Insurance: Why should you buy term plan with return of premium?
Term insurance plans are usually meant to provide financial security to the policyholder’s dependents and kin in the unfortunate scenario of policyholder’s demise. Some subscribers, however, don’t subscribe to the idea of a vanilla term insurance  plan since there is no provision of return of their investment. 

Sebi cautions against fraudulent trading platforms offering stock market access via FPI route
 

Rejection of final EPF claims sees surge in 5 years, up from 13% to 34%
Rejection rates of EPF final settlement have been surging, up from around 13 per cent in 2017-18 to nearly 34 per cent in 2022-23, which translates into over one in every three claims for final settlement of provident fund amount made by the members being turned down by the EPFO.

A global technology fund could be an ideal vehicle for investors, says Trideep Bhattacharya of Edelweiss AMC
To mitigate potential volatility and downside risks in portfolios, diversification across asset classes, sectors, and geographies is essential, says Trideep Bhattacharya- Chief Investment Officer – Equities, Edelweiss AMC.

Retirement mutual funds: Why should you opt for these schemes? 3 key reasons explained
One of the key financial goals of retail investors is to ensure wealth creation for retirement and children’s education. Aside from an array of equity and debt mutual fund schemes, investors can opt for the bespoke policies meant for retirement.

Brace for higher volatility as valuations head north: Harsha Upadhyaya, CIO - Equity, Kotak Mahindra AMC
Mumbai: Political stability and policy environment are positives for the market, says Harsha Upadhyaya, CIO - Equity, Kotak Mahindra AMC. A strong reversal in flows or weakening earnings expectations could lead to a correction.

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Cautious Kotak MF restricts inflows into small-cap fund
Mumbai: Kotak Mutual Fund will restrict inflows into its small-cap fund to ₹25,000 a month through Systematic Investment Plan and lumpsum investment to ₹2 lakh from March 4. Almost all the leading fund houses including SBI MF, Nippon MF and Tata MF have limited inflows into their small-cap funds due to sharp run-up in valuations amid unprecedented inflows. “We will review this call in the second quarter of this calendar year depending on better clarity emerging on some of these uncertainties or as more opportunities arise with the progression of the economy or valuations becoming more palatable,” said Kotak MF on Monday.

International mutual fund schemes see fresh round of restrictions
Fund houses, which first got close to breaching the investment limit in January 2022, have been opening their schemes for inflows as and when redemptions create room for fresh foreign investment.
 

SBI Energy Opportunities fund gets ₹6,700 crore in NFO

The SBI Energy Opportunities Fund is an open-ended equity scheme following the energy theme tracking Nifty Energy TR Index. The scheme would primarily invest 80–100 per cent of its assets in equity and equity-related instruments of companies engaged in energy (traditional and new) and allied business activities theme. It will include equity and equity-related instruments (including equity derivatives), debt securities (including securitised debt & debt derivatives) and money market instruments (including tri-party repos).

Fundraising via QIPs gain traction as India Inc looks for growth capital
So far this year, 12 companies have raised Rs 10,655 crore through this route, involving the issuance of fresh shares to a handful of institutional investors at a price slightly below the prevailing market rate.
 

The ‘gamification’ of Indian equities poses macro and market threats
Indian equity market capitalization has more than doubled to $4.7 trillion in the past five years (as on 26 February 2024). Market depth has increased, with cash-market volumes now averaging $14.9 billion daily. Domestic investors have participated in this, with 80 million investors now directly accessing this market, some 40 million of them through equity mutual funds. Indian retail investors have participated in this wealth creation journey of half a decade, having gained an estimated ₹16 trillion in their investments in mutual funds and ₹20 trillion from direct equity investments. The combined value of their investments in mutual funds and equity is now placed at over ₹67 trillion.