Making gold investment, setting up home bar: Top personal finance stories

This week we report about gold as a safe asset and the design needed to set up your own bar

Fears of a conflagration in West Asia escalating into a full-scale war between Israel and Iran have sent investors scurrying for gold, a safe-haven asset. In this week’s lead story, Bindisha Sarang analyses the prospects of the yellow metal and offers a roadmap for investing in it.

The second article, by Namrata Kohli, discusses the design involved in setting up a home bar. It emphasises the importance of choosing durable materials and effective storage solutions. Read this piece for insights into how you can tailor your home bar to fit into the space available.

Taking interest-rate calls can be a difficult experience for retail investors. In recent times, many took long-duration bets in debt mutual funds, only to find yields hardening over the past month. If you want to delegate this task to an expert, invest in a dynamic bond fund, where a fund manager will take these calls on your behalf. If you are looking for a fund from this category, go through Morningstar’s review of Bandhan Dynamic Bond Fund.

Recent news headlines suggest that discounts are being offered to push car sales. If you are looking to buy a car on loan, consult Paisabazaar.com’s table for an overview of interest rate and other charges.

Number of the week

Rs 87,971 crore: SIP inflows in FY24

Mutual funds saw Rs 87,971 crore of net SIP (systematic investment plan) inflows in Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24), rising by Rs 4,098 crore from Rs. 83,873 crore in FY23.

Gross inflows rose 28 per cent from Rs 1.6 trillion to Rs 2 trillion, while redemptions from SIP accounts went up 54 per cent from Rs 72,100 crore to Rs 1.1 trillion during the year. Outflows amounted to 80 per cent of gross inflows into equity schemes.

The surge in gross investments and redemptions are indicative of investors churning their portfolios. Mutual funds witnessed a record surge in assets under management in FY24, owing to strong inflows and mark-to-market gains. Retail investors preferring the SIP route have played a pivotal role in driving growth, especially in equity, hybrid and solution-oriented schemes.