Page 87 - Personal Finance

MF penetration: Maharashtra, Delhi in lead; Jharkhand in top 10

Industry insiders say MFs have gained better traction in Jharkhand due to presence of a large salaried class and strong distributor network

Learn to draw lessons from mistakes, then share them

Rick talks about clients relating to him better because he had the courage to display his vulnerability and talk about the lessons learnt from his mistakes

Bet on infrastructure funds to gain from government push: Experts

High cost of capital, change in policy key risks for these funds

Office space demand can translate into high returns, say experts

Oversupply, poor maintenance can, however, play spoilsport

How to regain control of your finances after festive overspending

Replace high-cost credit card debt with lower-cost loan against an asset

Reduce the behaviour gap with a higher exposure to diversified funds

Avoid trying to time entry and exit from funds; hold for at least one complete cycle

How to check pension status on EPFO portal: Here's a step-by-step guide

Any EPF pensioner can get the PPO number using either the bank account number or PF number

What NRIs on short visits to India must consider before buying property

They should hire a property consultancy or a lawyer to do due diligence on their behalf

When emotions overrule neatly laid financial plans

Several such experiences have taught me to probe more and work closely with clients to find out their real motivations, desires, and fears

Why this is not the time to take on very long-term fixed deposit investment

For periods longer than 3 years, it is a good idea to explore debt mutual funds that offer indexation benefits and lower the tax outgo

Scrutinise your no-cost EMI offers for hidden charges, say experts

There could also be a third scenario where the interest cost is added to the product price and then the higher price is converted into EMIs

Don't let exposure to mid and small-cap funds exceed 30%: Experts

They will outperform if GDP, earnings growth sustain, but global risks pose threat

Use data on education loan defaults to rank courses

Information on default rates of specific courses and institutions should be made available to the public. Students could use it as one of their selection criteria

Not just car, get a good deal on auto loan as well, advise experts

Besides discount, look for free warranty, insurance and accessories to lower purchase cost

PPF and Sukanya Samriddhi are most attractive in small-savings basket

Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme remains a must-have for those who need regular cash flows after retirement

Consider festive offers that lower your cost of house acquisition

Don't let freebies blind you to key considerations like location, infrastructure, and the developer's record

Transparency as antidote to conflict of interest

Far from being a hindrance to our practice, transparent disclosure of conflict of interest is a powerful tool that has helped us gain clients' trust

Stay invested in US funds even if returns aren't attractive currently

It helps to diversify geographically; while YTD returns of Indian markets are positive and US markets negative, the opposite will also happen at some other time

Fed-induced market volatility could spur demand for gold: Experts

Use current correction to build a 10-15% allocation to yellow metal

Consider G-Sec STRIPS to lock in returns for very long tenures: Experts

Since this is a nascent category to invest, there could be liquidity risk