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Choosing a nominee for accounts or policies is crucial, but they only act as custodians until legal heirs receive assets. Final ownership is governed by wills and succession laws, not solely by the nominee. Here's what matters.
Buying or selling property in India involves more than finding the right deal. From FEMA and TDS to repatriation limits and POA rules, experts explain the compliance pitfalls NRIs must avoid.
Five small-cap mutual funds delivered annualised SIP returns of more than 20% over the past decade, highlighting the category's long-term wealth-creation potential. A comparison of three-, five- and 10-year returns also shows how leadership has evolved across different market cycles.
The Centre has clarified that central government employees cannot claim HRA if one spouse is allotted government accommodation at the same station. It also confirmed there is no proposal to review the existing House Rent Allowance policy for dualemployee couples.
Even after missing the July 31 ITR deadline, taxpayers can file a belated return to seek refunds. However, it comes with additional costs and consequences. Check here.
The RBI Governor said it is too early to decide whether UPI transactions will attract Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), even as the proposed Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill has revived the debate.
REITs are often mistaken for fixed-income products due to their regular payouts, but they carry equity-like risks. Their returns depend on rental income, occupancy and property cycles, making them a diversification tool rather than a substitute for debt investments.
The Indian tax law does not provide any special exemption or relief for losses or gains arising solely due to depreciation of the Indian rupee against the foreign currency during the investment period.
The EPFO is expected to launch E-PRAAPTI by the end of August to help members recover money lying in old or inactive PF accounts. The Aadhaar-based portal aims to simplify account tracing, reduce paperwork, enable UAN linking, and make claims faster through a digital process.
The Mumbai ITAT ruled that a genuine property purchase from a spouse cannot be denied Section 54F tax exemption merely because it results in tax savings. The tribunal found no evidence of tax avoidance and allowed a taxpayer's 6.92 crore exemption claim after the tax department challenged it.
The RBI held the policy repo rate at 5.25%, maintaining a cautious stance amid uncertainties. Governor Malhotra noted the uncertain growth outlook due to various factors. Here's what retail investors should do in such times.
Indian households are among the world's most disciplined savers. But an increasing share of those savings is flowing into unproductive assets, limiting both long-term wealth creation and capital formation.
Income tax refunds occur when paid taxes exceed actual liabilities after deductions and they are processed after ITR e-verification. Here's when to expect it and common reasons for delay.
Taxpayers can file a revised return if they have made mistakes in their initial submission before the 31 July deadline. Know the due date and whether revising errors can lead to a penalty.
Factor investing has gained significant traction as investors increasingly seek rule-based strategies over traditional market-cap investing. While momentum has delivered the strongest long-term returns, the data shows that higher returns do not necessarily mean the highest risk.
Though prenuptial agreements face legal hurdles in Indian courts, an evolving marriage landscape demands a legal framework that balances pre-marital financial transparency with essential statutory protections.
Sectoral indices, including the Nifty India Defence, are often market-cap weighted with high stock concentration. Investors should understand index construction and risks, limiting sector funds to 15-20% of their portfolio, while considering diversified equity funds for overall better returns.
These platforms move idle cash into liquid funds to beat traditional savings account rates and offer brand perks, but come with hidden costs, taxes, and exit loads.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha today. It amends laws regarding payment systems and income tax, including the reinstatement of merchant discount rates on UPI transactions and other tax provisions for various sectors.
SEBI has repeatedly cautioned investors against using unauthorised platforms for buying or selling unlisted shares. Here are 5 checks to verify platforms, safeguard personal information, understand regulatory risks and make informed investment decisions before investing in unlisted company shares.
ANAROCK study shows home prices and rental yields have risen together across India's top housing markets since 2019. Noida, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Hyderabad emerge as the biggest winners for residential property investors.
8th Pay Commission: The Commission is reviewing eight pensioner demands raised by RSCWS, including higher basic pay, revised HRA, transport allowance and stronger retirement benefits. The RSCWS proposals aim to improve pensions for Indian Railway employees.
Finance Ministry has approved an increase in EPF wage ceiling to 25,000 monthly from current 15,000, as per a Moneycontrol report. If approved this would expand coverage to more salaried workers.
