Money with Monika: Getting started with Mutual Funds (S3, Ep#2)

Personal finance expert Monika Halan tells you why and how you should get started with Mutual Funds investment, in this latest episode of Money With Monika. She explains the importance of “adopting a portfolio approach to investing money and diversifying over asset classes to meet your goals.” Monika Halan is consulting editor, Mint, and author of 'Let's Talk Money'. Watch the full episode for more.

Why Not Mint Money | Should you switch from MCLR to external benchmark?

After the RBI’s policy on February 6, it could be beneficial for some of you to stick to MCLR regime in the short term. The central bank has taken measures to bring down the cost of funds for banks, which in turn would lead to a downward revision in MCLR

‘Love Aaj Kal’ heads Valentine’s Day offerings | Business of Entertainment

The Valentine’s Day weekend was high on the romantic vibe with Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal and Netflix original To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. In the latest episode of its show, 'Business of Entertainment', Mint's Lata Jha goes through the financial performance of what’s buzzing in the world of entertainment.

SC orders Centre to give permanent commission to women in Army

The Supreme Court has ruled that all women officers shall be considered for permanent commission in the army and will be eligible for both ‘command’ and ‘criteria’ appointments.

How to prepare yourself to face the financial impact of coronavirus

Coronavirus has resulted in over 1000 deaths in China as per Media reports. Casualties have been reported outside China as well. The virus outbreak is also expected to have an economic impact on China as well as other countries as economic activities have halted across China due to shutdown of many manufacturing units. Lets understand how this can impact your finances and how you should deal with the situation.

Why Not Mint Money: Legal nitty-gritties NRI property buyers should know

For non-residents, buying a property can be a complicated affair due to various regulations. We spoke to chartered accountants, lawyers and property consultants to get answers to the common queries that non-residents have when they are look to buy a house in India

Mint Wide Angle: Govt consumption can't save Q2 GDP

Second quarter GDP growth has dropped to just 4.5%, the second lowest rate since 2013. All three pillars of the economy - investment, jobs & consumption - are down. The only thing that has grown significantly is government consumption. Without that, GDP growth was just 3.1%, the lowest growth in private demand in the past 8 years. In the absence of private investment & dropping private consumption, only govt capital expenditure can act as a booster shot for the economy.

How Kejriwal Won Delhi Again: Mint Wide Angle

In 2019, AAP's vote share in Delhi dropped to just 18%, while BJP's rose to 56.6%. In the space of just 10 months Arvind Kejriwal won back 32% more votes. His secret winning formula has five ingredients - Welfare, Subsidies, strong party organisation, Cult of Personality, and the newly added Soft Hindutva.

Should other states replicate Arvind Kejriwal led AAP’s governance model?

Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept back to power for the third time in a row in Delhi. The triumph owes mostly to welfarism and effective governance that trumped the nationalistic campaign pitch of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Could this act as a template for other states to follow?

RBI's grip on rupee | Mark To Market

The concerns surrounding coronavirus outbreak and global economic growth have put pressure on the Indian rupee. But the biggest factor in rupee weakness is the RBI's intervention which remains strong. The exchange rate has dropped 3.2% since July despite good dollar inflows as the RBI incessantly bought dollars. This grip is unlikely to loosen in the coming months, according to currency dealers.

‘Malang,’ ‘Shikara,’ ‘Little Women’ big releases of the week

The entertainment offerings this week include Bollywood films Malang and Shikara and Hollywood Oscar nominee Little Women. In the latest episode of its show, 'Business of Entertainment', Mint's Lata Jha goes through the financial performance of what’s buzzing in the world of entertainment.

Money With Monika: Why invest in mutual funds? (S3, Ep#1)

In this episode of 'Money with Monika', personal finance expert Monika Halan delves into the merits of saving and investment. She also explains the pros and cons of investing in mutual funds as opposed to other options such as real estate and gold. "Mutual funds are a low cost, transparent vehicle for those who want to work to specific goals," says Monika. Monika Halan is consulting editor, Mint, and author of 'Let's Talk Money'. Watch the full episode for more.

Why Not Mint Money | When are you eligible for deposit insurance?

After the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank) scam dragged down the confidence of depositors, there was pressure on the government to increase the insurance cover which was static since 1993. Though the deposit insurance cover cap has been raised, there are enough people voicing their concern on social media. In this video, Mint's Disha Sanghvi addresses some of the concerns about deposit insurance.

Can you keep switching between old and new tax regime? | Why Not Mint Money

Some taxpayers can keep switching between the new and the old tax regime introduced in the Union Budget. This allows some taxpayers to compare the two regimes and choose where he or she is paying lower taxes.

RBI keeps repo rate steady at 5.15% amid 'elevated inflation pressures'

The Reserve Bank of India announced the bimonthly decision of its Monetary Policy Committee on Thursday. The central bank kept its repo rate unchanged at 5.15%. It also continued the 'accommodative stance' aimed at reviving high economic growth.

Fear factor in markets: How will coronavirus impact India | All Things Markets

Global investors, especially in Asia, are understandably anxious about coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. Markets with the greatest number of infections, namely China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, faced pressure when the outbreak began. There was also volatility and aggressive reactions in markets that were not impacted by the virus outbreak such as India, which only had three cases so far. Mint's Nasrin Sultana speaks to Rob Subbaraman, Head, Gobal Macro Research, Nomura on some of the investment implications from this incident and investors rationale.

Why you should switch out of dividend plans of mutual funds | Why Not Mint Money

Budget 2020 has abolished dividend distribution tax on dividends of mutual funds. It has made dividends taxable at slab rate in the hands of investors. However, this will lead to higher tax burden on investors in all but the lowest tax slabs. Mint explains how and what you can do about it.

Ending income tax exemptions will hit household savings I Mint Wide Angle

Budget 2020 gives Income Tax payers the option to choose a lower tax regime if they give up all tax exemptions. Leaving aside the debate over whether the new tax regime reduces taxes, the very idea of removing exemptions is bad economics. Tax exemptions are an important policy tool for the government to nudge citizens to adopt economically significant habits, especially that of saving. This savings pool is crucial for both government and private investment. Exemptions can also be used to stimulate particular sectors of the economy, such as housing or medical insurance.

How TCS (Tax Collected at Source) will apply to your foreign travel, education

TCS (Tax Collected at Source) will be deducted on packaged foreign tours, but it's not applicable on separately booked items like tickets and hotels. TCS is also deducted on foreign education and investments for expenses above ₹7 lakh per year. Watch the full video to know more.

RBI policy post Budget | Mark to Market

The Reserve Bank of India’s 6-member monetary policy committee is expected to vote for a pause on policy rates on Thursday. The pause on policy rates could be extended as inflation has risen recently. The Budget’s limited measures to boost growth could aid RBI and the commitment to fiscal prudence augurs well for monetary policy. However, the government’s over reliance on national small savings fund to finance the deficit could keep pressure on interest rates and prevent fall in deposit rates.