The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by 25 bps on Wednesday to support a weakening labor market, balancing tariff-driven inflation concerns, political pressure, and internal policy disagreements on employment and growth outlook.

IRDAI has officially launched the much-awaited Bima Sugam portal, aiming to revolutionise India's insurance landscape. This one-stop digital marketplace seeks to enhance transparency and efficiency for consumers, insurers, and intermediaries. Bima Sugam will enable policyholders to compare and purchase various insurance policies, with claim settlement and policy renewal features planned as well.

DreamFolks Services will discontinue access to some domestic airport lounges from September 16, 2025. This decision will impact operations. IDFC Bank will switch to Elite Assist for its lounge access services.

Erstwhile Indiabulls Asset Management Company (now known as Groww AMC), its schemes and former officials on Wednesday settled a case with Sebi pertaining to alleged violations of alternative investment fund rules after collectively paying Rs 1.43 crore.

Mutual funds top five industry allocations in August 2025 include financial services (29.53%), consumer discretionary (18.76%), industrials (9.35%), healthcare (7.74%), and IT (7.68%), totaling Rs 47.45 lakh crore.

As Ethereum stabilizes, traders eye altcoins for Q4 2025 gains, debating between utility-driven Layer Brett and community-backed MAGACOIN FINANCE. Layer Brett offers structured growth with institutional backing, while MAGACOIN FINANCE promises a potential 2000% ROI, fueled by FOMO and community traction. The choice reflects the classic crypto dilemma: fundamentals versus hype.

Six mutual funds, led by ICICI Prudential, saw over Rs 1,000 crore inflows from top 30 cities in August, boosting monthly AAUM, while 24 fund houses experienced outflows.

Nine mutual funds, led by ICICI Prudential, saw AUM increases over Rs 1,000 crore in August, reflecting strong investor inflows across AMCs, boosting total assets under management significantly.

Income tax refund: Taxpayers await income tax refunds after the September 16, 2025, deadline. E-verification starts the refund process. Refunds usually arrive in four to five weeks. Delays occur due to data mismatches or incorrect bank details. Check refund status on the Income Tax portal. Ensure bank details are pre-validated and PAN is linked to Aadhaar. There is no upper limit on refunds.

From October 1, 2025, non-government NPS subscribers will gain more options for diversifying their investments within NPS. They can allocate up to 100% of funds in equities within a single NPS scheme. The Multiple Scheme Framework (MSF) will allow subscribers to have multiple schemes under one PRAN. Each scheme will have moderate and high-risk variants. Pension funds can also design schemes for specific subscriber groups.

Latest NPS charges: The PFRDA is set to revise charges for services provided by CRAs to subscribers of pension schemes like NPS and APY, effective October 1, 2025. These revised charges will apply to both online and offline account maintenance, with different rates for government and private sector subscribers.

Ashiya, returning from Saudi Arabia with four 998 purity gold bangles, faced customs seizure in Delhi. The customs department argued the bangles' high purity was unusual for everyday jewelry. However, the Delhi High Court ruled in Ashiya's favor, citing she wasn't a habitual offender or part of a smuggling operation, and ordered the bangles' return upon payment of warehousing charges.

Equity mutual funds mostly gave negative returns in the last year. ETMutualFunds analysis reveals that 74% of funds underperformed on lumpsum investments. Samco Flexi Cap Fund saw the biggest loss. Motilal Oswal Multi Cap Fund gave the highest return. Investors should consider their risk tolerance before making any decisions. The analysis excludes sectoral and thematic funds.

In August, 5 major MFs fully exited 13 stocks, including names like Cartrade Tech, DLF, Hindalco, and Pidilite, as portfolio reshuffling signaled selective caution and profit-booking strategies.

Bank holiday: People are curious about bank holidays for Vishwakarma Puja 2025. The celebration falls on September 17, 2025. Lord Vishwakarma, the creator, is honored on this day. Observances take place in offices and factories. However, bank closures depend on the state. The Reserve Bank of India's holiday calendar determines the closures. Check your local listings for specific information.

In August 2025, mutual funds decreased their investments in many smallcap stocks. This action shows a cautious approach by institutional investors. Granules India and IRB Infrastructure Developers experienced significant reductions. Some stocks like Sai Life Sciences still attracted interest. Experts advise investors to remain cautious due to potential market volatility. They suggest a long-term investment strategy for smallcap funds.

Mr. Natesan sold ancestral land for Rs 1 crore, investing Rs 82 lakh in a house and declaring Rs 2.45 lakh income. Initially facing a tax demand of Rs 2.47 crore, he won his case at ITAT Chennai. The tribunal reduced his taxable gains to Rs 1 crore, allowing Section 54F exemption for the house investment.

The Reserve Bank of India has announced the premature redemption price for the Sovereign Gold Bond 2019-20 Series-IV. This tranche, issued at Rs 3,890 per gram, offers an approximate 183% return, excluding interest. Investors can redeem after five years from the issue date, receiving interest payments semi-annually.

