The Economic Times

Gold remains a vital liquidity source even with price drops. Central banks and individuals are selling gold to ease financial strains. In India, investors are shifting towards Gold ETFs for easier and more efficient investment. This trend offers attractive entry points for building gold exposure. Gold ETFs provide transparent pricing and security, making gold a liquid asset.

New Income Tax Return forms have removed ITR-1 and ITR-4, requiring US 401(k) and overseas pension account holders to now use ITR-2 or ITR-3. This change aims to streamline reporting of foreign assets and income, aligning with existing disclosure requirements. Taxpayers can still defer tax liability by filing Form 10-EE.

The 8th Pay Commission salary hike will depend on the fitment factor that the 8th Pay Commission decide. Employee bodies have been demanding for as high a fitment factor as 3.25. Amid such a backdrop, NC-JCM, the umbrella body of the central government employee and pensioner bodies, will hold a meeting on April 13, 2026, where it will discuss the final memorandum that will be sent to the 8th Pay Commission.

DSP Asset Managers has announced the appointment of Anish Tawakley as Chief Investment Officer (CIO), where he will oversee both equity and fixed income investments, strengthening the firms overall investment leadership.

Rising inflation may not force the RBI to increase the repo rate this time around, but in later MPC meetings, the likelihood of higher repo rate is much higher. Once the central bank increases the repo rate, banks and SFBs may also follow in footsteps by offering higher FD rates.

Top mutual funds for three-year lumpsum investments delivered strong returns, led by gold funds with over 32% CAGR. Rs 1 lakh investments more than doubled, highlighting robust performance across categories.

Nearly 25 equity mutual funds have offered over 15% CAGR in the last three, five, seven, and 10 years, according to a data analysis by ETMutualFunds. There were around 160 funds that have completed 10 years of existence in the market.

Acclaimed singer Shreya Ghoshal has purchased a luxurious residential apartment in Worli, South Mumbai. The property, bought with her parents, cost Rs 29.70 crore. It includes three parking spaces and boasts a significant carpet area. This transaction highlights Worli's growing appeal as a prime real estate destination. The area offers excellent connectivity and a premium urban lifestyle.

Gold prices saw a dip on April 6, 2026. This decline occurred as the Iran-Israel conflict continued and Iran stated no plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Leading jewellery brands like Tanishq, Kalyan Jewellers, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, and Joyalukkas reported lower retail rates for 22K gold across major Indian cities.

HDFC Bank is revising its Regalia Gold and Diners Club credit card benefits, including reward structures and lounge access, effective May 15 and July 1, 2026. Key changes involve reward point accrual, dynamic currency conversion fees, and spend-based lounge access criteria for both cardholders.

Silver exchange traded funds have seen significant losses, prompting investor concern. A new domestic pricing rule is now in effect. Experts suggest rebalancing portfolios and potentially reducing silver exposure. They recommend shifting towards diversified equity funds for long-term wealth creation. Gold ETFs are considered a more stable alternative for hedging.

Mutual fund advisors are recommending large cap schemes for conservative investors amid market volatility and all-time highs. These funds invest in top 100 companies, offering relative safety and inflation-beating returns. Despite recent struggles to beat benchmarks, large cap funds remain a viable option for long-term goals, with specific schemes highlighted for April 2026.

A recent Kerala High Court ruling highlights a crucial distinction: a joint Will allows the surviving spouse to alter beneficiaries, unlike a joint mutual Will. This case underscores the need for explicit clarity in estate planning documents to prevent future disputes and ensure intentions are legally binding after the first spouse's death.

The Insurance Ombudsman serves as a guardian of trust for the industry and has resolved thousands of disputes for policyholders. But a growing backlog, inaccessible precedents, and inconsistent reporting are structural gaps that reforms can address.

Home nursing, physiotherapy, oxygen supporthealth insurance can cover these for 60-180 days after discharge, with conditions. The rest of the bill youll need to clear yourself. Heres how to plan for it.