SEBI's new GARUDA framework has brought Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) into the spotlight. While the industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, AIFs remain less familiar than mutual funds. Here's how experts explain the investment vehicle, who it is meant for and how SEBI classifies it.
Monsoon damage isn't limited to leaks and flooding. Experts explain what home insurance covers, key exclusions, and why both homeowners and tenants should review their policies.
Passive investing has moved beyond broad-market indices. As sectoral and thematic index funds multiply, experts explain the opportunities, risks and who should actually invest.
The US Federal Reserve's interest-rate decisions influence currencies, markets and borrowing costs worldwide. Here's how a Fed pause can affect India's economy, investments and your finances.
With international mutual funds facing investment restrictions due to overseas limits, investors can explore domestic mutual funds with significant foreign equity exposure. A total of 15 equity and hybrid funds have invested in foreign stocks, including two schemes with more than 26% exposure.
Only seven diversified equity mutual funds delivered annualised SIP returns of over 20% in the last 10 years, excluding sectoral and thematic schemes. A 10,000 monthly SIP in these funds grew to as much as 38.8 lakh, with small- and mid-cap funds dominating the rankings.
Dearness Allowance or DA is a percentage of basic salary, reviewed twice annually, and aimed at offsetting the impact of inflation for government employees and pensioners. Here's a look at all the dearness allowance announcements so far
Financial experts say behavioural biases such as recency bias, loss aversion and FOMO often lead investors to buy after rallies and sell during market corrections.
Though PPF comes with a lot of benefits, some common mistakes can make you lose key benefits or shrink your final corpus. Here's everything you need to know.
The July 31 ITR filing deadline has passed, but many taxpayers still have time to file their returns. Here's who must file by August 31, October 31 or November 30 under the revised filing calendar for AY 2026-27.
Buy the Ferrari, by all means, on the day you become the person who has earned it. Until then, it's fine to admire one zooming past, and getting on with the un-Ferrari years that are the real work.
US President Donald Trump's policies have pushed up inflation, which has increased the potential social security payouts for Americans in 2027, and threatened to put the US' retirement programme at risk.
Beneficiaries of the Annapurna Bhandar scheme are inquiring about the August 2026 credit date. The scheme replaces TMC's Lakshmi Bhandar, offering 3,000 monthly aid.
The revised EPF Scheme no longer permits employees to withdraw their entire PF balance after just two months of unemployment. Check the recent withdrawal rules here.
The July 31 deadline has passed, but belated filings are possible until December 31, 2026, with late fees and interest applicable. How to file ITR after due date, who gets more time, consequences, and other details here.
Consumer companies in India are gearing up for another round of price hikes, which could impact people's household expenses. This rise is attributed to a surge in commodity prices amid prolonged US-Iran conflict in West Asia. Details here.
The Delhi government approved the Lakshmi Yojana, allowing eligible women aged 21-60 to receive 2,500 monthly. An online application portal will launch on August 1, with the first payment expected around Raksha Bandhan.
EPFO members who find their account blocked, can't remember their UAN password, are unable to access their passbook or have KYC pending can check how to fix issues using the portal or Umang app.
The initial years of SIP investing often require considerable patience. Even with disciplined monthly contributions, many investors feel disappointed as their portfolio appears to grow slowly due to market volatility and a relatively small investment base
The 8th pay commission has announced its official three-day state visit to the union territory of Chandigarh in September. It will hold meetings with employee unions and stakeholders from Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Taxpayers who fail to file their returns within the original due date still have two other options to complete the process. Here's how belated and updated return work and which one you should choose if you end up missing the July 31 deadline.
As the 31 July ITR filing deadline approaches, taxpayers should review their returns to avoid errors that may lead to a defective return notice from the income tax department. Here are 5 mistakes can trigger a defective return notice.
ITR filing deadline extension LIVE: The ITR filing due date is today for eligible taxpayers. Some are also hoping for an extension like last year, but experts caution that a similar relief is unlikely.
As the July 31 income tax return deadline approaches, over 5 crore ITRs have been filed till Thursday. Late filers may face penalties and miss out on benefits like carrying forward losses. Check all consequences here.

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