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  • Declutter your Portfolio in this Lockdown

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    These trying times have taught us to slow down and self-reflect on many things in our life. It has signalled to act on certain tasks which we may have procrastinated for a really long time. Like for e.g., people are taking some time out to declutter their homes. It is actually very therapeutic.  It is like decluttering our minds because we then have to focus on lesser things. Less is more! This virtue can be extended to our financial life. This lockdown presents an opportunity to declutter your investment portfolio. Why cleansing is necessary? In my professional life spanning over […]

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  • Understanding Stock Market Risk

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    When a crisis occurs and something as enduring as the current Pandemic, stock markets can be really cruel. The scale and speed of the fall could be severely harsh wiping off even 10-year average returns in a brief period. It is natural to feel anxiety, confusion and fear about our investments. I am sure there would be many investors who have vowed never to invest in the stock markets again. There would be majority who have sold in this falling market. But there has been crisis earlier and it’s the same story which unfolds every time. While the triggers are […]

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  • Corona Virus, Yes Bank debacle, Economic Slowdown. Here is how to deal with negative news as an Investor.

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    Nowadays, almost every 9 out of 10 messages on WhatsApp you will read would be related to Corona Virus. There are also videos where the self-proclaimed experts would talk about home remedies and preventive measures to deal with it. Further, you will see debates on media channels about how Corona Virus is adversely affecting the global economy including India. Then we have the Yes Bank fiasco which has shaken every common man’s trust in depositing money with banks. The power of social media amplifying bad news is unprecedented. Everyone you know is sharing the same message on different groups. A […]

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  • How Technology can help You grow your Wealth?

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    Mobile apps in our smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives. They are fast and convenient. Apps are just a swipe away – Amazon for shopping, Ola/Uber for travel, Zomato for food orders, etc. However, this high dependence on mobile apps is also enticing us to spend more. Add to that, the discount offers and cash back deals are too hard to resist. We aimlessly spend gobs of time scouting for attractive deals and buy that extra jacket or footwear just because there is an attractive discount offer. As automation induces human behaviour to spend money, at […]

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  • NPS Withdrawal made Tax Free, Should You Invest Now?

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    Click to Enlarge One of the biggest pain points that investors find in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is the taxation part. Of the 60 per cent corpus that could be withdrawn lump sum at age 60, about 40 per cent is tax free and 20 per cent is taxable under the present rules. Now, in a recent development, the government has exempted even the 20 per cent from tax taking the tax exemption limit from 40 per cent to 60 per cent. This means that the money invested in the scheme (up to a limit) is exempt from tax, [...]
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  • Are Debt Mutual Funds Risk Free?

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    Click to Enlarge Many investors have a general perception that while equity and equity mutual funds are volatile, debt mutual funds are risk free. They also see debt funds as an alternative to fixed deposits which can yield higher returns than the latter. The primary reason behind this misconception is that investors fail to understand how a debt fund works. Debt funds are risky for sure and unlike equity, the former is much more difficult for the retail investors to understand. Not just investors, even mutual fund agents may not correctly understand all the risks related to debt funds. Let [...]
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  • The Common Investor Dilemma – should I exit NOW as the markets turn?

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    Click to Enlarge Rising crude oil prices, weak rupee, political uncertainty ahead of state and central elections, etc., all have spoilt the stock market party. But is there anything new in this? Markets have gone down earlier because of such macro-economic and geo-political factors. Yet, panic, anxiety, confusion – any emotion related to fear is common amongst investors. They always face the common dilemma of whether to sell or not. This indecisiveness amongst investors stems from the fact that they have not addressed the most fundamental question before investing - the ‘WHY’ question. The ‘WHY’ defines the purpose behind anything [...]
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  • Why timing the Stock Markets is a futile game?

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    Click to Enlarge The stock markets are hitting new highs and investors must be facing the common dilemma - whether to book profits and then re-enter the markets on correction. When that correction would happen, no one knows. Predicting It would be more difficult than winning Blackjack in a casino. Although markets are cyclical and they reflect sentiment based on potential political events, macro-economic indicators, corporate earnings performance, it does not mean an investor can accurately predict the entry and exit of the markets. Not to forget the fact that markets tend to overreact many times, mostly during the corrections. [...]
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  • The fundamental truth that evades most Equity Investors

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    Click to Enlarge Stock tickers flashing at the bottom of news channels, red and blue colour codes on the trading bolt, fast gainers & losers, 52-week highs & lows, etc., are all things which a retail investor associates equity stock markets with. They are usually more focussed on the daily price movements. They would also not hesitate to park money in a stock based on tips from friends, brokers and associates. They would invest money in a particular stock just because it gave handsome dividends in a particular year. Amongst all these, they forget the most basic fact about equities. [...]
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  • Should you consider to buy tax free ULIPs over Mutual Funds?

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    Click to Enlarge With equity mutual funds coming under the ambit of taxation in the recent Budget 2018-19, insurance companies have made a strong case for selling ULIPs to investors. While a 10 per cent tax has been imposed on long term capital gains of equity mutual funds, ULIPs continue to remain tax free. Insurance agents have been dwelling on this tax disparity as part of their sales pitch. If this has got you thinking or confused whether to buy ULIPs or mutual funds, read on further to find out which one is a better product. Taxation alone is not [...]
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