What is the best approach to managing home purchase without straining finances?

What is the best approach to managing home purchase without straining finances?

I’m in my early 30s, married with a young child, and working in an IT company for 10 years. I’ve saved in mutual funds, fixed deposits, PPF, and stocks. We currently live in a rented apartment, but I’ve found a property that fits our budget. The house costs ₹85 lakhs, requiring a ₹25 lakh down … Read more

10 common behavioural biases that impact investment decisions

10 common behavioural biases that impact investment decisions

Many investors do not take a disciplined approach to secure and grow their finances, due to certain biases. Such biases lead to mistakes like having inadequate or low life cover, avoiding or making low investments in equity-oriented investments, ignoring retirement planning and exposing to high-risk and unregulated investments. This article flags those biases to help … Read more

Heirs face an uphill task claiming securities, mutual fund units as legal beneficiaries without nomination

Heirs face an uphill task claiming securities, mutual fund units as legal beneficiaries without nomination

We are in a phase of economic evolution where social security for oneself and family is achieved and shaped largely by individual financial planning and efforts rather than as a community mechanism, although a small part may be facilitated by government-backed mechanisms like the Employees’ Provident Fund, which does not cover the entire population. It … Read more

Mastering factor investing: Unlocking market secrets with value, momentum, and quality

Mastering factor investing: Unlocking market secrets with value, momentum, and quality

At its core, factor investing targets specific characteristics, or “factors,” in stocks that have been shown to deliver returns above what most diversified portfolios achieve. While rooted in rigorous academic research, it’s not just about chasing trends. Ajay, who’s been riding the momentum factor for the past two years and happily counting his gains, might … Read more

Mutual Funds: Inflows into equity schemes rose 3%, debt schemes saw 62% dip in August, reveals AMFI data

Mutual Funds: Inflows into equity schemes rose 3%, debt schemes saw 62% dip in August, reveals AMFI data

The mutual fund industry saw a notable decrease (43 per cent) in net inflows for the month of August, to ₹1.08 lakh crore against ₹1.89 lakh crore in July. This decline was driven primarily by a significant drop in inflows to the tune of 62 per cebt into debt mutual funds, reveals the AMFI (Association … Read more

How you can get a loan against mutual funds instead of breaking the investment when you need cash

How you can get a loan against mutual funds instead of breaking the investment when you need cash

If you run short of cash and plan to withdraw your mutual fund investments, take a pause. There is another option: You can take a loan against mutual funds and not disrupt the long-term potential compounding of your investment. Several banks offer loans against mutual fund units at interest rates ranging from 10-15% per annum. … Read more

Mint Primer | ₹250 per month: The idea behind a brand new SIP

Mint Primer | ₹250 per month: The idea behind a brand new SIP

Sebi is working with mutual funds to develop a new ₹250-per-month micro-SIP, chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said. It would add another rung in India’s financial inclusion ladder. Mint explains what micro-SIPs are and what the industry thinks of them. What are micro-SIPs and who are they for? Micro-SIPs are an affordable alternative to a traditional … Read more

Retail investors remain impulsive sellers: 5 key money lessons to achieve your financial goals

Retail investors remain impulsive sellers: 5 key money lessons to achieve your financial goals

In complete contrast to the conventional rules of investing, a recently released Sebi study showed that retail investors sell nearly half of their holdings in initial public offerings (IPOs) within a week. Individual investors sold 50 per cent of the shares allotted to them by value within a week of listing and 70 per cent … Read more

Equity returns: How much should you really expect?

Equity returns: How much should you really expect?

My client was very happy with his portfolio returns. Over the last two years, he had made a cool 30% internal rate of return (IRR). “We should invest more in equity, let’s get aggressive… Invest more in small cap funds as it had delivered the highest return,” he explained. When we first met,he was a … Read more

Investing for your child’s future: Are mutual funds a good option to consider?

Investing for your child’s future: Are mutual funds a good option to consider?

Securing your child’s future is a top area of priority for every parent and financials have a major role to play in this journey. Responsible parenting goes well beyond providing for their immediate emotional and financial needs. It is also about planning your investments right so that you set them up for long-term financial success … Read more