News & Analysis
AI-summarized financial news from RBI, IRDAI, SEBI, and major financial publications. Original summaries, always linked to source.
A standard health insurance policy covers hospitalisation. But what about the income you lose, the lifestyle changes you face, and the non-medical costs of a critical illness? That is where critical illness cover steps in.
PFRDA has released a consultation paper proposing a minimum return guarantee of 4.5-5.5% on NPS Tier-I accounts, fundamentally altering the risk profile of India's flagship pension scheme.
At least 14 health insurers have filed for premium increases in early 2026. We track which companies raised rates, by how much, and whether the hikes are justified by claims data.
A head-to-head comparison of home loan interest rates, processing fees, and hidden charges at India's three largest mortgage lenders as of April 2026.
India's Unified Payments Interface processed over 20 billion monthly transactions in March 2026, cementing its position as the world's largest real-time payment system. We break down what the data reveals.
The income tax return filing deadline for AY 2027-28 is 31 July 2026. CBDT has released updated ITR forms with new schedules for capital gains and the revised new regime. Here is your complete filing guide.
Mid-cap funds delivered 6.2% returns in Q4 FY26 while flexi-cap funds returned 5.8%, outperforming large-cap and small-cap categories. Here is the complete category-wise breakdown.
The government has retained the SSY interest rate at 8.2% for Q1 FY27. We compare SSY with mutual fund SIPs, PPF, and FDs to determine the optimal savings strategy for a girl child.
IRDAI's FY25 grievance statistics reveal significant variation in complaint volumes across health insurers. We analyse the data to identify patterns and what they mean for policyholders.
The Ministry of Labour has notified an increase in the tax-exempt gratuity ceiling from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for employees under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
The government maintains small savings rates for April-June 2026, keeping PPF at 7.1% and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme at 8.2%. Here is how they compare with alternatives.
The GST Council has deferred a decision on reducing the 18% GST on insurance premiums, while the insurance industry lobbies for zero-rated or 5% GST on life and health products.
Foreign institutional investors pulled out Rs 1.52 lakh crore from Indian equities in FY26, yet the Nifty 50 ended the year up 11%. The counterbalance: DIIs invested a record Rs 1.87 lakh crore.
A detailed guide to home loan balance transfers in a falling interest rate environment, including break-even calculations, hidden costs, and step-by-step process.
The GST Council is reviewing a proposal to merge the 12% and 18% GST slabs into a single 15% rate, which would simplify compliance and affect pricing across sectors.
Relying solely on your employer's group health policy is a financial risk. Here are the seven critical gaps that most corporate policies have, and how to fill them.
With gold prices crossing 82,000 rupees per 10 grams, investors have three main options for gold exposure. We compare digital gold, physical gold, and Sovereign Gold Bonds on returns, costs, and tax treatment.
The RBI has notified amendments to FEMA regulations simplifying property acquisition, mutual fund investments, and repatriation rules for Non-Resident Indians.
If your total tax liability for FY 2026-27 exceeds Rs 10,000 after TDS, you must pay advance tax in four instalments. Missing a deadline triggers interest under Sections 234B and 234C. Here is the complete guide for freelancers and professionals.
24-karat gold breached the Rs 1,00,000 mark in March 2026, driven by global central bank buying, geopolitical tensions, and a weakening US dollar. The rally continued to Rs 1.5 lakh by April.
SEBI has mandated enhanced monthly stress-testing disclosures for small-cap and mid-cap mutual fund schemes, requiring AMCs to publish estimated liquidation timelines and impact cost data.
Fixed deposit rates at SBI, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank have declined 20-40 bps in 2026 so far. Senior citizens and conservative investors should act before the next round of cuts.
India's Account Aggregator network has crossed 10 crore cumulative consent requests, enabling faster and paperless loan approvals. Here is how the framework works and why it matters for borrowers.
A comprehensive comparison of FD rates across major banks as of March 2026. Several banks still offer above 7.5% for specific tenures even as rate cut expectations grow.
Incorrect TDS on salary is more common than you think. From wrong regime selection to missing deduction declarations, here is how to verify your Form 16 and ensure your employer is deducting the right amount of tax at source.
