Small-, mid-caps work over long term

• A portfolio that has equal distributions to ICICI Prudential Nifty Next 50, Mirae Asset India Equity fund and Parag Parikh Long term equity would be a good, aggressive long-term portfolio
• Equity returns don’t happen in a smooth upward curve and there would be a lot of volatility on the way

Premiums for third-party liability cover under motor insurance likely to go up

• Premium for private cars over 1500 cc and two-wheelers above 350 cc is expected to continue at the FY19 rates
• In FY19, insurance premium for smaller cars of up to 1,000 cc was reduced by close to 10% compared to FY18

Drop in prices of fruits and vegetables, but meat and fish more expensive

• Inflation in the price of fruits has come down to -4.89% from 9.65% in the same period last year
• According to inflation data, there has been a marked decline in inflation across various food categories

Irdai-proposed insurance sandbox to give a leg up to customer experience

• Sandbox will allow need-based customization of products
• Applicant's net worth should be at least ₹10 lakh

Opinion | Are you a hoarder or a compulsive spender? You have a money disorder

Money disorders are prevalent in everyone—from the very poor to the very rich

Sole and absolute owners can do what they want with an inherited property

• Sole legal owner of a house can dispose it to any person/s at his discretion, which can also be one of his children
• If you hold the house along with any other owner(s) as tenants-in-common, you are only free to sell your share in that house to any person

Aggrieved buyers face another Rera battle

• Several Rera orders favouring homebuyers have not been executed
• According to Rera Act, once an order is passed by the authority, it needs to be executed within a fixed timeline

‘I had the money but did not know how to invest’

• Sharmas felt they needed guidance while trying to manage inheritance
• Sharma was a classic case of lacking direction and planning on finances. The planner helped him make optimal use of the funds he had.

How much tax you pay on debt MF, NSC, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme investments

• equity investments tend to give higher returns than all other asset classes over the long run, but they are also riskier in nature
• One must also pay heed to the taxation rules

Sole and absolute owner can do what they want with an inherited property

According to Section 30 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, any Hindu can dispose of, by Will or other testamentary disposition, any property, which is capable of being so “disposed of by him or by her”

Jack Ma is selling cancer coverage for pennies a month in China

• Call it crowdfunding for health care – an emerging industry in China that itself is becoming crowded
• Ant Financial is one of at least 50 companies upending the conventional health insurance business

Returns on my investments

• One must also keep in mind the volatility risk of the asset class, liquidity, lock-in rules and taxation
• Here’s a look at how four commonly used asset types—equity, cash, gold and fixed income—have done in different periods.

PF corpus is taxable if it is withdrawn before five years of continuous service

• Your EPF will continue to earn interest, irrespective of the number of years you are employed for
• If there is any change of job and the total PF balance is transferred to the new PF account maintained by the new employer, the PF is considered to be continuous service

Personal loan: SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, PNB, Kotak Bank rates compared

• There are various versions of personal loans available now, some of which are called instant loans
• Personal loans come with high interest rates, so continuous default will put you on a downward spiral

You may pay tax on FD interest income at accrual stage or when bank pays up

• Dividend income from mutual funds in India is exempt from income-tax in India.
• Interest income from FDs in bank accounts in India is taxable in India

A cheat-sheet for your first overseas trip

• Passport costs approximately ₹1,500 for a fresh application and ₹2,000 for a tatkal application
• Travel insurance is a must for going abroad, as any unforeseen medical issue can cost you dearly

Don’t change your investment strategy due to elections

• There are multiple opinions on what will the impact of the outcome be on financial markets and investment portfolios
• It is important to keep in mind that there is no perfect way to predict the outcome of elections

Decoding income tax exemptions

• EET stands for exempt-exempt-taxable where an investor can receive two exemptions on investments
• The last exempt implies that lump sum amount received at the time maturity or withdrawal is tax-free

Stay away from stock tips

• If taming the stock market was easy, everyone would do it
• Losing money in market is real and facing volatility is part of the deal

Making a birthday fun(d)

GOING ALL OUT? Customised cakes, theme parties, special costumes, return gifts – when you plan for your child’s special day, remember to fix a budget, plan ahead