The Economic Times

A Rs 1 crore retirement corpus is a 'trap', not a milestone, warns Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik. With 6% inflation, its purchasing power halves every 12 years, potentially leaving retirees below the poverty line. Kaushik advises targeting 35 times annual expenses for a realistic retirement fund, suggesting Rs 3.5 crore for Rs 10 lakh annual costs.

Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon, her mother Geeta Sanon, and sister Nupur Sanon have sold four apartments in Andheri West for Rs 8.9 crore. The family recorded a long-term capital gain of Rs 4.6 crore from this property sale. The transactions involved two units at Raheja Classique sold for Rs 3.23 crore each and two others for Rs 1.21 crore each.

The P3P AI agent can complete a UPI payment without any human authentication. However, the human still stays in control. Currently, AI agents need a human authentication step, an MPIN, to make any payments. Pine Labs has removed this wall. It builds on UPIs existing mandate framework - UPI One Time Mandates (OTM) and Reserve Pay.

Today's gold price (24k, 22k, 18k): Gold and silver prices surged on Friday, June 12, 2026. This rise follows a rebound from previous day's lows. Experts attribute the increase to easing inflation worries and expectations of geopolitical stability. Leading Indian jewellery brands and IBJA reported higher rates. This marks a significant jump compared to the prior session, reflecting market optimism.

Quant Small Cap Fund increased exposure to Adani Enterprises and eight other stocks in May while reducing holdings in Aurobindo Pharma and four more. The fund also added six new stocks, exited three positions and maintained a defensive tilt through a higher large-cap allocation.

Seven equity mutual funds turned long-term investments into 12-20 times their original value over 20 years. Midcap and flexicap funds dominated, with Nippon India Growth Mid Cap Fund leading wealth creation.

Indian investors can now access global stocks, mutual funds, and bonds through GIFT City, India's first smart city and International Financial Services Centre. This initiative bypasses domestic investment caps, offering various products with minimum investment thresholds starting from USD 5,000 for mutual funds and USD 150,000 for AIFs.

FCNR interest rates: Banks are increasing interest rates on Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR-B) deposits for NRIs, OCIs, and POIs. This follows the RBI's announcement to cover hedging costs for new 3 to 5-year deposits until September 2026. Axis Bank now offers up to 6% on these schemes for select tenures.

PPF maturity presents a choice: withdraw or extend for continued tax-free compounding. While government backing and tax benefits remain attractive, especially for high-income earners, individual circumstances dictate the optimal decision. Understanding extension rules and recent changes is crucial for effective retirement planning.

The Supreme Court has settled India's online gaming tax dispute. GST will now be charged on the full value of player deposits, not just the operator's commission. This ruling impacts online rummy, fantasy sports, and casinos. The court confirmed the tax is on the entire stake, regardless of skill. This decision brings clarity to the industry after years of litigation.

Small savings schemes vs Nifty indices: While equities have shown muted returns recently, small savings schemes have offered stable returns of up to 8.2%. Despite short-term volatility in indices like Nifty 100 and Nifty Midcap 150, small savings schemes provide a reliable option for conservative investors. Equities, however, offer superior long-term wealth creation potential for those with a higher risk tolerance and a longer investment horizon.

Warren Buffett's business partner and the longtime Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway - Munger passed away in November 2023, but his astute words continue to reverberate with the investing community. Munger had often spoken about patience when it comes to real wealth creation.

Sectoral and thematic mutual fund inflows saw a significant drop in May, falling by 67%. This decline suggests investors are moving away from concentrated bets towards diversified strategies. Experts believe this trend reflects a natural shift during market uncertainty. While some sectors show strong performance, others lag, making sector selection challenging.

Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has secured a luxurious rental property in Worli, Mumbai. The apartment commands a monthly rent of Rs 18.5 lakh. This deal includes a 7% increase in rent each year for the duration of the lease. The property is a spacious 3,875 sq ft residence. It also comes with four dedicated parking spaces.

Gold and silver ETFs gained sharply on Friday as precious metal prices rallied amid optimism over a potential US-Iran peace agreement. Experts advise investors to maintain 510% portfolio exposure through Gold ETFs and silver funds, using a staggered investment approach and avoiding panic-driven decisions.

Value investing has dominated the Indian stock market, with value funds delivering strong returns while growth funds lagged. Investors are advised to understand the merits and demerits of this strategy, as it requires patience and may involve periods of underperformance. A maximum of 20% investment in value funds is recommended.

With the ITR filing season for AY 2026-27 now underway, many salaried taxpayers who faced TDS shocks in the last quarter of FY 2025-26 are now encountering self-assessment tax and interest liability while preparing to file their income tax returns. This article outlines five practical ways, including the use of Forms Nos. 122 and 124, through which salaried employees can avoid such tax shocks for Tax Year 2026-27.

A woman successfully challenged the Income Tax Department's addition of Rs 10.80 lakh as unexplained cash. The ITAT Chennai ruled in her favor, accepting her explanation for cash deposits from a property sale and sale of household items. The tribunal noted individual transactions for household items were below the Rs 2 lakh threshold.

HIghest FD interest rates: Unity Small Finance Bank and AU Small Finance Bank have revised their fixed deposit interest rates, offering enhanced returns for depositors. Unity Bank now provides 7.80% for general investors and 8.30% for senior citizens on its 501-day FD. AU Small Finance Bank has increased its 30-month FD rate to 7.40% for general customers and 7.90% for seniors.