Quant Mutual Fund's AUM experienced a monthly decline of 3,282 crore in August, reaching 93,072 crore. The fund house increased its stake in Infosys, RIL, and HDFC Bank while decreasing it in Jio Financial Services and ONGC. New additions to the portfolio included TCS, HUL, and Paytm, while Siemens Energy and Avenue Supermarts saw complete exits.

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund added Eternal to its portfolio in August, while significantly increasing its stake in Paytm and twelve other stocks, including Kalyan Jewellers and Aditya Birla Capital. Simultaneously, the fund reduced its holdings in Bharti Hexacom, Max Healthcare Institute, KPIT Technologies, and Hitachi Energy India.

The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates. Markets anticipate this move. Investors are watching for clues about the US central bank's approach to a slowing labor market and inflation. Foreign institutional investor flows in India may depend on the policy signal from Washington. Nifty 50 closed positively.

If you are planning to invest in balanced advantage schemes, here are our recommended schemes you can consider investing. There are no changes in the list this month. Follow our monthly updates to know how your schemes performed in the previous month.

Jio BlackRock anticipates India's mutual fund industry to potentially triple in seven years, driven by increasing domestic investor participation and a strong economy. The venture aims to expand the market through diverse strategies, including active and passive funds, leveraging data-driven approaches and alternative data sources.

Asian stock markets saw a slight dip as investors are cautious. Everyone is waiting for the United States Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision. Shares in Japan and South Korea decreased. Gold prices are holding steady. Attention is also on a Japanese government bond auction. Investors are keen to understand the future direction of interest rates.

Flexi-cap funds have emerged as the largest equity mutual fund category due to their flexibility in allocating investments across large, mid, and small-cap stocks. These funds, managing 4.97 lakh crore across 41 schemes, appeal to long-term investors seeking diversified exposure to Indian equities without the constraints of fixed allocation rules.

Income Plus Arbitrage Fund-of-Funds are gaining traction among wealthy investors and family offices due to their tax-efficient structure. With assets surging to 19,919 crore, these funds allocate just under 65% to fixed income and the rest to equity arbitrage. The appeal lies in long-term capital gains being taxed at a favorable 12.5% rate.

Baroda BNP Paribas Multicap Fund turned a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP into Rs 26.3 lakh in 22 years, crossed Rs 2,900 crore AUM, and delivered 15.24% CAGR, showcasing consistent long-term wealth creation.

Canara Robeco Flexi Cap Fund completed 22 years, turning a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP of Rs 26.4 lakh into Rs 1.79 crore, delivering 15.04% XIRR with consistent long-term wealth creation.

UPI daily limit: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has increased UPI transaction limits for specific categories, effective September 15, 2025.

Tata AIA Life Insurance has launched two new fundsSector Leaders Index Fund and Sector Leaders Index Pension Fundfocused on Indias top-performing companies, combining long-term wealth creation with life insurance protection. NFO closes on September 22.

ITR filing deadline: The government extended the ITR filing deadline to September 16, 2025, offering relief to taxpayers facing portal issues. While over 7 crore ITRs were filed, a significant number remained unverified by September 15, 2025. Taxpayers must e-verify their returns within 30 days of filing to avoid penalties and ensure their ITR is considered valid.

Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund will merge two debt funds. Baroda BNP Paribas Banking and PSU Bond Fund will merge into Baroda BNP Paribas Short Duration Fund. The effective date is October 17, 2025. Unitholders can exit with no load from September 17 to October 16, 2025. Post-merger, existing unit holders will be allotted units in the surviving scheme.

Taxpayers who filed Income Tax Returns with errors have options. If the ITR isn't e-verified, it can be discarded and refiled. After e-verification, a revised return under Section 139(5) is necessary. The revision window closes on December 31, 2025. The one-day deadline extension helps those awaiting challan generation. Taxpayers can check challan status and file accurately.

With Rs 10 lakh in hand, I want to build a Rs 1 crore corpus in 10-12 years. How can I achieve this with equity investing?

The income tax return (ITR) filing deadline has been extended to September 16, 2025, offering taxpayers a chance to correct errors. Taxpayers can rectify mistakes by using options like editing, discarding, or filing a revised ITR depending on their filing status. However, belated ITR filers cannot switch between old and new tax regimes.

Income tax return deadline: Taxpayers faced persistent glitches on the Income Tax Department's portal despite the extended ITR filing deadline. Many users expressed frustration on social media, citing unresolved technical issues and questioning the effectiveness of the one-day extension.

Mutual funds increased their foreign equity holdings in August 2025, with several AMCs adding over Rs 100 crore each. SBI, ICICI Prudential, and Motilal Oswal were the top contributors, while eight other AMCs also raised stakes.

Tata Asset Management has secured IFSCA approval to introduce the Tata India Dynamic Equity Fund GIFT IFSC, featuring a minimum investment of USD 500. This fund provides global investors with a convenient avenue to engage with India's equity market and capitalize on the country's economic expansion.

Three mutual funds made complete exits from around five midcap stocks in August, according to a report by Nuvama Institutional Equities.