A common question that troubles several investors, particularly newbies, is, can I get better returns from stocks instead of equity mutual funds? Many feel like they are missing out on better returns by staying away from stocks. They feel like they need to have at least “some exposure” to stocks—a discussion. A while ago, I addressed…
Continue reading →In the recently released IRDA annual report for FY 2019-2020, LIC’s claim settlement ratio (CSR, death claims) was 96.69%. Since FY 2016-2017, LIC’s CSR has been decreasing. Is this a cause for concern? We investigate. Before we proceed, the reader needs to appreciate that the Claim settlement ratio is not a probability of life insurance…
Continue reading →Most investors calculate the investment amount required for their retirement and in for a rude shock. Sleepless nights are quite common! Very few investors manage their finances right after such a shock and start investing with focus and conviction. In this episode of ‘reader audit’, we meet Mr Tinker (name withheld on request), who got…
Continue reading →Here are some financial lessons from our childhood stories! This is a guest article by Srivatsan, who would only like to be referred to as a “long-time reader” of freefincal! He has written several articles here before and is responsible for adding the Earnings power box feature to our stock analyser. His previous articles are…
Continue reading →UTI Nifty200 Momentum 30 Index Fund is an open-ended fund that will track the Nifty200 Momentum 30 index. The new fund offer is from Feb 18th to March 4th 2021. In this review, we discuss what interested investors should be aware of; who should invest in this fund and who should avoid. What is momentum…
Continue reading →When we open a PPF account, the maturity date seems far away; However time flies, and before we realise it, it is time to make a decision: should I extend my PPF account for another five years or should I open a new one? The answer always depends on one’s personal circumstances, and extension is…
Continue reading →In this edition of reader story, Jyotinath Ganguly discusses his investment journey over the past thirty years from buying paper share certificates to authoring a book on money management basics for young earners. About the author: Jyotinath Ganguly is an IT Consultant, mentor, author and visiting faculty teaching Strategy, Cloud, and ERP. He is interested in…
Continue reading →How should funds in EPF be handled If we wish to quit our job and become self-employed or resign a few years before normal retirement or wish to retire earlier? Should we leave the EPF funds as is or should we withdraw? If we withdraw what are the alternative investment options? About the author: Sriram…
Continue reading →In this episode of ‘reader audit’, Nathiya shares how her approach to investing has evolved, guidance from Ashal Jauhari; why she sold all her shares and how her family could cope with job loss and reduced income still managed to keep their investments on track. As regular readers may be aware, we publish a personal…
Continue reading →The market rally over the last few months has seen the Nifty 50 equal weight TR index (N50 EW)surge past the Nifty 50 (N50) TR index. The N50EW one-year return minus the N50 one-year return has reached a level last seen four years ago. Readers may recall our Dec 2019 that the return difference of…
Continue reading →The freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener (Feb 2021) is now available. Use it to screen for consistently performing equity mutual funds. You can screen based on fund category & benchmark and spot mutual funds that have got a higher return than a benchmark at a lower risk. Inside, you get ~ 40% discounted links…
Continue reading →This is the monthly update of my stock portfolio. Readers may recall a detailed analysis was published in Dec 2020: Stock portfolio analysis: total return 22.58% and in Jan 2021 it was first compared with the NIfty. An update is presented below. Important please do not ignore: The direct equity portfolio is only about 17%…
Continue reading →My new book for kids: “Chinchu gets a superpower!” is now available! Here are the details on what the book is about; how to use it and how to buy it. What is this book about? As parents, if we had to groom one ability in our children that is key not only to money…
Continue reading →The IRDA annual report with Life Insurance Claim Settlement Ratio Data for 2021 (FY 2019-20) was released on Feb 10th delayed by at least 1-2 months due to the pandemic. The claim settlement ratio data along with total claims and claims paid is presented in the table below. Life Insurance Claim Settlement Ratio Data for…
Continue reading →The PPF interest rate for the current quarter is 7.1% (1st Jan 2021 to March 31st 2021). Many investors are worried and some even accuse the government of lowering rates and causing hardship. We should be aware that the PPF rate is almost 1% higher than what it should be! How is the PPF rate…
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