The Economic Times

Sebi has revamped mutual fund norms, allowing equity and hybrid schemes to increase exposure to gold and silver while tightening classification rules. The overhaul limits portfolio overlaps, introduces life-cycle funds, discontinues solution-oriented schemes and aims to boost transparency in Indias expanding fund industry.

Air ticket refund rules: Aviation watchdog DGCA has revised ticket refund norms, effective March 26, 2026. Passengers can now cancel or change tickets within 48 hours of booking without extra charges, subject to conditions.

HDFC Bank has significantly increased the annual spending requirement for its premium Infinia credit card fee waiver, raising it from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 18 lakh. Alternatively, customers can maintain a Relationship Value of Rs 50 lakh to retain their card's exclusive benefits. These revised norms aim to make it more challenging for customers to keep their premium privileges.

Radhika Gupta has endorsed Sebis newly introduced life cycle funds, calling them simple, effective and ideal for long-term financial planning. She said the products automatically adjust asset allocation based on investors time horizons, promoting discipline and reducing decision fatigue within a tax-efficient, goal-based investing framework.

Sebi has revised valuation norms for physical gold and silver held by mutual funds, mandating use of domestic polled spot prices from recognised exchanges instead of London benchmarks. The move aims to enhance transparency, reflect local market conditions and standardise industry practices.

Sebi has launched a new category of mutual funds called Life Cycle Funds. These funds are designed for goal-based investing with a fixed maturity and a glide path. Investors can choose from various maturity options, and asset allocation automatically adjusts over time. This move aims to simplify long-term financial planning for investors.

Bharat Taxi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Bharat Taxi cooperative model, allowing drivers to become co-owners for just Rs 500 and share in profits. This initiative empowers drivers with ownership and decision-making power, aiming for nationwide expansion within three years.

DSP Mutual Fund is placing temporary restrictions on new investments in its Multi Asset Allocation Fund starting February 27. This move is due to significant inflows making it difficult to manage the fund's asset allocation. Investors can still make transactions up to Rs 10 lakh per day. Existing SIPs and switch-ins will continue.

Canara Robeco Mutual Fund has launched its new open-ended equity scheme, the Canara Robeco Banking and Financial Services Fund. The fund, which opens for subscription on February 27, aims to capitalize on India's financialization and credit growth by investing in the banking and financial services sector.

Employee associations met to discuss key demands for the 8th Pay Commission, including increasing family units for salary revision, ensuring five minimum promotions per employee, and restoring the Old Pension Scheme. Discussions also covered higher annual increments and a proposed maximum pay ratio of 10 times the minimum.

A top-up SIP is a facility offered by fund houses and online platforms that allows investors to automatically increase their monthly investment amount by a fixed sum or a set percentage at predefined intervals.

New government rules now allow TransUnion CIBIL to use Aadhaar authentication for user verification. This enables easier registration and login on the CIBIL platform. Users must give consent for Aadhaar authentication.

The RBIs recent liquidity infusion, which has pushed overnight rates below the repo rate to ease funding stress, is seen by bankers as a temporary, tactical move rather than a policy shift. With surplus liquidity rising above comfort levels and short-term rates cooling, the central bank is expected to maintain this stance only until March before likely absorbing excess cash and restoring its usual liquidity framework.

YES Bank faced a cyberattack on its forex cards. Scammers attempted unauthorized transactions from a Latin American country. The bank's fraud monitoring system blocked many attempts. The Reserve Bank of India has summoned YES Bank officials. Affected clients will not suffer financial losses. The bank is taking steps to prevent future incidents.

A wife has won a significant victory in the Kerala High Court. The court ordered her husband to return 40 sovereigns of gold and pay Rs 4,000 monthly maintenance. The husband's Rs 5 lakh counterclaim was dismissed. The court noted it is common for brides to entrust gold to in-laws for safekeeping.

ET Wealth Reader's Query: I am 44, earning income from salary, interest on deposits, and occasional capital gains from mutual funds. How should a middle-aged taxpayer evaluate which income tax regime works better each year?

Sebi has revamped mutual fund rules, introducing new categories like contra funds and sectoral debt funds. Existing schemes must align within six months. The regulator aims for greater clarity and reduced portfolio overlap, especially in equity and thematic funds. Goal-based life cycle funds are also introduced, with specific exit loads.

Managers in India sometimes promise higher salary increments verbally. Such promises can hold legal weight if they are clear, binding commitments made by authorized individuals. However, proving these verbal assurances in court requires strong evidence beyond mere dissatisfaction. Employers generally have discretion in setting increments, but cannot discriminate based on gender.

New draft tax rules for 2026 will require salaried individuals claiming House Rent Allowance to disclose their relationship with their landlord. This applies especially when paying rent to relatives. Taxpayers must ensure genuine rental agreements and proper documentation. Payments should be made through banking channels. Landlords must declare rental income. These measures aim to enhance transparency in rental arrangements.

