IRDA surrender charges norms unfair to policy buyers
It is not often that India’s insurance regulator intervenes on behalf of consumers to change the ground rules for the industry. Therefore, a round of cheers went up in December 2023 when Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) floated a discussion paper to rein in the hefty surrender charges levied by insurers when policyholders prematurely opt out. As opposed to the industry practice of appropriating 30 to 90 per cent of premiums as surrender penalties, IRDA suggested a threshold level of surrender charges beyond which insurers must refund all premiums to the customer.

Engineering insurance premium doubles in 4 years on infrastructure push
Source Credit: Aathira Varier, Business Standard

Mumbai: Engineering insurance premiums in India have doubled in four years on the back of a surge in infrastructure investments during the period.

Early in the tenure of non-linked policy you don't like? Surrender it

Draft surrender norms of December 2023

NPS vs PPF: Which retirement plan should you choose?
Creating a good retirement corpus requires consistent investments over a long period of time. Considering inflation and growing life expectancy, individuals should allocate a portion of their income for post-retirement expenses. Experts recommend developing a detailed investment plan and starting investments early to allow sufficient time for money to grow and meet financial goals.

Top mutual funds to invest in India: These 10 mid-cap MF schemes delivered the best return in five years. Check here
Top mutual funds to invest in India: Over the past five years, several notable mutual funds across different market segments have delivered impressive returns. As per data available on the AMFI website, among the top 10 best mutual funds in the mid-cap category, Quant Mid Cap Fund holds the highest position. It is followed closely by Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund and Mahindra Manulife Mid Cap Fund. Other notable performers include the PGIM India Midcap Opportunities Fund, Edelweiss Mid Cap Fund, and Baroda BNP Paribas Midcap Fund. HDFC Mid-Cap Opportunities Fund, Kotak Emerging Equity Fund, SBI Magnum Midcap Fund, and Invesco India Mid Cap Fund also feature among the top performers. These funds exhibit strong potential for growth and are favored choices for investors seeking exposure to mid-cap stocks within the mutual fund space.

Equity euphoria boosts mutual fund investor additions by 70% in FY24
The rebound in the pace of investor additions in FY24, according to experts, is largely a result of a reversal in equity market fortunes. The benchmark indices — Nifty 50 and Sensex — surged over 25 per cent in FY24, after delivering near-zero returns in FY23. The other factor is new fund launches in popular categories, as the promotion and marketing activities go up.

Mutual Funds: Key benefits of having index funds in your MF portfolio
An index fund is basically a mutual fund designed to mirror the composition and performance of a particular index on a stock exchange. Such a fund is best suited for risk-averse investors who want to get exposure to the equity market but at a lesser cost and minimum risk. Index funds are less volatile as compared to peers and offer decent returns in line with the performance of respective indices.

Mutual Funds SIP investments rise to Rs 2 lakh core in FY24
Mutual funds: SIP contributions jumped 28% to nearly ₹2 lakh crore in FY24, shows AMFI data

Fed talk, geopolitical tensions may keep markets on edge
Mumbai: Indian equities are likely to come under pressure on Friday amid negative global cues. Gift Nifty slipped around 1 per cent on Thursday. Nifty futures at Gift City (8 pm IST) is hovering around 22,590 against Nifty futures at 22,812 on the NSE. Global stocks slid after US March inflation data came in hotter than expected, with a 3.5 per cent increase in consumer prices for the year to March. This has raised the probability of the US Federal Reserve maintaining a status quo in June, keeping interest rates higher for longer, and resorting to two rate cuts instead of three this year.

Fundraising via qualified institutional placements gains traction in 2024

So far, 23 companies have raised Rs 23,393 crore in 2024 through this route, almost half compared to the previous year. In 2023, 45 companies had raised Rs 52,350 crore through QIPs.

High valuation has not stopped Indian market performance: Vafa Ahmadi, CPR Asset Management
Investors in India are warming up to thematic investment, going by the recent trend in inflows. However, it is an established practice globally, especially among well informed investors. SBI Funds Management’s joint venture partner Amundi, the world’s fifth-largest asset manager, has a separate arm, CPR Asset Management, headquartered in Paris, which specialises in thematic investments. Of the assets worth €57 billion it manages, about 31 per cent are thematic. Vafa Ahmadi, Managing Director and Head of Global Thematic Equities, CPR AM, spoke to businessline on the emerging trends.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Green shoots in private capex are visible: Assocham President Sanjay Nayar
After leading private equity (PE) firm KKR in India for a decade, Sanjay Nayar has taken over as president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (Assocham) to steer the industry body at a crucial time. Nayar, who is also the founder of Sorin Investment Fund, spoke to Dev Chatterjee from Europe about Assocham’s priorities, pick up in private capex and the startup ecosystem.

Edited excerpts