The Economic Times

For non-resident Indians, foreign currency non-resident bank fixed deposits remain a favored investment choice. With an uptick in interest rates for tenures ranging from three to five years, Punjab National Bank currently leads with an attractive 6.50% rate on select five-year deposits. Meanwhile, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank also showcase appealing rates for extended FCNR(B) deposits.

EPF wage ceiling: The Employees Provident Fund wage ceiling may increase to Rs 25,000. This change will bring more employees under the EPF and EPS schemes. Employees' in-hand salaries might decrease while their retirement corpus grows. The Employees Pension Scheme pension will likely increase significantly for eligible members. This revision aims to enhance retirement benefits for a larger workforce.

Noida property prices went up by 125% to Rs 10,780 per square feet, Bangalore by 90% to Rs 9,450 per square feet from 2019 to 2026; Know Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad prices. Check the trend.

Senior citizen allotted inconvenient parking spot by builder in 2011 leading her to park car in open space; Housing society levied penalty on her for parking in open space; Maharashtra Co-Op Appellate court gives her relief and orders society to give her a convenient spot

Just seven equity mutual funds delivered returns above 20% over the past year, led by TRUSTMF Small Cap Fund at 28.16%. Most top performers were smallcap funds, alongside focused, value, and midcap categories.

Here is the detailed exposure of the top 5 mid-cap funds with maximum mid & small cap exposure in June, as reported by ET Wealth.

JioBlackRock Mutual Fund has launched its first exchange-traded fund, the JioBlackRock Nifty 50 ETF, marking its entry into India's fast-growing ETF market. The NFO is open until August 11. The passive fund will track the Nifty50 Index, offering investors exposure to India's 50 largest listed companies through a single investment and broad participation in the country's equity market.

Gold prices experienced a slight dip across major brands today. Tanishq and other leading jewelers reported lower rates for 22k gold. Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Kalyan Jewellers, and Joyalukkas also followed this trend.Consumers can compare rates from various brands for potential purchases.

The Expenditure Department has granted approval to increase the EPF wage ceiling to Rs 25,000, aiming to expand mandatory provident fund and pension plans to more employees.

The five top-performing small-cap funds over the past year shared four common stocks in their portfolios as of June 2026, according to ACE MF data.

Attention users: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation e-Office application will not be accessible on August 5 for essential system upgrades initiated by the NIC e-Office team. This means certain functionalities will experience constraints. Additionally, EPFO services through the UMANG app will also face downtime due to system migrations. Expect mild delays in processing claims and services during this period.

ET Wealth Reader's Query: I own a 2-BHK flat and my wife is a joint owner. We have two children, who are settled abroad. After my death, the housing society will transfer the flat to my wife, based on nomination and my will (unregistered). After the transfer, can she sell the flat without a no objection certificate (NOC) from our children? If she doesnt sell it, can she transfer it to our son via a gift deed without an NOC from our daughter?

Quant Mutual Fund has raised its exposure to IT services over the past two months, viewing the sector as increasingly neglected and offering attractive opportunities. Its predictive analytics model also expects crude oil prices to gradually decline over the coming months, which the fund house believes could support Indian equities.

Bandhan Small Cap Fund leads three-year returns with 25.35 percent gains. Stock selection drove this outperformance, according to expert analysis. The fund has consistently beaten its category average over time. Investors should consider risk and long-term strategy for investment decisions. Current market conditions offer a good entry point for patient investors.

A life insurer denied a seventy lakh death claim after a policy lapsed. The policyholder had paid seven lakh as the first year premium. The consumer commission ordered the insurer to refund this initial premium payment. This decision prevented unjust enrichment by the insurance company. Policyholders must pay premiums on time to maintain active life cover.

Selling Indian investments triggers capital gains tax for NRIs, with rules varying by asset type. Property sales offer significant tax reduction opportunities through reinvestment and documentation. Agricultural land taxation depends on its location, with rural land generally exempt from tax. Listed shares and mutual funds have specific tax treatments and exemptions for long-term gains. Careful planning and seeking expert advice are crucial before selling any Indian asset.

HDFC Bank introduced two new savings accounts for specific customer groups. The Special Senior Citizen Savings Account offers security and doorstep banking services. Women can avail the SavingsMax Account with lifestyle and health benefits.

PhonePe Mutual Funds onboarded over 500,000 unique investors into its Daily SIP product. Nearly seventy-seven percent of these customers came from tier-two and tier-three cities. Daily SIP transactions increased nearly five-fold between January and June 2026. Younger investors aged eighteen to twenty-nine formed fifty-eight percent of the investor base. This feature allows small, regular contributions, aligning with daily cash flows.

Taxpayers who filed their income tax returns by the July 31 deadline are now awaiting refunds. The Income Tax Department processes refunds after successful e-verification of the filed returns.

Surrender and withdrawal benefits paid by life insurers have increased significantly. These benefits now exceed maturity benefits paid by the life insurance sector. Policy surrenders are influenced by various factors, including product suitability and affordability. The insurance regulator monitors these trends and takes necessary supervisory measures. IRDAI has established a framework to safeguard policyholders' interests and ensure fair surrender benefits.

