Gold Investing Made Painless

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 06 Nov 2018
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Gold Investing Made Painless

Gold Investing Made Painless

Instruments like ETFs, E-Gold and Sovereign Gold Bonds enable you to invest in gold in demat form

The investment portfolio, of majority of Indian households, comprise of some gold. It is considered auspicious to purchase gold during festivals like Dhanteras. However, holding gold in physical form is not without its drawbacks. Some of them include the risk of theft, purity of the metal, making charges if you’re buying jewellery, and lack of liquidity.

However, if you still think that gold is a good investment bet, you can still put your money in the metal -- without actually holding it in physical form. Your options include gold exchange-traded funds or ETFs, e-gold, and sovereign gold bonds. Let’s look at each of them:

Gold ETFs: Gold ETFs are like open-ended mutual funds that invest in gold. When you buy units in a gold ETF, the funds are invested in gold bullion. These funds are open-ended and traded on the stock exchange. All you need to do to invest is go to your online trading account and buy them. Similarly, you can also sell them. Therefore, you enjoy the benefits of high liquidity, accurate pricing of the metal, plus safety. You can also buy them in quantities of your choosing -- even as little as a gram. There is, of course, a small charge involved in ETFs, called an expense ratio. It’s usually around 1% -- not a very high price to pay for safety, liquidity and transparency. Apart from this, you will also have to pay brokerage charges.

E-Gold (Electronic Gold): This instrument is similar to ETFs and was introduced by National Spot Exchange in 2010. This enables you to buy gold in dematerialised form, just like shares and mutual funds. What’s more, you can buy the gold in small quantities. If you so choose, you can convert the dematerialised units into physical gold. Unlike ETFs, E-Gold does not involve a recurring management fee, but only a one-time charge.

Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs): Another option for gold investing is SGBs issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These are available for a tenor of eight years in denominations of 1 gram, with a maximum limit of four kg for individuals. You can opt for early redemption after five years. On redemption, you will be paid in cash based on the average price of gold of 999 purity of the previous three business days.

The bonds are available at branches of banks and selected post offices. The best part about these bonds is that they are tradable on stock exchanges, thus ensuring a high level of liquidity.

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The Importance of Muhurta Trading

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 06 Nov 2018

The Importance of Muhurat Trading It is considered auspicious to trade during muhurat trading, a special session of the stock market held on Diwali Diwali or Deepawali is one of the most important events in the Hindu calendar. It is especially important for businessmen since it is considered the beginning of the New Year (Samvat), and is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Conducting some business activity on this day is considered auspicious and sets the tenor for the year ahead. For the trading community, Diwali is a time when old account books are closed and new books opened. On this day, traders worship their new account books in a ceremony called `Chopda Poojan’. A Gujarati traditionThe tradition of ‘Muhurat’ (auspicious time) trading on the stock exchange was started by the Gujarati community, which was a pioneer of stock trading in the country and continues to dominate it today.Muhurat trading is held for an hour on Diwali at a time specified by the stock exchanges, usually in the evening. For 2018, Muhurat trading on the NSE and BSE will be held on 7 November between 5pm and 6:40 pm. The offices of the stockbrokers are colourfully decorated, and they and their families hold pujas to pray for a prosperous future. While books used to be worshipped in an earlier age, now the honours are done to the trading terminals. A symbolic `buy’ order is also placed. An optimistic noteInvestors tend to end the trading on an optimistic note to ensure an auspicious start for the year ahead. Many consider this a good time to buy shares for their children, which are held for the long term. Considering the upbeat mood, many day traders also use the opportunity to rake in some profits. Though the functioning of the stock market has changed by leaps and bounds in the past few decades, muhurat trading is still significant for many investors because of its religious and traditional aspect. It is also considered a good time for newbies to enter the market as it is believed to be an auspicious time, particularly, if you want to have a lifetime of success and prosperity. Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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Teaching Children about Value of Money & Importance of Financial Planning - Teach them young, watch them grow

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Nov 2018

  Inculcate the values of financial planning in your children from a young age. That’s the best gift you can give them on Children’s Day Teaching a child the importance of healthy finances is not just a gift to them but also a means to empower them to have a bright future. While schools are now adding concepts like finance, savings and taxes to their curriculum, it’s still on a basic, informal level. Therefore, it’s important for parents to take the lead in this matter. So, how should you inculcate the value of financial planning in children.   Start them young Children start showing strong traces of their understanding and potential at a young age. A three-year-old, just starting to learn her numbers and counting, can easily understand the concept of money. Start with a handful of coins and ask her to count them. Explain to her that 5 counts with the number 1 on it can buy her a small packet of biscuits and 10 coins with the number 2 on it can buy her a sheet of stickers. Make it even more fun by gifting her a piggy bank and tell her that all the money she puts in there belongs to her and that she can use some of it the next time you’re out at the supermarket or in the mall. The Value of Money There’s no point in having money if you don’t know the value of it. Explain to your child that money has to be earned and doesn’t just come along for free. Help your child earn some money the hard way. One fun and exciting way to do this is to get them to do simple, extra chores at home in return for pocket money. Get them to participate in a festive spring cleaning and reward them for it. Then sit down with them and count their earnings. Once you’re finished with the exercise, ask them what they would like to do with the profits. Would they like to save it? Spend it? Donate it? Encourage them to save the earnings to buy something they have been coveting Lead by example Children always emulate their parents. It is thus important to lead by example and exhibit habits and behaviour’s that you would like your child to pick up too. One way to do this is to take a walk through a market and point out things that you need – food, clothes, household supplies – and things you want – expensive mobile phone, state-of-the-art television and designer handbags. Tell them that you’re happy with what you already have, and chances are, they will pick up on this behaviour and learn to be happy with what they have too. Learning the value of money and the importance of financial planning early in life will stand children in good stead later in their life.Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

