The Economic Times

The Nurses Welfare Association engaged with the 8th Pay Commission officials to present crucial demands. They aim for an increase in starting salaries and better compensation for night shifts. Furthermore, the association is pushing for expanded insurance benefits and additional hardship allowances. A significant ask is the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme for nurses, alongside a request for Chandigarh city's category elevation.

ICICI Bank has successfully migrated its website and net banking services to the new .bank.in domain. Customers are advised to modify their bookmarks to ensure they access the official banking site. Please note that iMobile app services will be temporarily down for several hours on September 19, 2026. Rest assured, customer IDs and passwords will remain unchanged, and a newly introduced CAPTCHA feature aims to bolster net banking security.

Select UPI merchant transactions will incur a Merchant Discount Rate. However, transactions under two thousand rupees will remain free for small traders. A fixed fee of five rupees will limit the MDR for certain sectors, applying to merchants rather than consumers. Importantly, most UPI payments will still be without charge for users.

The deadline for uploading tax audit reports is set for September 30, 2026, specifically targeting certain taxpayers. Chartered accountants will manage the upload of the tax audit report on the e-filing portal, after which taxpayers need to accept and e-verify the tax audit report.

The recent announcement to elevate the EPF wage ceiling represents a significant advantage for employees. By contributing more each month, individuals can amass a larger retirement fund over their careers.

Registration of Will is optional but at least two attesting witness in Will is mandatory; Know what the law says. This article explains it all.

SBI Mutual Fund, Indias largest asset manager by AUM, managed Rs 13.42 lakh crore as of August 2026.

These five small-cap stocks witnessed the highest net buying by mutual funds in August. Here is the detailed breakup, according to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

The Employees' Provident Fund wage ceiling has increased to Rs 25,000. This change will enable employees to receive higher retirement benefits and monthly pensions. Pension calculations now consider a higher pensionable salary and increased service years. Employees must contribute for five years at the new ceiling for maximum benefit. Eligibility for the Employees' Pension Scheme has also expanded for certain employees.

Mutual funds favoured mid-cap stocks in August, led by companies from the financial, healthcare, IT and consumer discretionary sectors. Paytm recorded the highest net buying, followed by Aster DM Healthcare, Meesho, Lenskart and Piramal Finance.

Capitalmind Flexi Cap Fund made five fresh additions and completely exited five stocks from its portfolio in August, while keeping its exposure unchanged in 27 stocks. The fund had 32 stocks across 17 sectors, with healthcare accounting for the largest allocation. Heres a look at the stocks added and exited, sector allocation and the funds performance since inception.

Today saw a marked increase in gold prices among top Indian jewellery brands, spurred by a significant drop in global oil prices that changed market dynamics.

Defence sector funds have delivered strong returns in 2026, averaging nineteen percent year-to-date. HDFC Defence Fund led this category with a notable twenty-four point five one percent gain. Experts cite increased defence spending and government policies supporting domestic manufacturing. Investors should review their existing allocation and avoid chasing recent sharp rallies. A five percent allocation cap is suggested for most investors in this sector.

The upcoming ET Wealth Expo 2026 in Mumbai promises to be a pivotal event, uniting key figures in India's financial arena. This expo will delve into strategies for wealth creation, preservation, and effective generational transitions. Attendees can expect enlightening discussions, masterclasses, and exhibitions that will enhance their financial planning knowledge, as well as valuable networking opportunities within the dynamic landscape of wealth management in India.

Conservative hybrid mutual funds are the entry to the world of hybrid funds. These schemes invest mostly in debt and a small percent in equity. As per the Sebi norms, conservative hybrid schemes must invest 75-90% in debt instruments and 10-25% in stocks. These schemes are ideal for investors looking to invest a small part of their corpus in equity to earn some extra returns.

While giving shares to your parents who reside in your home country might appear as a thoughtful gesture, it has substantial tax considerations for NRIs. Although the gift itself isnt taxable, comprehending the nuances of acquisition costs and the period theyve been held is vital.

The Punjab government is taking a closer look at its pension scheme for state employees, with the goal of aligning benefits more closely to the Old Pension Scheme. This comprehensive review will assess both the administrative and financial aspects necessary for effective implementation while also drawing insights from successful practices in other states. A revised pension structure is set to be proposed following this in-depth analysis.

Starting from October 2026, a new Merchant Discount Rate framework will be introduced for specific UPI transactions. This framework is designed to categorize rates according to merchant industry types and transaction amounts. Fortunately, most daily UPI payments and small vendor transactions will still be exempt from these fees, allowing individuals to continue enjoying unlimited free UPI transactions without any limitations.

Two members challenged redevelopment plan citing 10% less area with potential Rs 25 to 30 lakh loss; loses case in Maharashtra Co-operative appellate court in a interim judgement. This article explains why.

The Employees Provident Fund wage ceiling has risen to Rs 25,000. This change will affect Employees Pension Scheme members' monthly pension amounts. Employees with longer service periods will see greater pension increases. Pension calculations depend on average salary and years of pensionable service. The new ceiling allows more employees to join the EPS scheme.

Indias wealth-management market could grow 2.5 times to $436 billion by 2034, driven by rising incomes, financialisation of savings and wider capital-market participation, Emkay Wealth Management said. The wealth manager expects small- and micro-caps, global diversification and customised investment solutions to gain importance as investor needs become more sophisticated.

Explore how a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP can grow toward a Rs 1 crore corpus, with timelines varying based on expected returns and annual SIP increases of 5% or 10%.

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has introduced a new wage ceiling of Rs 25,000, which will directly influence the contributions made by both employees and employers to the provident fund. Furthermore, subscribers of the Employees Pension Scheme can expect an increase in their monthly pension benefits.

HDFC Mutual Funds portfolio reflects a strong tilt toward banking and financial stocks, alongside major positions across telecom, technology, consumer, industrial and automobile sectors, highlighting its diversified large-cap investment approach.