Page 4 - Karthik Jerome

Assessing fund performance: Run the numbers, then do qualitative checks

Rely on multiple metrics to derive a holistic picture of performance. Also, compare a fund's performance with its category peers or the appropriate benchmark

Tackling rising home prices: Research pricing, demand-supply for best deals

Buyers with a limited budget should explore upcoming locations

Wrongful tax claims: File revised, updated ITR before I-T dept's scrutiny

Once a wrongful claim is detected, penalties follow

Dealing with recovery agents: Know your rights, study RBI guidelines

Escalate complaint to bank grievance officer, ombudsman, and finally consumer court

PSU funds: Recovery may take a while; stay put if you've long horizon

Stocks in areas such as defence, capital goods, railways, and PSU banks had rallied significantly

Health cover against cancer: Check policy for exclusions, sub-limits

Cancer-specific policies, which only cover cancer, are available as indemnity-based or fixed-benefit plans

Sector-thematic NFOs: Beware lack of track record, concentration risk

With growing awareness, demand for passive funds has also risen, prompting fund houses to launch more products

Managing multiple loans: Lower interest cost via debt consolidation

Borrowers with multiple loans-such as credit card, personal, and home loan-can pool them into one large loan with a lower interest rate

Select index factor fund based on high conviction and risk appetite

A market cap-based index selects and assigns weights to stocks based on market cap, favouring larger companies

Suspect a loved one had bought a policy? Search life insurers' websites

Unclaimed amounts often result from outdated customer details, making it difficult for insurers to trace policyholders or their nominees

Choosing a financial advisor: Look for experience of multiple market cycles

Financial advisors also assist in selecting cost-effective and tax-efficient products

Say no to NFOs, buy direct plans and seek suggestions from Sebi RIAs

Sebi's new rule is a positive step towards investor protection. It will reduce mis-selling by aligning distributor incentives with investor interests and discourage unnecessary portfolio churn

Insurance portfolio review: Up term cover with rising income, liabilities

A good rule of thumb is to purchase term cover amounting to 7-10 annual income, plus outstanding liabilities

Steep rise in premium, poor claim experience? Consider porting your policy

Check for loopholes in coverage, like sub-limits, and evaluate whether you need to augment coverage through a super top up policy

Housing in tier-II cities: Assess job prospects, infra before investing

Tier 2 cities are emerging as attractive real estate destinations due to expanding employment opportunities

Align investment horizon with portfolio duration for short-term debt funds

While all investors should have some allocation to shorter-duration debt funds for portfolio stability, the exact proportion should depend on their risk appetite

Safety tips for crypto investors: Store long-term holdings in a cold wallet

Go with an exchange that offers security features such as two-factor authentication (2FA), withdrawal whitelist, and encryption

Rebalance your investments away from equities and gold in favour of debt

This review exercise must be undertaken to restore the portfolio's risk profile to its original level

Gold outlook: Buy on dips, temper return expectations after strong runup

Improvement in US GDP figures, easing of tensions in the Middle East, and stable or rising interest rates in the US are other factors that could hurt gold prices

Link UPI app to bank account having limited funds; set daily limits

Fraudsters also place fake QR codes over legitimate ones-on parking meters, donation boxes, etc. When users scan them, the payment goes to fraudsters' accounts