SEBI has tightened margin requirements for weekly options and reduced lot sizes, directly affecting the estimated 1.2 crore retail F&O traders in India.
Super top-up health insurance is the most cost-efficient way to get high coverage in India. Here is how to use it strategically with your existing base policy.
The BSE Sensex crossed the historic 85,000 mark driven by strong FII inflows, a weakening dollar, and robust Q3 earnings from India's technology sector.
While large banks offer 2.70-3.00% on savings accounts, several small finance banks and digital banks still pay 6-7%. Here are the best options and the trade-offs involved.
New portability rules make switching health insurers easier, with mandatory acceptance of waiting period credits and a 15-day guaranteed transfer window.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised the per-transaction UPI limit from 1 lakh to 5 lakh for retail payments and enabled credit line access via UPI on RuPay infrastructure.
The Rs 1.25 lakh annual LTCG exemption on equity can save you Rs 15,625 each year, and far more through strategic harvesting. Here is how to structure your mutual fund redemptions to legally minimise long-term capital gains tax.
We analysed lending data from five major banks to quantify the exact interest rate benefit of maintaining a CIBIL score above 750 versus lower score bands.
The Open Network for Digital Commerce is expanding beyond e-commerce into financial services. Insurance policies, mutual fund investments, and credit products will soon be available on the ONDC protocol.
The GST Council is reviewing the tax rate on insurance premiums, with proposals ranging from full exemption on term life to a reduced 12% on health insurance. Here is what each scenario means for policyholders.
We built a composite claims difficulty index using IRDAI FY25 data on rejection rates, turnaround time, and grievance frequency. Here are the five insurers where filing a claim is hardest.
NSE announces Nifty 50 index changes effective March 2026. Zomato and Jio Financial Services replace BPCL and Britannia Industries in the benchmark index.
IRDAI has finalized the composite license framework, allowing a single insurer to underwrite life, health, and general insurance. We break down the consumer impact and timeline.
The Reserve Bank of India's digital rupee pilot has scaled to 50 lakh daily active users across retail and wholesale segments. Here is a practical guide to what the e-rupee can and cannot do today.
In a landmark directive, IRDAI has mandated that health insurers must provide cashless settlement at any hospital, not just network hospitals, effective April 2026.
The combined AUM of index funds and ETFs in India has crossed Rs 3 lakh crore for the first time, driven by regulatory changes, lower costs, and consistent underperformance by active large-cap managers.
The Reserve Bank of India has imposed stricter norms on unsecured personal lending, including higher risk weights and income documentation requirements for banks and NBFCs.
IRDAI has released the draft framework for Arogya Sanjeevani 2.0, a revamped standardised health insurance product with higher sum insured options, no room rent limits, and mandatory wellness benefits.
The National Pension System offers tax benefits under both the old and new regimes, but the rules differ significantly. From the exclusive 80CCD(1B) deduction to employer contribution limits, here is the complete NPS tax guide for FY 2026-27.
New RBI guidelines introduce a 48-hour cooling-off period for digital loans under 1 lakh and cap interest rates on microloans at a spread of 12% above the repo rate.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has restructured NPS lifecycle funds to allow up to 100% equity allocation for subscribers below age 35, significantly boosting growth potential.
The capital gains tax framework was overhauled in Budget 2024 and remains in effect for FY 2026-27. From the Rs 1.25 lakh LTCG exemption on equity to the removal of indexation on property, here is a plain-English guide to every rule.
Nifty 50 aggregate earnings grew only 8% in Q3 FY26, the slowest pace in six quarters. With the index trading at 22x trailing PE, analysts debate whether valuations are stretched.
Should you prepay your home loan or invest that surplus in mutual funds? We run the numbers on a Rs 50 lakh loan at 8.25% to find the mathematically optimal answer.
The RBI has approved WhatsApp Pay to extend UPI services to its full 500 million user base in India, removing the earlier cap. This could reshape the competitive dynamics of the UPI payment landscape.
The Reserve Bank of India kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.25% but shifted its monetary policy stance to accommodative, signalling possible rate cuts ahead. Markets responded positively.
