Budget 2024 has revised the taxation rule governing family pensions. Existing rule: deduction of Rs 15,000 or 1/3rd of the pension amount, whichever is lower shall be made before computing the income chargeable under the head “Income from other sources”. Revised rule: deduction of Rs 25,000 or 1/3rd of the pension amount, whichever is lower…
Continue reading →Budget 2024 has proposed big changes in mutual fund tax rules. There are now three types of mutual funds: (1) Equity MF (65% or more domestic equity),(2) Debt MF (65% or more bonds). (3) Other MF (neither 65% equity nor 65% bonds) 1 Equity mutual funds (65% or more domestic equity) New rule: long-term capital…
Continue reading →Budget 2024 has further reduced the tax burden in the new tax regime. Use this free calculator to compare the old and new tax regimes (calculations for past new tax regime slabs are also available). This comparison table was originally prepared by Vinay Vittal, modified by Balasubrahmanyan and then by me post budget 2024. This…
Continue reading →A reader says, “There is an option of ” continuation of NPS” till 75 years of age where subscriber can continue contributing. I want to confirm if the annuity is not required to be purchased till 75 years if this continuation option is selected”. The NPS exit and withdrawal rules have been amended so often…
Continue reading →This is a debt mutual fund screener for portfolio selection, tracking, and learning. It also includes hybrid funds that invest in bonds. It will satisfy investors who wish to invest in money market funds, banking PSU funds, etc. The credit quality of the bonds in the portfolio and the bond maturity profile can be tracked….
Continue reading →In a consultation paper dated July 16th 2024, SEBI has proposed the introduction of a “New Asset Class” (for now, that would be its name) with a “risk-return profile between MFs and PMS.” Public comments can be sent via this link until Aug 6th 2024. The paper says, “The proposed New Asset Class seeks to…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “I am 27 years old. My current monthly expenses are about Rs. 30,000. I don’t intend to get married. Can I achieve financial independence at 40 if my net worth today is zero?” Let us determine what the freefincal robo advisor tool coughs up for this scenario. The assumptions and inputs are…
Continue reading →This index fund screener is based on tracking error and returns difference wrt benchmarks (aka tracking difference). The screener will help users evaluate how efficiently an index fund has tracked its underlying benchmark. It will also help to understand how tracking a midcap index or the Nifty 100, 500 differs from tracking the Sensex or…
Continue reading →Should gold be part of your portfolio? We argue it need not be. But if you must invest, then we argue why a multi-asset fund is a better choice.
Continue reading →SEBI released a consultation paper (CP) on 28 June 2024 on disclosure of Risk Adjusted Return by Mutual funds, for “enabling informed investment decision by the investors”. It is open for public comments where all market participants such as brokers, advisors, investors can give their feedback on the paper. An important point to note is that…
Continue reading →A reader wants to know, “What is the ideal corpus for retirement in India?”. There are two very different aspects to consider here. (1) Retirement Math is universal and independent of geography. Only the inputs would vary. (2) What we define as “ideal” is subjective. Even in 2024, some people compute the retirement corpus necessary…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “For the gilt portion of my portfolio for a 10+ year goal, would you recommend passive or active funds?” Let us look at the different options available to an investor. Instead of looking at this as an active vs passive question, let us look at it from the pov of NAV volatility…
Continue reading →This ETF screener is based on tracking errors and tracking differences (ETF return minus index return). The screener will help users evaluate how efficiently an ETF has tracked its underlying benchmark. The tracking error is the ETF’s standard deviation minus index monthly return differences. The lower the tracking error, the more efficient the ETF is…
Continue reading →On June 23rd 2024, Moneycontrol reported that SEBI conducted search and seizure operations at two locations of Quant Mutual Fund on suspected front-running. The initial reaction from the AMC: It confirmed via email to investors that it has received inquiries from SEBI. Then, on June 27th 2024, it sent an FAQ to unitholders. The first…
Continue reading →I’m a 35-year-old married man with one child. While I’m already covered by a health insurance policy worth 5 lakhs through my current employer, I also purchased a personal family floater Mediclaim Insurance worth 5 lakhs last year. Recently, after reading various posts and blogs, I’ve come to realize that relying solely on a health…
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