The Economic Times

Landlords can seek repair costs from former tenants. This applies only when damage exceeds normal wear and tear and is proven to be tenant-caused. Routine maintenance like whitewashing remains the landlord's duty. Tenants can contest claims with defenses like pre-existing damage or lack of proof. Security deposits can be withheld for justified damages, not arbitrarily.

Amidst geopolitical tensions and AI disruption fears, fund managers strategically invested in metals, energy, and power stocks. Hindalco and Nalco saw buying interest due to their integrated mining operations, while demand for aluminium in data centers and EVs is anticipated.

Losses from unoccupied properties repaired remotely at a steep cost; distress from unscrupulous renters; unfamiliarity with local laws and sale procedures; inability to make frequent trips to sell property; and the possibility of dealing with underhand practices are real risks for NRI property investors.

India's market regulator Sebi has launched lifecycle funds, a new mutual fund category. These funds automatically adjust investments from equity to safer options as a set maturity date approaches. This aims to simplify investing for goal achievement and reduce emotional trading. The move offers a structured approach for investors seeking automated portfolio management and tax efficiency over the long term.

If you are confused by personal finance terms, jargon and calculations, heres a series to simplify and deconstruct these for you. In the 94th part of this series, Riju Mehta explains how to deal with market fluctuations.

Welcome to TrendMap, your quick guide to the performance of different investment segments. In this edition, we present a 10-year performance tracker of various asset classes. By Sameer Bhardwaj.

Your career success hinges on daily actions, not just major achievements. Small habits like prompt replies, clear communication, and reliability build trust. Managers often choose dependable professionals over erratic stars. Focus on consistent positive behaviours to enhance your professional image and unlock future opportunities. This approach shapes how others perceive your capabilities and potential.

Hospital documentation errors, like incorrect entries in discharge summaries, are leading to health insurance claim rejections. Patients are facing disputes when insurers treat these mistakes as non-disclosure of pre-existing conditions, necessitating persistent follow-ups and clarifications from doctors to resolve.

Mumbai restaurants face a severe cooking gas shortage. Tushar Dhadam raised thali prices by 10% due to black market cylinder costs. Some small stalls are using domestic cylinders illicitly. This gas crunch is fueling inflation fears and impacting the rupee. Policymakers are concerned as global energy costs rise. Restaurants are halting operations.

Anup Rau of Generali Central Insurance addresses health insurance challenges. He highlights issues like policyholder dissatisfaction and rising premiums. Rau suggests solutions such as a health regulator and customisation of products. He also discusses the role of AI in improving insurance services and distribution.

You cant control whether you retire in a bull or a bear market. But if you start derisking your retirement corpus as you approach retirement, it can significantly mitigate sequence of returns risk.

The capital goods sector is performing strongly. Robust order inflows and demand from key industries are driving growth. Companies are seeing multi-year revenue visibility. Despite global challenges, the sector's outlook remains positive, supported by government spending and policy incentives. Investors are advised to focus on companies with strong fundamentals and execution capabilities.

Global tensions are not deterring investors. A young software engineer tracks oil routes. A CFO invests in tranches. An engineer stays invested, ignoring market noise. A retired executive sticks to his seven-year plan. These individuals demonstrate resilience, adapting strategies to navigate current uncertainties without panicking. Their approaches highlight diverse methods for maintaining portfolio stability amidst geopolitical events.

Geopolitical tensions in West Asia are causing stock markets to fall. Experts suggest this is a short-term correction. Investors can use this opportunity to increase equity allocation, especially in mid- and small-caps, over the next few months. Domestic cyclicals and defensives are favoured sectors. Gold remains a safe haven, though moderate returns are expected.

Market crashes are unavoidable, but portfolio damage is not. Analysis of major crises shows diversification across equity, debt, and gold significantly lessens losses. While aggressive portfolios fall more, balanced approaches offer a compelling middle ground. Investors should prepare for uncertainty by staying disciplined and focusing on long-term asset allocation.

