Page 154 - Personal Finance

France to double Bengaluru visa issuance by 2026, boost for techies

The French Consulate General in Bengaluru reached a milestone of 50,000 visa issuances in 2024

Banking sector funds: Invest now to capitalise on credit growth pickup

The ideal time to invest in sector funds is during a downturn so that investors can capitalise on a turnaround in 1.5-2 years

Senior citizens expect tax relief and higher returns in Budget 2025

Speculation is rife that the government may raise exemption limit significantly, with some experts suggesting a new threshold of Rs 10 lakh to alleviate the tax burden on senior citizens

Australia's student visa surge defies clampdowns, sparks Oppn pushback

Australia's higher education accounts for the majority of student visas, with two-thirds or more going to university students

Taxpayers warned about fake GST summons: Here's how to check fraud

Fake summons copy GST department's logo and Document Identification Number to deceive and exploit people

H-1B visa reforms cut unfair registration by 38%: Impact on applicants

USCIS said that the changes to H-1B visa process ensure fairness and transparency

Saudi Arabia to allow foreign investment in Mecca and Medina real estate

Mecca and Medina host millions of Muslim pilgrims annually, particularly for the Hajj and Umrah

Unified Pension Scheme notified for central govt employees: What it offers

Policy will come into effect from April 1 and is expected to benefit over 2.3 million central government employees

Axis Bank increases interest rates for fixed deposits, offers up to 7.75%

Lender offers 3.5% to 7.75% for senior citizens for tenures ranging seven days to 10 years for amounts less than Rs 3 crore

Yellow metal: Maintain allocation; tariff battles may sustain bull run

"Central banks usually purchase about 400 tonnes of gold annually. However, in 2022 and 2023, they bought over 1,000 tonnes each year," says Vikram Dhawan

NCR sees record 12.7 mn sq ft office leasing in 2024, avg deal size up 29%

Noida has witnessed a significant 48% year-on-year (YOY) increase in leasing activities in 2024, primarily driven by the growing demand from Global Capability Centers (GCCs) expanding their operations

Trump visa crackdown: Why Indian students with part-time jobs are afraid

International students on F-1 visas are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week only on campus

Canada to launch caregiver programme for foreign workers on March 31, 2025

This new programme will replace the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, which stopped accepting applications on June 17, 2024

Make smarter investment choices: How to identify high-potential stocks

Companies are categorized as Capital Destroyers, Eroders, Imploders, and Multipliers to enable investment decisions

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund leads with 57% return: Top performing MFs in 1 yr

best mutual funds 2024, top performing mutual funds, Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund, Motilal Oswal Large & Midcap Fund, Motilal Oswal Flexi Cap Fund, WOC Large Cap Fund, Motilal Oswal ELSS Tax Saver Fund

New Zealand eases visa rules, allowing tourists to work remotely for a year

New Zealand is relaxing visitor visa rules to allow travellers to work remotely while holidaying in the country

61% of equity MFs outperform benchmarks in Dec 2024, flexi cap funds lead

Flexi Cap Funds led the pack, with 79.49% of schemes outperforming the benchmark.

Pension fund market needs diversification: DFS Secretary M Nagaraju

"Ninety per cent of assets are concentrated in only three pension fund managers - SBI, LIC, and UTI," M Nagaraju said

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

Understanding switching costs in MF plans to avoid unnecessary expenses

As your financial goals evolve, your investment strategy may need some tweaks. Switching funds strategically can help you capitalise on market trends