Page 6 - Himali Patel

Honest, full disclosures key to hassle-free health insurance claims

Customers must disclose habits like smoking and alcohol consumption honestly, regardless of frequency

FD rate cuts: Hunt for returns but keep liquidity needs, safety in mind

Liquidity infusion by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased funding pressure on banks

Reassess choice of tax regime, spread investments across year

Investments in Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) should be made by the 5th of April

New borrowers face credit squeeze, turn to secured loans and credit cards

A rise in defaults, particularly in small-ticket unsecured personal loans, prompted the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to tighten lending norms

Why financial year-end portfolio rebalancing matters and how to go about it

Unless deviation from the original portfolio is drastic, rebalance by buying more of the underperforming asset class, to avoid tax and exit load

Bundled home loan insurance: No portability for single premium plans

Lenders may push borrowers into buying policies without disclosing tenure, premium, and alternative products

Credit risk funds: Evaluate if incremental return justifies the risk

Returns have largely stemmed from accrual income and credit spreads

Home purchase versus rent: For long-term end users, mkt timing not crucial

Buying makes sense for those planning to stay in a city for at least 7-10 years. Financial preparedness is crucial

Right taxsavers: Align choice with risk appetite, asset allocation & goals

Unit linked insurance plans (Ulips) and the National Pension System (NPS) can have varied risk levels, depending on their equity-debt mix

Book profits if your portfolio is overweight on US-focused equity funds

Adhere to asset allocation and do not allow recent volatility in US market faze you

Silver outlook: After steep runup over the past year, buy on dips

The rupee's depreciation against the US dollar since Diwali 2024 has supported domestic prices

International Women's Day: Financial road map to go from debt to wealth

Despite rising literacy, professional exposure, and financial independence, many young women hesitate to take full control of their finances

I-T notices: High-value expenses must sync with bank withdrawals, e-txn

Tax experts say that when declared income is high but bank withdrawals are minimal, it raises concerns about unreported cash transactions

MF schemes merger: Stay invested if new fund fits your goal, risk appetite

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

Lower concentration risk, outperformance during broad rallies

An equal-weighted index assigns the same weight to every stock, regardless of market capitalisation

Don't lose rupee cost averaging by stopping SIPs; stay focused on goals

Experts attribute the surge primarily to heightened equity market volatility since September 2024

Maternity coverage a crucial part of health insurance for younger women

With each delivery costing Rs 50,000 - Rs 2.5 lakh, maternity coverage is key in such plans, besides reproductive health issues, menopause, and women-specific diseases

Total market index funds: Ideal for simple, hands-off, long-term investing

Currently, three existing funds in this segment are offered by Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India), Bandhan AMC, and Groww AMC

Purchasing term insurance: Choose a policy that balances coverage and price

CSR represents the percentage of claims settled by an insurer within a financial year

Got AFA alert for fraud transaction? Block, report and replace card

Currently, users receive notifications before auto-debits. Under the new system, the process may change slightly