Two new passive funds, a commodity-based ETF and a mid-cap ETF, are opening for subscription on Monday. The HSBC Gold ETF closes on March 18, and the SBI Nifty Midcap 150 ETF closes on March 24, both with a minimum investment of Rs 5,000. Investors are advised to choose funds based on their individual risk profiles and financial goals.

Sunil Singhania-backed Abakkus Flexi Cap Fund saw its AUM grow to Rs 3,073 crore in February. The fund increased its stakes in several banking and industrial stocks, while adding BEML and Fractal Analytics as new entrants. Its portfolio expanded to 44 stocks across 22 sectors.

ET Wealth Reader's Query: Our daughter-in-law, an NRI in the USA, jointly owns a residential property in Mumbai with her sister, also an NRI based in the US. The property is currently under redevelopment. As both are unable to travel to India to complete the legal formalities, can they appoint their maternal uncle as their power of attorney (PoA) holder for all related tasks?

BI Mutual Fund, managing Rs 12.92 lakh crore, revealed its top stock holdings for February. The fund house heavily invested in banking giants like HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, while also holding significant stakes in Reliance Industries and State Bank of India.

A 75-year-old mother in Odisha has successfully evicted her son and daughter-in-law from her self-owned house. The Orissa High Court ruled that a son has no legal right to reside in his mother's property against her wishes, especially when she fears for her safety. The court upheld the mother's ownership, dismissing claims of joint family property.

Quant Small Cap Fund added HDFC Bank and others, trimmed Jio Financial, and exited Stanley Lifestyles in February.

Starting early with mutual fund SIPs leverages the power of compounding, making it easier to build a bigger retirement corpus.

Mutual funds reduced exposure to IT stocks in February, with the sectors weight in portfolios falling to an eight-year low of 6.9%, according to a Motilal Oswal report. The decline follows a sharp fall in tech stock values, even as some fund houses selectively increased holdings in key companies like Infosys and TCS.

Taxpayers are receiving emails from the Income Tax Department about 'significant transactions' and potential shortfalls in advance tax payments. These 'nudge' emails, sent as a taxpayer service initiative, highlight financial activities that may not align with advance tax deposited. Experts advise reviewing these alerts, as they are reminders and not statutory notices, and may contain errors.

Senior citizens can secure attractive fixed deposit rates, with some banks offering up to 7.9% for a five-year tenure on deposits up to Rs 3 crore. While banks deduct TDS on interest exceeding Rs 1 lakh, eligible individuals can submit Form 15H to avoid this deduction if their total tax liability is zero.

Data presented in Parliament reveals a stark disparity, with only one NPS pensioner for every 139 OPS pensioners. While NPS was implemented in 2004, a low number of central government employees have retired under it. As far as pensioners receiving pension under NPS are concerned, as many as 49,802 pensioners were receiving their payouts under the new scheme.

Radhika Gupta urged new investors to stay calm during market swings, saying volatility is a natural feature of equity investing. Citing past geopolitical events, she noted markets typically fall during crises but recover over time, advising investors to avoid panic decisions and continue SIPs for long-term wealth creation.

Vijay, a 43-year-old IT professional, noticed his mutual fund portfolio fall Rs 1.5 lakh in 12 days, raising concerns about regular versus direct plans. Experts say short-term declines are driven by market volatility and geopolitical tensions, not plan type, and advise diversification, disciplined rebalancing, and a long-term investment approach.

Tenants cannot refuse to pay increased rent simply because their 11-month rent agreement is unregistered. Courts have consistently ruled that rent escalation clauses are enforceable even without registration, as long as they were part of the original agreement. While unregistered agreements may have limitations as evidence, the contractual obligation to pay enhanced rent remains valid.

Minimum balance charges: Banks collected significant penalties from customers for low account balances. Public sector banks alone gathered over Rs 8,000 crore. However, zero-balance accounts like those under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana are exempt from these charges.

