From June 2018, I have started testing five stock portfolios based on NSE indices. Three of them are based on smart beta (active + passive) indices and two on a passive index. The main aim is to find out (after the lapse of a few years) how effective a lazy investing stock picking strategy is….
Continue reading →Are mutual funds safe? Can mutual fund run away with our money or become bankrupt? This should not be dismissed as a newbie question. It is one of the first and most important considerations before investing in a mutual fund. We certainly have instances in the past where fund managers could invest where they want,…
Continue reading →As oil prices rise once again, let us discuss what we can learn from historical petrol, diesel prices in India and the associated inflation. Petrol or Diesel prices in India is a touchy subject. While citizens (most users will be part of great, wide Indian middle class) feel angry about the huge taxes that they…
Continue reading →I have updated the two guest posts written by CK Aparna that explain how to e-file income tax returns using ITR1, ITR2, ITR3, ITR5 for AY 2018-2019. Do consider sharing it with assessees who are filing tax return for the first time or filing tax returns with capital gains for the first time. First Know which…
Continue reading →Impulse buying refers to the sudden purchase of goods and services without planning or without evaluating if it would be useful. It is the same as the sudden urge to pick up a packet of namkeen or sweets just because we have seen it! If you are worried about how you or someone you care about…
Continue reading →Freefincal was started on May end 2012. So this is its 6th birthday and to mark the occasion I have compiled the post in the Re-assemble series into a pdf e-book. Re-assemble is a series of basic money management steps for beginners and young earners that was started in Nov 2017. Do share it with…
Continue reading →It is a genius plan. Simply tell the naive investor that one should not time the market and invest regularly via SIP as it will reduce risk. Convince them that automating something will make them disciplined and show them a few select data points of how rewarding this approach has been. Then the seller gets…
Continue reading →There can be no argument that life is unfair! If a child is not sure about “what to do” after 12th standard, it is a stressful time for everyone. Joining a course that has “good career prospects” is a guaranteed way to get a “job” and not a career. Understanding the difference is the key…
Continue reading →Can we beat indices like the Nifty Next 50 (NN50) by simply picking stocks with low volatility?! Regular readers may be aware that I am running a series on the NN50. In the fourth and final part (for now), we compare Nifty 50, (N50), NN50, NIfty low volatility and the NIfty multi-factor indices in search…
Continue reading →With most AMCs complying with SEBIs mutual fund categorization rules, the implications are slowly sinking in. Since most mutual funds have changed in nature, their past history is now useless. Star ratings are useless. My monthly mutual fund screeners are useless. The selection methods I have discussed earlier are useless. SEBI has hit the reset…
Continue reading →As mentioned earlier, I am running a series of posts on financial independence and early retirement (FIRE). In the first part, we considered a set of thumb rules for FIRE with a calculator and android app. In the second part, we shall consider some of the popular yet incorrect assumptions associated with early retirement. A new and…
Continue reading →A fixed deposit is one of the simplest instruments to understand. However, make the FD tradeable mid duration then all sorts of complications will arise. You will lose money if you try and sell when interests increase or if the bank suffers financial trouble and drops in credit ratings. It is no secret that debt…
Continue reading →Among the very few things that I am satisfied with and am proud of is the fact that freefincal and Ashal’s FB group Asan Ideas for Wealth have played a small role in popularizing commission-free advice from SEBI registered investment advisors or fee-only financial planners. While my list of such advisors and fee-only India (an…
Continue reading →We cannot afford to get rid of income tax, but why can’t we get rid of income tax returns? Difficulty in figuring out which ITR form to use, which rows to fill, delays in processing, delay in refunds, hassles with TDS, irritating notifications to respond to, I could go on. All this makes you want…
Continue reading →Did you receive an email from the income tax department that there is a mismatch or inconsistency between salary income in return and Form 26AS?I did and this is how I responded. I am not a taxation expert, but I thought sharing this might help others and in any case myself. First of all, I think…
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