Sanjay Kumar

Unregistered housing project: Know risks and exit options before booking

Buying into an unregistered housing project can expose homebuyers to legal, financial and construction risks. Here's how to verify a project and seek redress

Rallies and reversals since 1991: The lessons for Indian investors

Avoid leverage, respect valuations and let earnings, cash flows and balance sheet strength, not narratives, guide investment decisions

Buying property? Check rental yield to avoid overpaying, assess fair value

Besides a high current yield, it is also crucial to assess whether it will sustain

Using MTF? Keep sufficient cash for margin calls, avoid forced selling

Investors should restrict margin trading facility use to liquid stocks, maintain adequate cash buffers for margin calls, and avoid excessive leverage during periods of market stress

Gold loan repayment option: Choose based on cash flow, not loan eligibility

Compare total cost and maintain a buffer to reduce auction risk

Reforms@35: From UTI monopoly and assured returns to SIP investment boom

How the continuing reforms in the MF space have created an over ₹82 trillion powerhouse

How safe is it to accept finfluencers' investment recommendations?

If you wish to stay safe, stick to the minority that has a Sebi-registered investment adviser or research analyst licence

How to identify banking SMS scams before they empty your bank account

Verify alerts through official channels, never install files sent by text, and report fraud immediately

Compare forex cards on total costs and complete transparency in charges

A card with zero cross-currency conversion charge will allow you to load US dollars and then spend in any currency without incurring further charges

Immediate annuities: Multiple options available, weigh trade-offs carefully

Annuitise only essential expenses, retain liquidity and compare payout options and rates before purchase

Passive hybrid funds: Understand index mix, tax treatment before investing

Those who do not understand the underlying equity and debt indices should stay away

Credit cards & Gen Z: Spending should not exceed 20-30% of take-home income

Credit utilisation ratio should remain below 30%

What is new about the EPF 2026 Scheme and what it means for subscribers

While subscribers get greater flexibility in making partial withdrawals, they should exercise this freedom judiciously so that they don't deplete their retirement corpus drastically

Avoid a costly early exit: Steps before surrendering an insurance policy

Assess the policy's returns, risks and liquidity restrictions, and ensure that you can sustain the premiums throughout its term

Verify hospital's cashless status before admission to avoid claim hassles

If reimbursement becomes unavoidable, submit a complete file at the earliest

Verify hospital's cashless status before admission to avoid claim delays

If reimbursement becomes unavoidable, submit a complete file at the earliest

Outlook for debt funds improves, but avoid chasing long-duration gains

Keep the core allocation in short- to medium-duration funds; match fund maturity with financial goals

Multi-year health insurance: Lock in premiums, but check exit rules first

Multi-year health insurance plans offer premium stability and upfront discounts, but buyers should weigh flexibility, portability and future healthcare needs

Life cycle funds: A new category, but do they fit your portfolio needs?

Check the maturity date, glide path, costs, tax treatment and exit load before investing

How NRIs should navigate changes in tax status when returning to India

As their status changes from NRI to RNOR and then to ROR, both their tax and disclosure obligations change