Use these loans to meet emergency needs, and not to fund holidays or luxury purchases.
With the price of gold entering a strong bull run, gold-loan non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are under the spotlight, even though their performance is not directly linked to gold price. Muthoot Finance outperformed in the April-June quarter (Q1) of 2025-26 (FY26), with its assets under management (AUM) growing 10 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) and 42 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), an improvement of 88 basis points (bps) Q-o-Q in net interest margin (NIM), and a fall in credit cost. Gold AUM rose 40 per cent Y-o-Y and 10 per cent Q-o-Q. The company recorded recoveries of 350 crore, including 100 crore from an asset reconstruction company (ARC), resulting in a 100-bp Q-o-Q yield increase.
'Investing in these funds makes sense if their net yield over better-quality funds -- corporate bond funds or banking and PSU funds -- is meaningful.'
'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.'
'Indian markets may underperform global peers for the next two quarters.' 'But beyond that, India should catch up and resume its long-term growth path.'
New investors should avoid short-term, tactical entries and instead go for staggered buying via ETFs to manage volatility.
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Retirement-focused products that promise certainty can look attractive. The returns are guaranteed, and locking into a fixed rate feels reassuring at a time when deposit rates are declining.
'Legally clean farmland is difficult to find. It requires time, money, and legal effort to verify the title.'
'Such stocks may be useful for aggressive portfolios, but should not be part of the core holdings.'
Investors may wait for six months and then take another look at the stock.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'If nominal growth improves and earnings pick up, Indian stock markets could see a rally next year.'
'A staggered investment approach (using SIP or STP) can help investors benefit from this opportunity while reducing timing risk.'
Global emerging market investors are sharply cutting back on India, making it the largest underweight market, as funds rotate into China, Hong Kong, and South Korea amid tariff shocks and valuation concerns.
Given the stronger rural activity, and potential goods and services tax (GST) impact, investors are bullish on the two-wheeler (2W) segment. In August, dealers in the domestic market picked up 11 per cent more 2Ws year-on-year (Y-o-Y), despite only 2 per cent growth in retail registrations. This indicates inventory stocking ahead of the festival season. Export trends were good. TVS Motor and Royal Enfield may have gained domestic market share.
The biggest risk for investors isn't the market, but their own minds, biases and emotions often lead to poor financial choices.
Reliance Industries (RIL) annual general meeting (AGM) had several stunning announcements. RIL looks to list Jio Platforms (JPL) by June 2026. It targets doubling of FY22 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) (Rs 1.25 trillion; $14.6 billion) by FY27 implying 14.7 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the FY22 levels.
Young investors with a higher risk appetite are better off with a combination of term insurance and equity funds.
SEBI's blockbuster reforms are rewriting the rules of mutual fund investing -- faster growth, sharper transparency, and smarter safeguards that put investors first, explains Ramalingam Kalirajan.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Do home prices really never fall? Ramalingam Kalirajan begs to differ.
'A balanced portfolio mix of domestic and international equity, fixed income, and precious metals is recommended.'
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Reits are suitable for investors seeking regular income and real estate exposure without managing physical properties, especially NRIs and retirees.'
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
'First-time investors, busy professionals, NRIs and those with modest sums looking for curated strategies may find FoFs especially appealing.'
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The country's largest listed gold jewellery maker, Titan Company, maintained its growth pace in the April-June quarter of 2025-26 (FY26).
SOFs can be a diversification tool for investors seeking alternatives to conventional large, mid, or smallcap portfolios.
'Active funds have the ability to manage downside risk.'
'Maintain a balanced approach with a preference for short-to medium-duration funds.'
The proposed reforms in goods and services tax (GST) announced by the government last week, coupled with the eighth pay commission dole-out, is likely to push consumption-driven stocks - such as air conditioners (ACs), select automobiles, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, and counters of quick-service restaurants (QSRs) - into higher orbit over the next few months, believe analysts.
Many buyers skip or misread critical provisions in builder-buyer agreements.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Real wealth isn't built on random bets; it's built on disciplined, guided portfolio strategies that can withstand market ups and downs, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
'No respite from economic pain is worth the loss of dignity and self-respect,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
'As we get older, our health risks increase, and this makes health insurance significantly more expensive for seniors.'
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