India and Nepal have launched a new system for money transfers. This links India's UPI with Nepal's NPI. Citizens can now send money instantly using mobile apps. This makes payments easier for travellers and businesses. It also boosts economic ties between the two nations. This initiative enhances financial inclusion and digital integration.

The Bombay High Court, in its ruling, said a builder cant indefinitely retain purchasers money while failing to deliver homes. For the delay, the HC ordered the Mumbai-based builder to pay interest at 10.05% per annum from February 1, 2014, to the buyers until the possession is handed over.

Hybrid Long-Short Funds have dominated SIF inflows since October 2024, accounting for 72% of the total Rs 13,625 crore invested across strategies, according to ValueMetrics.

Choosing mutual funds based only on online rankings or recent performance can be misleading. ETMutualFunds shortlisted 10 equity funds across five categories using rolling returns, consistency, downside risk, outperformance and asset size. Investors should select funds based on financial goals, investment horizon and risk appetite.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched the Nifty Smallcap 250 ETF, offering exposure to 250 emerging companies. The NFO is open till June 16. The passive fund aims to track the index with minimal cost, targeting investors seeking diversified, long-term participation in Indias growing smallcap segment.

Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund, Indias largest active flexi-cap scheme by AUM, raised exposure to ITC, HDFC Bank and 14 other stocks in May, according to PPFAS Mutual Funds latest portfolio disclosure. The fund added 4.46 crore ITC shares, taking total holdings to 28.78 crore, while increasing its HDFC Bank position by 47.20 lakh shares.

Gold jewellery rate today: Gold prices experienced a downward trend on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with major jewelers implementing reduced rates per gram. This decline follows a sharp correction in bullion prices, impacting 22-karat, 24-karat, and 18-karat gold jewelry rates across major cities.

The Reserve Bank of India has set the premature redemption price for Sovereign Gold Bond 2019-20 Series-I. Investors can redeem these bonds from June 11, 2026. The redemption price is fixed at Rs 15,038 per unit. This offers investors a significant return of approximately 378% on their initial investment.

The mutual fund SIP stoppage ratio dropped to 95% in May, indicating more new SIPs were registered than discontinued. This positive trend, with 54.16 lakh new SIPs against 51.70 lakh stoppages, signals growing investor confidence despite market volatility. Robust SIP inflows of Rs 30,954 crore continue to power the industry's growth.

Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank have raised their lending rates. These changes are effective from June 12, 2026. Loans linked to these rates will become more expensive. This follows the Reserve Bank of India's decision to maintain the repo rate. HDFC Bank also adjusted its MCLR rates recently.

Gold ETFs and multi-asset allocation funds experienced a moderation in investor inflows last month, with gold ETFs seeing a net outflow of Rs 725 crore. Experts advise against over-interpreting single-month data, emphasizing long-term portfolio objectives and strategic asset allocation over short-term trends.

Gold and silver ETFs tumbled on Thursday as precious metal prices fell sharply amid heightened geopolitical tensions, rising crude oil prices and inflation concerns. SBI Gold ETF was the worst-hit gold fund, while silver ETFs also posted losses, prompting investors to reassess buying opportunities in the segment.

Focused equity mutual funds, investing in a maximum of 30 stocks, offer the potential for higher returns but also carry increased risk. These schemes require a higher risk appetite and a longer investment horizon of around seven years. Investors can explore recommended funds like 360 ONE Focused Equity Fund, SBI Focused Fund, Sundaram Focused Fund, and Quant Focused Fund.

UP RERA is strongly advising homebuyers to purchase properties based on carpet area, not super built-up area. This ensures buyers pay only for usable living space, as super area includes shared common facilities. Homebuyers can verify the carpet area on the UPRERA portal before making any investment decisions.

India's income tax administration has become increasingly data-driven, with information from TDS/TCS reporting, SFT filings and other sources being integrated into the Annual Information Statement (AIS) and used to cross-check taxpayer disclosures. In this environment, filing an accurate and complete ITR is essential to avoid refund delays, tax demands, penalties, compliance alerts and notices.

A daughter, a co-owner of family property through an oral arrangement, has won a tenant eviction case in the Supreme Court. The court ruled that co-owners are considered co-landlords under the Bombay Rents Act. This allows them to initiate eviction proceedings for genuine personal need. The ruling clarifies that exclusive ownership or formal partition is not required.

Equity mutual fund inflows experienced a significant 40% drop in May, reaching a 12-month low of 22,908 crore. This decline, the steepest since May 2023, occurred as investors reduced lump-sum investments due to escalating West Asia conflict concerns. Meanwhile, Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) flows remained robust, showing only a marginal decrease.

The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the registration of 135 non-banking finance companies. Thirteen other companies have surrendered their licenses. These actions are due to various reasons including exiting the business or ceasing to be legal entities. Many of the cancelled companies were based in West Bengal. This move impacts the financial landscape.

Several Indian banks have updated their Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank FCNR(B) interest rates. This comes after the government announced it would cover hedging costs for new 3 to 5 year FCNR(B) deposits. This initiative benefits Non-Resident Indians and others. Central Bank of India is offering a 6% interest rate on these deposits.