Guide To Personal Finance

Festival season rail travellers can save on return tickets with IRCTC's new scheme, but the offer applies only if you meet the booking rules and travel dates

'Filing a wrong ITR doesn't just stall refunds, it can trigger penalties and scrutiny if not fixed,' warns a tax expert

Group insurance from banks may be affordable and easy to onboard but customers must watch for coverage limits, exclusions, and renewal risks before signing up

Customers may face service interruption if they don't sign agreement after multiple deadline extensions

Instead of chasing past returns, choose a fund with papers of high credit quality

Expect stable accrual-based returns rather than significant capital gains

Invest for more than 12 months to enjoy favourable tax treatment

Understand the risks of the underlying funds and whether their strategies match your objectives

Inflation will reduce value of payout, so invest part of retirement corpus in growth instruments

Passive midcap and smallcap funds offer simplicity and low cost, but investors must weigh the risks including tracking error, volatility, and lack of downside protection

With rains already flooding major cities, insurers advise critical add-ons like engine and battery protection to avoid costly vehicle repairs and ease claim settlement

If promoter demands more than 10 per cent without a registered agreement, halt payments and file a complaint with RERA

More investors now adhere to the principle of asset allocation. "Increasingly, they treat gold as a financial asset in their portfolio rather than just as jewellery," says Vikram Dhawan

A home loan balance transfer can help move to a lower interest rate

The RR rate is the minimum value at which a property must be registered during a transaction

Fake arrest warrants and legal notices are sent via SMS or WhatsApp. Some use deepfake videos to replicate a police station setting

The stressed real estate sector, a key driver of the economy, has not yet stabilised

Fund houses also merge schemes to cut costs and focus scarce fund management resources on their flagship schemes

Momentum funds follow a thematic approach, buying stocks in an upward trend and selling when the trend reverses

Deductions related to salary, including standard deduction and leave encashment, are now grouped under a single clause