025, the RBI has reduced the policy rate by 100 basis points. In its previous policy review in April, it had also trimmed the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6 per cent.
Your EPF isn't just a retirement pot. It's a financial safety net you can dip into for life's biggest needs. Here's how these one-time advances work and when to use them wisely.
Do you have financial planning or income tax queries? Ask rediffGURU Anil Rego.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
More than 58% of individual housing loans disbursed in 2023-2024 were more than 25 lakh in size.
Home purchase affordability has improved in the first half of calendar year (CY) 2025, after the RBI reduced the repo rate by 100 basis points (bps), according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank India.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The home loan top-up, a kind of secured multipurpose personal loan, is on the regulator's radar, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Here's how to own your dream home without paying excessive interest on your EMIs.
Most think tax-saving deductions exist only in the old regime. But the New one quietly retains 40+ ways to ease your tax load
Banks are receiving requests for cancellation of approved car loans, in view of the implementation of GST rate cut, which will lower the price of passenger vehicles and also lead to subsequent reduction in the amount needed to purchase them. It is to be noted that the 56th GST Council meeting earlier this month, approved substantial reduction in the GST rate for cars for up to 1,200 cc to 18 per cent from the existing 28 per cent.
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