Page 14 - Your Money

UPI credit cards: Track spending as frequent small txn can strain budget

Security-related precautions for UPI-enabled credit cards are similar to those for standard UPI payments

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

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

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

Buyers with a limited budget should explore upcoming locations

Short-duration funds: Ideal for low-risk investors with goals 1-3 yrs away

Short-duration debt funds have gained popularity among investors for their ability to provide accrual income and their moderate sensitivity to interest rate changes

Choosing right hybrid fund: Risk appetite, horizon should guide your choice

Hybrid funds provide a structured way to handle market fluctuations

Fire insurance: Declare correct property value to ensure adequate payout

Fire insurance, also called as fire and allied perils policy (and often part of a home insurance policy), covers a range of risks

Bet on quality funds amid slowing economic growth, market turbulence

Quality indices, such as the Nifty 500 Quality 50 Index, are built by filtering stocks from the parent index based on their quality score

How non-participating plans by insurers work as investment option

Lock-in returns for long-term with these plans from insurers

Evaluating individual fund: Base decisions on 8 quarters of performance

If you need money for an emergency, your goal is near, or with advancing age you prefer a lower allocation to equities, consider redeeming

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

Reducing home loan: Switch to lower-cost loan if credit profile improves

Until repo rate cuts begin, borrowers can explore other options to lower their home loan burden

Quant Funds: Algo-driven approach reduces human bias, risk of style drift

Quant funds adopt a systematic, rules-based approach to stock selection and portfolio management. They don't rely on fund managers to make investment decisions

Consumption funds: Strong returns await investors who can endure slowdowns

Over the past year, consumption funds yielded returns of 28.6 per cent, lower than PSU (46.4 per cent), pharma (42 per cent), infrastructure (39.1 per cent), and technology (37.8 per cent)

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

Business Cycle Funds: Macro-driven funds that can fall prey to timing risk

Business cycle funds aim to optimise returns by aligning their portfolios with different phases of the economic cycle

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

LDFs: Suitable for long-term investors with higher risk appetite

LDFs carry significant interest rate risks. Rapid rate increases could result in MTM losses

Beating insurance mis-selling by banks: Use e-banking, reduce branch visits

Echoing her views, Debasish Panda, chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), also underscored growing concerns regarding banks mis-selling insurance products

Sector and thematic funds: Stay invested if you can assess prospects

Sector and thematic funds allocate at least 80% of their portfolios to stocks within a specific sector or theme