Page 21 - Your Money

Sectoral, thematic funds: Investors should avoid extrapolating past returns

Such behaviour leads to chasing funds that are past peak performance

US Federal Reserve's potential 2024 rate cuts may extend rally in silver

Investors must, however, be prepared for greater volatility in white metal

Upbeat outlook amid stable credit environment, high portfolio yield

Take moderate exposure to these funds, given the potential for defaults and downgrades in their lower-rated portfolios

Private credit: The rise of a diverse capital solution

Private credit has the potential to serve a larger market need, supplant traditional and alternative pools of capital

Sovereign green bonds for NRIs offer credit-risk-free returns in long term

Investors should be mindful of exchange rate risk and limited liquidity in secondary market

EV insurance: Ensure all-round protection for battery with add-on cover

Return-to-invoice, zero depreciation for major components are must-haves

Retirement planning for self-employed: Invest in NPS, PPF and MF SIPs

Instead of reinvesting all surplus in business, invest a part in accumulating a corpus

Plan in advance for high costs of IVF, surrogacy; consider insurance

Couples opting for surrogacy must bear medical expenses, buy health insurance for the surrogate

Go for gold bonds if you have long horizon, ETFs if you need liquidity

Buy jewellery for consumption; it is inefficient for investment purposes

Planning to buy a car? Minimise tenure, maximise down payment on loan

Selling the old car independently, rather than going for an exchange offer, may fetch better value

Avoid withdrawing more from National Pension Scheme than you need

When the subscriber reaches superannuation or the age of 60, 60 per cent of the total corpus accumulated in NPS can be withdrawn as a lump sum

Prioritise paying off high-cost debt with Diwali bonus you receive

It would also be prudent to channel some of it into replenishing emergency corpus

Want regular income sans credit risk? Invest after exhausting SCSS limit

Younger investors in wealth accumulation stage and those unwilling to lock in for seven years may steer clear

Dynamic bond funds: Trust manager who has navigated rate cycles properly

Fund managers of dynamic bond funds, too, hold divergent views currently

Caution investors: Excess supply of properties could erode returns

The COVID pandemic sparked the desire among people to upgrade their homes both in terms of size and facilities

Small-cap funds: Existing investors should rebalance, continue SIPs

New investors planning large lump-sum investments should stagger them over 6-12 months

Limit exposure to pharma and healthcare funds to 5% of equity portfolio

Improving US generic market outlook is driving the current rebound, but brace for periodic drawdowns

Monsoon-proof your vehicle with engine protection insurance cover

If you own an EV, buying a battery-protection add-on would be prudent

Want to hedge against risky bets? Invest in the current SGB tranche

However, you must have a five-year horizon; choose gold ETFs if you wish to exit sooner

Mitigate prolonged hospitalisation with reasonably priced accident cover

Frequent travellers and those engaged in risky occupations must buy this inexpensive cover