As HDFC Gold ETF makes provision for taking exposure via gold futures, concerns emerge about precious metal funds stepping away from holding physical gold. As per rules, every gold ETF must maintain 95% allocation to gold and related instruments. In June 2024, Sebi allowed gold-backed exchange-traded commodity derivatives (ETCDs), or gold futures contracts, to be counted towards this mandatory allocation.

Even as this volatility spills over into equity markets, high net worth individuals (HNIs) and ultra HNIs (UHNIs) are not pulling back sharply. Instead, they are holding on to existing equity positions while steadily channelling fresh allocations into fixed income to bring stability to their portfolios.

Treat gold strictly as insurance, not as a trade on geopolitical drama. The price of your insurance is set by central banks and finance ministries whose decisions you will never see coming. You are a passenger. Act like one. Keep the allocation small and build your wealth in assets that work for you without requiring you to guess foreign governments intentions.

The RBI can also ramp up direct market intervention. With forex reserves of about $700 billion, it has room to sell dollars and buy rupees to curb volatility. To avoid tightening liquidity too much, the central bank can offset the impact through bond purchases.

The concluding part shifts to the forces that actively shape option prices: the Option Greeks. These mathematical sensitivities Delta, Gamma, Theta and Vegadetermine how premiums respond to changes in key variables such as movement in the underlying asset, time and changes in volatility. If the premium represents the price, the Greeks are the underlying mechanics that constantly reshape this price.

Satishwar B., MD and CEO, Bandhan Life Insurance, discusses the Public Insurance Registry, Bima Sugam, misselling and commissions, in a conversation with Riju Mehta. He says if a customer has multiple insurance policies, the PIR will show all the policies he holds and the total cover he has. This enables us to understand, especially at the onboarding stage, the type of insurance he has and what he needs.

An add-on credit card is issued against an existing primary credit card account. The primary cardholder remains the account owner and the sanctioned credit limit holder. The secondary user receives a separate physical card, usually with a different card number and PIN, but all transactions are billed to the same account.

The young spend because they are optimistic and fearless about the future. We freeze at the idea of letting go because we worry about the rainy day. We know that we are so much better off and dont have to worry about the future. Yet, we dont know how to spend and indulge with a carefree heart that is not anxious.

From 1 July, stricter norms issued by the Reserve Bank of India will come into force against banks mis-selling of financial products, including insurance. As per a study by LocalCircles, people buying insurance policies via online platforms are increasingly experiencing dark patterns.

Welcome to TrendMap, your guide to the performance of different investment segments. No single segment always leads. In this edition, we present a 10-year equity performance tracker, ranking annual returns across market-cap segments. Early 2026 is marked by weak momentum and broad consolidation due to geopolitical instability. By Sameer Bhardwaj.

Indias tax department has rolled out updated ITR forms for FY 202526, introducing tighter disclosure norms while keeping the overall structure unchanged. The changes focus on greater transparencyespecially around political donations, F&O trading, and digital paymentswhile adding minor conveniences like a secondary address field.

If you are confused by personal finance terms, jargon and calculations, heres a series to simplify and deconstruct these for you. In the 97th part of this series, Riju Mehta explains what this loan product means.

Of the 614 funds analysed, 576 posted positive returns, one remained flat, and 37 delivered negative returns.

Two mutual funds and one SIF will open for subscription this week, as fund houses continue to expand their product offerings.

Employees can now claim earned leave after just 180 days of work, a significant reduction from previous norms. The new labour code also introduces annual encashment of unused leaves, providing a monetary benefit for those in roles where taking time off is challenging. These enhanced benefits, however, do not apply to managerial or supervisory staff earning over Rs 18,000 monthly.

