Page 7 - Your Money

How to protect yourself from unsolicited cards, fraudulent transactions

Follow this complaint escalation path: Bank's grievance cell, ombudsman, consumer commission, and then civil or criminal court

RBI rate cut: Lock into prevailing FD rates before they decline further

Debt-oriented fund-of-funds, like income-plus-arbitrage funds and arbitrage funds are good options for debt fund investors

Maternity coverage: Buy early, cross waiting period before need arises

With waiting periods and sub-limits, experts advise early planning and careful policy checks to manage delivery expenses

Hiding foreign assets? Black Money Act provisions carry heavy penalties

Tax department warns of penalties, details how to revise returns by December 31 deadline

Motor accident claims depend on prompt filing, proper documentation

Overstating income or injuries, false implication, or missing hearings and notices can result in rejection

Bitcoin price correction: Stay calm and avoid locking in losses on exits

New investors entering now should be cognisant of high volatility, regulatory risks and cybersecurity threats

Multi-asset funds: Invest for diversified portfolio, tax-smart rebalancing

Multi-asset allocation funds offer diversification across equities, debt and commodities with tax-efficient rebalancing, but they can lag pure equity funds during strong bull markets, experts say

PSU bank ETFs and index funds: Rebalance instead of chasing momentum

New investors should take limited exposure with long horizon

Buy life insurance riders that align with your financial goals, risks

Understand exclusions, waiting periods, survival period requirements, and claim triggers before purchase

Midcap and smallcap funds: Continue SIPs despite recent anaemic performance

Maintain allocation to these higher-growth segments because of their potential to offer superior returns over the long term

Super top-ups in health insurance: Match deductible with base sum insured

When base and super top-up are from different insurers, the second insurer may offer reimbursement, not cashless

Allocate 30-70% of your equity portfolio to large-cap funds, say experts

Large-cap funds have shown steady performance, with recent results pointing to improving earnings momentum across leading companies. Experts say valuations look appealing for long-term investors

Term insurance: Pick insurer with consistently high claim settlement ratio

A strong persistency ratio signals customer trust, better service and fewer disputes, while a high claim settlement ratio shows how reliably an insurer honours claims-key checks before buying term cov

Rigorous due diligence key when buying property via bank e-auctions

While properties can be purchased in such auctions at a discount to market value, they carry the risk of hidden liabilities

Partial hospital bill payout: Boost policy cover to secure full claims

In particular, avoid room rent caps that lead to proportionate deduction

Rich IPO valuations: Track post-listing performance before investing

Better price points, aligned to fundamentals, tend to emerge once the initial hype fades

Exit a fund only if risk appetite changes or tracking error widens

Experts say investors should not exit smart-beta funds due to short-term underperformance as factor strategies are cyclical and tend to recover

Retain transfer proof, receipts in political donations for future scrutiny

The receipt must have details such as donor name, amount, date, payment mode, PAN, and party registration number

Use RERA portals for property due diligence before and after purchase

Whether you wish to assess a developer's track record or the quarterly progress of a project, this is the source you should turn to

Banking, financial services funds: Enter via SIPs with a 5-year view

If loan growth does not rise towards the 12-13 per cent range, valuations may shrink