Myths around your lapsed car insurance busted: Should you renew your policy if the car isn’t being used at all?
In an ideal scenario, no insurance policies should ever lapse; however, when it comes to motor insurance, the stakes are even higher. Lapsed policies have no room in motor insurance – as it’s illegal to drive without at least a valid third-party motor insurance policy. Certainly, for overall protection, one should opt for a comprehensive policy that covers damage to your own car as well.

What to keep in mind when buying two wheeler insurance?
As two-wheeler ownership continues to rise in India, ensuring adequate insurance coverage is paramount for safety and financial security. Two-wheeler insurance not only provides protection against unforeseen accidents but also complies with legal requirements mandated by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Modern health treatments and policy coverage
A few days ago, I read a news story about a cancer survivor’s struggle to get an insurance claim for a targeted therapy using Trastuzumab. She was successful in getting a partial claim after a legal battle. Despite it being a victory, in most cases, it often does not feel so for the policyholder. Health insurance is increasingly becoming a mainstay support for health expenditure. Policyholders buy high sum assured to hedge against an accelerating medical inflation, advancement in medical treatment, and complex critical illnesses. The rapid medical progress means that some of the medical treatment undertaken by patients may not be prevalent at the time of policy design and underwriting. However, this should not become an insurer’s excuse to reject claims. If so, the insurer fails to provide due indemnity. Aside from financial coverage, one of the primary objectives of insurance is to deliver peace of mind. The prospect of legal fights is hardly any assurance.

Sebi invites suggestions from stakeholders on ease of doing business for mutual funds
The capital markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has released a consultation paper on ease of doing business initiatives for mutual funds. 

Sebi using Artificial Intelligence for investigations, says official
SEBI using AI for investigations, says official

Mutual funds: How to tweak investment in hybrid schemes for a balanced portfolio?
Mutual funds: In January 2024, investments in hybrid mutual fund schemes totaled ₹20,637 crore, marking a 37 percent increase from December 2023. Palka Arora Chopra, Personal Finance Experts suggests that a strategic approach to incorporating hybrid mutual funds in a balanced portfolio revolves around diversification across asset classes.

Why DSP MF’s Kalpen Parekh is bullish on long duration debt
Kalpen Parekh, 51, believes in conservative investing. However, the managing director and chief executive officer of DSP Mutual Fund, has now tweaked his strategy on debt investments. “Our view is that interest rates are now reasonably priced and long-duration looks attractive right now," Parekh says.

How mutual funds are tapping into the bull market
In a recent edition of Contramoney, I quoted this from The Economist:

‘Investors can get higher risk adjusted returns from debt funds than bank savings accounts’: Ganesh Mohan
Ganesh Mohan, CEO, Bajaj Finserv Asset Management, says when the interest rates correct in the US, yield will become an important concern for foreign investors, which will then start looking at the Indian markets a lot more. “Whatever the US does, pressure will be higher on the RBI to do a similar action.”

One-year ascent: Mutual funds go from Rs 40 trillion to Rs 53 trillion

Analysis of data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India shows that asset growth was largely driven by the appreciation in the prices of the underlying assets. The assets under management have grown by Rs 13 trillion during the February 2023–January 2024 period to Rs 52.7 trillion. The net inflows in this period came in at Rs 3.86 trillion.  

Secondary sales by PE firms more than double to ₹87,348 cr
Despite the slowdown in overall PE-VC investments, secondary sales by private equity (PE) firms more than doubled to ₹87,348 crore in 2023, aided by the macro environment and maturing secondary markets. With the overall euphoria in the industry, the rising trend is expected to continue this year as well.

FPIs stay bullish, infuse ₹18,500 crore in debt market in February
 

India’s infra market remains attractive: KKR India
With 50 per cent of a recently raised $6.4-billion fund committed to assets in the infrastructure sector, Hardik Shah, partner at private equity major KKR India, is confident that foreign investors will continue to focus on the country. Pointing out that India is among the few countries offering top-quartile risk-adjusted returns, Shah outlines to businessline how KKR will prioritise future infrastructure investments. Edited excerpts from the interview:

FPIs tap the brakes on equity sell-off, Feb outflows plummet to ₹423 crore
Resilient Indian equity markets, which saw key benchmarks Nifty50 and Sensex hitting an all time high this past week, may have prompted Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to put brakes on their aggressive equity selling spree, bringing down their net equity outflows so far this month to ₹423 crore, depositories data showed.

Banks look at bonds, rights issue amid stretched loan-to-deposit ratios
Mumbai: Amid the tight liquidity environment and stretched loan-to-deposit ratios (LDRs), banks are looking at alternative fund-raising options to support their balance sheets, leading to several of them tapping the capital markets to raise debt or equity through varied instruments.