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  • IPO Allotment Status – All you need to know about IPO Allotment Process
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

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The registrar also publishes an allotment document which has all the details regarding the IPO allotment such as the total number of applications received, IPO allotment calculations, etc.   Why were shares not allotted to you in the IPO? There can be three reasons for this. Invalid Bid Bids in an IPO can be rejected or considered invalid for numerous reasons. Some of these are invalid Demat or PAN details, incomplete information, multiple applications by the same person, etc.   Over Subscription Oversubscription means that the demand for the company’s shares exceeds the number of shares issued. In case of a hugely oversubscribed IPO, the shares are allotted based on a lottery. The rationale being that every applicant has an equal chance. If your name does not come up in the lucky draw, you will not be allotted the shares.   Bid Price is below the issue price IPOs following the book building route requires applicants to bid for lots as well as the price they are willing to pay. If the bid price you have submitted is less than the final issue price, you will not get any IPO allotments.   If you want to stay on top of the IPO game, a financial expert can be of great help. A partner like IndiaNivesh, who has more than 11 years of experience in the Indian markets, can keep you informed about all the upcoming IPOs and help you make the most of it.  Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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  • Tax Saving FD – Know About Tax Saving Fixed Deposit
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Jan 2020

    Every salaried individual as well as a business person is required to pay taxes as per the income tax laws. While paying taxes, we all aim to legally save it in some way or the other. But how do we do that? It is the most confusing question for most of the taxpayers. One of the excellent ways of saving taxes is by investing in tax-saving investment schemes. They not only help you save taxes but are also instrumental in effectively achieving your financial goals. There are many investment avenues available in the market that either offer tax exemption or tax deduction. Having said that, selecting the most suitable and right tax-saving investments may not come easy for everyone. While choosing the right scheme, one needs to access several factors such as safety, returns and liquidity, among other things. A very popular tax-saving investment option among taxpayers is investments under section 80C. As per section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, investments of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs can be claimed as a deduction. Tax saving fixed deposit is a type of fixed deposit where you can get a deduction of maximum Rs. 1.5 lakhs under section 80C. To arrive at the net taxable income, the amount invested in tax saving FD is to be deducted from gross total income. Let us learn about some of the important points that you must consider before investing in tax saving FD. Things to Know About Tax Saving Fixed Deposit Investment in tax saving FD can be done by individuals and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) only. The minimum amount for fixed deposits varies from bank to bank. Income tax saving FD has a lock-in period of 5 years. You cannot make premature withdrawals and loans against these FDs. Investment in these FDs can be made only through private or public sector banks. Rural and co-operative banks are not eligible for these FDs. Tax-saving fixed deposits can be held in ‘singly' or 'jointly'. When the holding is in joint mode, the tax benefit is available to the first holder. Tax saving FD interest rates vary from bank to bank. The interest rate ranges from 5.5% – 7.75%. However, note that some banks offer higher rates on FDs to the senior citizens. These fixed deposits have nomination facilities. The interest earned on the income tax saving FD is taxable according to the investor’s tax bracket. The interest on tax saving FD is payable on a monthly or quarterly basis. The main advantage of investing in tax saving fixed deposits is that they are less risky in comparison to equities. Since many banks offer this type of FD, let us learn about its details. Banks and Income Tax Saving FDs SBI Tax Saving FD Tax saving FD interest rates of SBI is 6.25% for general customers and 6.75% for senior citizens. The maximum deposit in a year is Rs. 1 lakh and the minimum deposit is Rs. 1,000. By using a tax saving FD calculator you can know the amount receivable after the lock-in period of 5 years depending on the maturity period of your FD.   HDFC Bank Tax Saving FD Tax saving FD in the HDFC Bank can be opened with a minimum amount of Rs. 100. The maturity period of this FD is 10 years. Tax saving FD interest rates is 6.30%. Senior citizens get an added benefit of 50 basis points over general customers.   ICICI Bank Tax Saving FD The interest rate on tax saving fixed deposits at the ICICI Bank to the general customers is 6.6% and for senior citizens, the interest rate is 7.10%. These rates are applicable to FDs having a maturity period of 5 to 10 years. The maximum amount that can be deposited is Rs. 1.5 lakhs and the minimum amount for opening tax saving FD at the ICICI Bank is Rs. 10,000.   PNB Tax Saving FD Punjab National Bank offers an interest rate of 6.30% on a five-year tax saving FD. The minimum amount for opening tax saving FD at the PNB Bank is Rs. 5,000.   Bank of Baroda Tax Saving FD Bank of Baroda offers an interest rate of 6.30% on a five-year tax saving FD.   The Bottom Line The above mentioned are the basic details about the major banks that offer income tax saving FDs. You may access each individual option carefully and select the suitable one after doing good research. You can find all the basic information on the bank’s website. If you want to find out the returns that you will be earning from the fixed deposit, you can access the tax saving FD calculator and find out the returns by entering your fixed deposit details. If you want to learn more about income tax saving FD or want to learn about other investment options, you can contact IndiaNivesh. We are among one of the most trusted and value-enhancing financial groups in India.Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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