Your Money

Instead of borrowing to the hilt, maintain a buffer to avoid margin calls during spells of market volatility

Taxpayers should carefully match their income profile with the applicable ITR form, as filing returns in the wrong form could lead to defective returns or tax notices

Interest rate cycle affects the attractiveness of REITs; a longer horizon is essential to overcome its impact

India's gold recycling market is expanding rapidly as rising prices push households to exchange old jewellery, but customers must watch for purity checks, deductions and opaque valuation practices

Use joint accounts only where shared access is genuinely needed; do your due diligence before joining

Watch out for sub-limits and waiting periods that often accompany this cover

Surrender of annuity will be allowed only if it meets the terms of the contract

Check who actually paid for the property and whether the payment trail matches the registered owner

Make sure the fund manager does not abandon this strategy in a bull run

Rebalance away from gold and silver and towards equity and debt

Hold existing investments if you have a long horizon; book partial profits if exposure exceeds 10 per cent

Costs, liquidity, and the mechanism for conversion to physical gold are aspects you must understand before taking the plunge

Treat SIFs as satellite holdings, not replacements for core mutual fund holdings, as management and threshold compliance risks remain

Rising medical costs and insurance gaps make building a dedicated health corpus essential for long-term financial security

Chasing high returns by investing in lower-rated instruments could result in loss of principal

Preserve evidence of damage by taking photographs or videos

Health insurance premiums tend to rise rapidly at older age

Indians continue to favour physical gold for tradition and security, but ETFs offer a more efficient, low-cost route for long-term investment

With equity returns uneven, non-convertible debentures are gaining traction as a middle path between FDs and stocks-but investors must weigh credit risk, liquidity, and issuer quality before investing

New investors should enter only if they have the required investment horizon and risk appetite, not merely because these funds have rallied