Franklin Templeton India has launched its new open-ended short term debt fund. The Franklin India Short Term Fund will open for subscription on August 5. This new fund aims to invest in high-quality debt instruments and government securities. It will maintain a portfolio Macaulay duration between one and three years. The fund seeks to provide investors with income potential and prudent risk management.

Eight international equity mutual funds posted double-digit losses in July, led by Nippon India Taiwan Equity Fund. Experts attribute the decline to a correction in global technology and AI stocks.

Service centres cannot evade responsibility for accidents during vehicle pick-up and drop-off. A signed waiver does not absolve them of negligence or deficient service. Insurance companies may still cover claims, then recover costs from the negligent party. Dealers face direct liability, while manufacturers' responsibility is less automatic. Damage within service centre premises shifts significant legal burden to the centre.

Portfolio reviews every six to 12 months are generally sufficient for long-term investors, according to Prableen Bajpai of FinFix Research and Analytics. She advises rebalancing only when asset allocation deviates meaningfully, financial goals approach, or major life events warrant a review.

Rising inflation and increased credit demand are pushing banks towards higher fixed deposit rates. Banks are also facing competition from small savings schemes and government securities. Deposit growth has slowed while credit demand has climbed significantly in recent months. This widening gap may compel banks to attract more deposits through better rates. Banks may revise fixed deposit rates after any Reserve Bank of India policy changes.

Baroda BNP Paribas Aqua Fund of Fund is once again open to fresh subscriptions after a brief pause. Following regulatory nods, the fund aims to efficiently handle overseas investment limits. Investors should avoid market timing; instead, utilizing SIPs or STPs for cost averaging is encouraged. For those seeking global exposure, consider alternatives like GIFT City products or global ETFs.

Gold price today: Gold prices remained steady on Monday, August 3, 2026, across major Indian jewelry brands. The India Bullion and Jewellers Association provided indicative rates for various gold purities. These rates may fluctuate based on location and taxes.

HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have raised FCNR(B) deposit rates by twenty-five basis points. This increase applies to select US dollar FCNR(B) deposit tenures, effective August 2026. The government will bear hedging costs on three to five-year FCNR(B) deposits until September 2026.

Are housing societies allowed to impose user charges for facilities like gyms or swimming pools separately from maintenance? Know what the law says. The law says the Apartment Owners Association cannot impose arbitrary, retrospective or discriminatory charges that effectively deny equal access to common amenities.

New Reserve Bank of India rules will change bank deposit interest rate disclosures starting October 2026. Banks will gain flexibility in setting interest rates for bulk deposits of three crore rupees and above. These institutions must now publish bulk deposit rates on their websites daily by ten AM.

Benchmark indices like Sensex and Nifty 50 showed negative returns over two years. However, select midcap, smallcap, and multicap funds delivered double-digit gains. These funds benefited from active stock selection and exposure to different market segments. Experts advise a balanced approach, combining index and actively managed funds. Investors should focus on asset allocation and gradual investments through SIPs.

A guide to the objective, strategy, risk band and red flags that separate a good SIF from a risky bet.

Kids years apart can mean juggling childcare and college costs at the same time, often delaying retirement.

Every SSE listing goes through months of due diligence, financial and social audits.

Order books, exports and government spending driving the sector, but valuations are no longer cheap.

REIT mutual funds just fixed the tax drag that kept sharp investors on the sidelines, along with illiquidity and concentration risk.

Bala eyed a Rs.1,500 online shopping cart with a tech organiser and gel pens. But with a Rs.2,500 monthly allowance, he realised buying both meant giving up his Friday pizza. He kept only the gel pens, saved Rs.1,000, and learned that budgeting is about making smart choices. Good money management starts with knowing where your money goes.

Oil prices saw volatility last week but are set for significant monthly gains. Escalating United States-Iran tensions and Houthi attacks are impacting global energy markets. Saudi Arabia is forming an alliance to protect Red Sea navigation from militant blockades. Concerns also persist regarding supply disruptions in the Black Sea region. Energy markets are reacting to geopolitical events and drawing down United States stockpiles.

Heres our TrendMap, your quick 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. Investors risk appetite has turned more selective in 2026 so far. By Sameer Bhardwaj.

Some carmakers sell vehicles without a spare wheel, offering just a puncture repair kit instead. Nobody proposes a register of the salesmen who sold these cars because we know the choice was made above their level. The agent sitting across from an insurance buyer is in the same position, as hes not the author of the incentive he answers to but merely its executor.

Gifting and charity, in cash and kind, during ones lifetime offers the scope for creating shared experiences of celebration, travel, entertainment and eating out together, for both generations. The caveat, of course, is the inability and perhaps unwillingness of seniors to make spending decisions.

Builder's hired firm wanted to pay 56 tenants additional Rs 8 crore to vacate land; Tax Dept sent notice citing this payment as contingent liability; ITAT Mumbai cancels tax notice and rejects tax dept's contention. Know the full details of what happened in this case.