Gold prices are under scrutiny as major jewellers like Tanishq, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Kalyan Jewellers, and Joyalukkas show minor variations in 22K and 24K rates for April 4, 2026. Experts suggest the current decline is a tactical correction within a broader uptrend, influenced by profit-booking and a strengthening US dollar.

The Reserve Bank of India has released updated operational guidelines for its Floating Rate Savings Bonds, 2020 (Taxable), effective immediately. These revised rules, issued on April 2, 2026, aim to enhance investor services and streamline processes, including digital facilities for applications and account management.

Starting April 1, 2026, new Income Tax Act and Rules bring significant changes for Tax Year 2026-27. Key updates include extended ITR due dates for certain taxpayers, revised timelines for updated and revised returns, and mandatory PAN quoting for more transactions. These amendments aim to streamline tax filing and compliance.

Form 121: A new combined form, now replaces Forms 15G and 15H. This simplifies the process for individuals and senior citizens to declare income below taxable limits. Eligible taxpayers can now use this single form to avoid tax deduction at source on interest income. The revised form offers enhanced user experience with features like auto-population and real-time validations.

Midcap mutual funds have delivered strong returns over the past three years, with the top five schemes offering up to 25% annualised gains. Invesco India Mid Cap Fund leads the pack, followed closely by Nippon India and WhiteOak funds, while some laggards delivered significantly lower returns in the same period.

Dubai gold rates: Gold prices in Dubai are stable across major retailers today, April 4, 2026. Rates for 24K, 22K, and 18K gold are available from Joyalukkas, Kalyan Jewellers, and iGold. Malabar Gold's last update was April 3. The UAE dirham exchange rate to the Indian Rupee is provided. Information on duty-free gold allowances for travellers to India is also included.

Commodity ETFs declined up to 15% in March, led by sharp losses in silver ETFs amid rising oil prices, geopolitical tensions and tightening liquidity. Gold ETFs also fell as stronger dollar dynamics weighed on prices. The outlook now hinges on inflation trends, liquidity conditions and central bank actions globally.

Senior citizens can secure attractive fixed deposit rates for a three-year tenure, with small finance banks leading the pack by offering up to 8%. Public sector banks provide rates up to 6.8%, while private sector banks offer competitive options reaching 7.75%. These rates present a valuable opportunity for elderly investors seeking steady returns.

New Income-Tax Rules have clarified meal voucher benefits. The tax-free limit for employer-provided meal vouchers has increased to Rs 200 per meal. This benefit is now available under the new tax regime. The earlier restriction denying this benefit under the new regime has been removed. This change is effective from April 1, 2026.

ETMutualFunds outlines ready-made SIP portfolios for conservative investors across three investment brackets. The allocation blends large-cap and hybrid funds to balance risk and returns. Selected using in-house criteria like rolling returns and downside risk, these portfolios aim to simplify fund selection for investors seeking stable, long-term wealth creation.

Even under the new tax regime, investing the maximum in PPF and SSY remains beneficial as both maturity and interest are tax-exempt. Depositing by April 5 annually maximizes interest earnings, as contributions made by this date earn interest for the entire financial year, significantly boosting maturity amounts.

For new investors, especially young professionals and students with modest amounts like Rs 10,000, a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is generally recommended over a lump sum. Financial expert Harshvardhan Roongta advises SIPs to gradually enter the market, build discipline, and average investment costs. He suggests starting with low-cost index funds for long-term wealth creation.

Banks will be open on Saturday, April 4, 2026. This is the first Saturday of the month. Customers can visit branches today. Banks were closed earlier this week for Mahavir Jayanti, yearly account closings, and Good Friday. Further closures are scheduled for various festivals and holidays across different states in April 2026.

Investors planning 15-year SIPs often face a choice between actively managed multicap funds and factor-based index funds. While multicap funds like Nippon India offer research-driven flexibility, factor-based options such as Edelweiss Nifty 500 Momentum Quality 50 rely on systematic rules. Choosing depends on risk appetite, market understanding, and long-term goals.