The Union Budget 2026 made no changes to debt mutual fund taxation, keeping them at marginal rates. Here is a comprehensive guide to optimising your fixed-income portfolio in the current regime.
The Finance Bill 2026 provides much-needed clarity on capital gains taxation, including grandfathering provisions for investments made before the July 2025 changes.
Room rent sub-limits are the most misunderstood clause in Indian health insurance. Here is how a Rs 5 lakh sum insured can shrink to Rs 3.5 lakh or less when you actually need it.
Budget 2026 raised the nil-tax threshold under the new regime to Rs 12 lakh and introduced a revised slab structure. Here is a side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right regime for FY 2026-27.
Finance Minister announces significant changes to the new tax regime with revised slabs and an increased standard deduction, making the new regime more attractive for salaried taxpayers.
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City has attracted over 70 fintech companies and global fund managers in the past year. We explore what makes this special economic zone a magnet for financial services firms.
The Pension Fund Regulatory Authority has increased the maximum equity allocation under NPS Active Choice from 75% (age-graded) to a flat 75% up to age 60, boosting long-term return potential.
Thousands of salaried employees either underclaimfor HRA exemption or make computational errors that inflate their tax liability. This guide walks through the exact formula, common pitfalls, and metro vs non-metro rules for FY 2026-27.
A step-up SIP that increases by just 10% each year can nearly double your final corpus compared to a flat SIP over 20 years. Here is the math, with examples at different return assumptions.
The RBI has issued fresh compliance guidelines for digital lending platforms, mandating transparent fee disclosure, cooling-off periods, and stricter data privacy requirements.
Discount brokers and fintech platforms now account for over 40% of new mutual fund SIP registrations in India. We examine how they reshaped distribution and what it means for investors.
In a significant move to protect smaller investors, SEBI has prohibited portfolio management services with AUM below Rs 50 crore from charging performance-linked fees.
IRDAI's annual claims data reveals stark differences in term insurance claim settlement ratios across life insurers. We analyse the numbers behind the marketing.
A data-driven comparison of India's two largest standalone health insurers on claims settlement ratio, turnaround time, and grievance rates using IRDAI FY2024-25 filings.
SEBI has announced revised total expense ratio (TER) slabs for mutual funds, reducing costs for investors in larger AUM categories. The new structure takes effect from April 2026.
With Rs 1.5 lakh available under Section 80C and an additional Rs 50,000 under 80CCD(1B), investors face a three-way choice between ELSS, PPF, and NPS. This comparison breaks down returns, lock-in periods, and tax treatment for FY 2026-27.
SEBI has approved a new asset class with a minimum investment of Rs 10 lakh, sitting between mutual funds and portfolio management services. Here is what it offers and who should consider it.
The Reserve Bank of India has proposed a framework for green deposits, allowing banks to accept term deposits specifically earmarked for environmentally sustainable projects.
India's largest banks are deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning models across loan origination, credit scoring, and fraud detection. We examine the specific implementations and their impact.
Bima Sugam, often called the 'UPI of insurance,' goes live with policy comparison, purchase, claims tracking, and portability features all on one platform.
The EPFO board is set to announce the provident fund interest rate for FY 2026-27 amid surplus corpus earnings. We analyse whether the rate will hold at 8.25% or inch higher.
Budget 2024 increased the standard deduction from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 for salaried individuals and pensioners under both tax regimes. Here is how this change affects your monthly take-home pay, TDS computation, and overall tax liability for FY 2026-27.
SEBI approves a new investment product category allowing mutual fund houses to offer higher-risk strategies with a minimum ticket size of 10 lakh, bridging the gap between MFs and PMS.
In a landmark directive, IRDAI has mandated that every insurer must ensure seamless cashless settlement at all empanelled network hospitals by 1 October 2026, eliminating reimbursement delays for policyholders.
The e-Rupee retail pilot has achieved a milestone of 50 lakh daily transactions as the RBI expands the CBDC pilot to 30 banks with new features including offline payments.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has fixed the interest rate on EPF deposits at 8.25% for FY26, up from 8.15% in FY25, benefiting 7 crore subscribers.