The Supreme Court quashed a dowry harassment case against a brother-in-law, deeming the allegations vague. The wife's FIR, alleging her veins burst due to dowry demands, lacked specific details regarding dates, times, or the nature of harassment. The court found no proximate link between the alleged harassment and the injury, leading to the case's dismissal against him.

Bank holiday today? Banks will be closed on March 14, 2026? Banks are open on the first, third and fifth (in some cases) Saturdays of the month unless specified as holiday in the RBI holiday calendar. Several other state-specific holidays are also listed for March 2026, impacting bank operations across various regions.

Paying your final car loan EMI doesn't automatically make the vehicle legally yours. Hypothecation, where the bank's name appears on your registration certificate, remains until you formally remove it. You must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) and Form 35 from the lender and submit them to the RTO to transfer full ownership.

Capital markets regulator Sebi introduced a framework allowing mutual funds to use intraday borrowing to manage temporary liquidity mismatches. Effective April 1, the rules cap borrowing to same-day receivables, restrict usage purposes, mandate board-approved policies, and ensure asset management companies bear related costs and risks.

Several NSE midcap companies delivered strong growth in the December 2025 quarter, with sales rising over 50% year-on-year. Firms across sectors such as metals, real estate, energy and healthcare reported sharp demand-led expansion, highlighting strong business momentum and growth potential.

Digital transactions are rising in India. This has led to an increase in digital frauds. The RBI is proposing compensation for customers losing money in small-value fraudulent transactions. This move aims to protect vulnerable users and build trust in the digital payment system. Banks and merchants will share some liability.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 22nd instalment of the PM Kisan scheme in Guwahati, Assam, transferring approximately to 9 crore farmers. The article also details how beneficiaries can check their names on the official list, understand reasons for potential exclusion, and complete mandatory eKYC through various methods.

Prime Minister Modi will release the 22nd instalment of the PM Kisan scheme today. Over 9.32 crore farmer families will receive more than Rs 18,640 crore directly into their bank accounts. This number is slightly lower than the previous instalment. The government is verifying eligibility to ensure benefits reach genuine farmers. Farmers can check their status online.

A Vallum Capital report shows that domestic and global investors followed sharply different strategies during the recent silver rally. While global institutional investors largely sold during the surge and bought during corrections, Indian retail investors increased buying near the peak and exited during declines, highlighting behavioural differences and timing gaps in ETF investing.

CoinEx dual investment offers a structured approach to crypto trading, generating yield while automating buy-low or sell-high strategies. This product allows users to define target prices and tenors, receiving principal plus yield in one of two assets based on market conditions at settlement. It's ideal for disciplined entry/exit plans and monetizing sideways markets, with opportunity cost being the primary trade-off.

Sharp market fluctuations can significantly deplete retirement savings, especially for those heavily invested in equities. Experts advise a 'protect and grow' approach for retirement-bound investors, balancing growth assets like equities with safer options like debt. This strategy aims to mitigate losses while ensuring long-term corpus preservation.

Amid market volatility, risk-averse investors are exploring special fixed deposits offering higher interest rates. Punjab & Sind Bank leads PSU banks with a 6.75% rate for a 666-day FD for general citizens, while senior citizens can earn up to 7.25%. IDBI Bank's Utsav FD, with a March 31, 2026 deadline, offers competitive rates for both.

The HDFC Defence Fund has sold its entire stake in Cummins India, a large-cap stock that saw substantial growth. The fund has also adjusted its holdings in other companies, increasing its investment in Bosch, Eicher Motors, and Hindustan Aeronautics. This strategic move reflects the fund's active management within the defence sector, aiming for continued capital appreciation for investors.

Jefferies has updated its analyst top ideas, adding seven new stock recommendations across various sectors. These picks include State Bank of India, Groww, Star Health & Allied Insurance, Bharat Forge, JSW Steel, Eternal, and Max Healthcare, with significant upside potential highlighted for each.