Abakkus Mutual Fund has launched its second equity offering, the Abakkus Small Cap Fund. This new fund seeks long-term capital growth by investing in Indian small-cap companies. The fund house highlights attractive entry valuations and growth opportunities in this segment. Abakkus emphasizes its unique MEETS investment framework for disciplined stock selection and risk management.

According to Sebi norms, medium to long term funds have a mandate to invest in debt and money market instruments in such a way that the Macaulay's duration of the portfolio is four to seven years. Since these schemes invest in long-term debt instruments, they are considered risky.

Gold and silver ETFs declined up to 3% amid concerns over US tariff policies and rising US-Iran tensions, triggering volatility in commodity markets. Experts advise profit booking at higher levels and recommend a buy-on-dips approach, with a balanced allocation to precious metals to manage risk and capture long-term growth opportunities.

Railway pensioners: Railway pensioners face a rising threat from cyber fraudsters. Scammers are impersonating railway officials through fake calls, messages, and WhatsApp. Pensioners must not share bank details or OTPs.

The Supreme Court upheld a Madras High Court ruling stating a Karta cannot transfer joint family property to one member without genuine necessity. Such alienations are only binding on other co-parceners if proven to be for pressing family needs or the estate's benefit, with the burden of proof on the recipient.

Delhi's government is expanding healthcare access by including beneficiaries of widow and disability financial assistance schemes under the Ayushman Bharat health scheme. Approximately 3.97 lakh widows and 1.31 lakh Divyang persons, along with their families, will now be eligible for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which offers cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh annually.

A WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund study shows that gold can enhance long-term portfolio returns without significantly increasing risk. By combining gold with equity and debt, investors saw higher returns and stable volatility. The analysis highlights how low correlation between asset classes helps portfolios stay balanced, even when markets move unpredictably.

The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Pune ruled that investing full capital gains into a new property qualifies for Section 54F exemption, even if the entire sale consideration wasn't deposited in the Capital Gains Account Scheme (CGAS) before filing the ITR. This decision favored Mr.

Retail investors are flocking to overseas-focused mutual funds for higher returns, but many are unaware of the significant risk. Several ETFs are trading at a 20-25% premium to their net asset value due to RBI's overseas investment limits. This premium could vanish if the limits are lifted, leading to substantial capital losses for investors.

Punjab National Bank has revised its fixed deposit interest rates, effective February 24, 2026. The bank now offers its highest FD rate of 6.60% for general citizens on its 444-day scheme, with senior and super senior citizens receiving 7.10% and 7.40% respectively. This makes PNB's 444-day FD the most attractive among leading public sector banks.

ETMutualFunds has shortlisted five mid cap mutual funds for February 2026 based on rolling returns, consistency, downside risk and asset size above Rs 50 crore. The selected schemes have delivered 21% to 26% returns over three years, though risk levels remain high, requiring long-term investment discipline.BODY

Radhika Gupta, CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, warns investors against chasing past one-year returns. She states that funds performing exceptionally well recently may not sustain that performance. Investors entering at the peak risk facing muted returns or volatility. Gupta advocates for consistent performers over flashy ones.

Large financial transactions like cash withdrawals, property sales, and investments are automatically reported to the Income Tax Department via the Statement of Financial Transaction (SFT) mechanism. This reporting occurs even if these details aren't explicitly declared in your income tax return. Specified entities are mandated to submit this information.

JioBlackRock Mutual Fund has received approval from Sebi to launch its new largecap fund. The JioBlackRock Large Cap Fund will invest primarily in largecap stocks. This open-ended equity scheme aims for long-term capital appreciation. Investors can start with a minimum lump sum of Rs 500 or a monthly SIP of Rs 500.

Planning for retirement income of Rs 50,000 monthly requires different corpus amounts. A Fixed Deposit needs Rs 2.30 crore. Life Annuity requires Rs 2.35 crore. A Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) needs Rs 1.60 crore. The ScientificPay strategy suggests Rs 1 crore. These figures are based on a 40-year horizon, assuming survival to age 100.

SBI Multi Asset Allocation Fund has delivered positive returns for 10 consecutive years, supported by diversification across equity, debt, gold and silver. Despite not topping category charts, it has consistently outperformed on short-term horizons. Analysts say its resilience stems from asset mix, though DIY allocation via low-cost funds may offer better efficiency.

A recent court case highlights how an old Will can be invalidated if not properly executed. The Chhattisgarh High Court rejected a 30-year-old Will because attesting witnesses were unavailable to testify. This underscores the importance of taking specific precautions when drafting a Will. These steps ensure a Will stands up to legal challenges, safeguarding inheritance for beneficiaries.

Silver and gold ETFs saw gains of up to 3% on Wednesday. This rise followed an increase in precious metal prices on the MCX. Investors sought safe-haven assets due to geopolitical tensions and trade tariff uncertainties. Earlier in the week, these ETFs had declined. Experts anticipate continued volatility in gold and silver prices.