Finance
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Indian Economic Data for September 2026
September 2026 brought a sharp rebound in PMI and record GST, but also oil above $100, a falling rupee, the market’s worst month since March, and the RBI’s first rate hike since 2023.
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RBI, SEBI, NSE/BSE, AMFI, and Government Announcements: A Two-Month Regulatory Roundup
India’s financial regulators rarely stand still for long, and the last couple of months have been busier than most. Between the Reserve Bank of India, SEBI, the stock exchanges, AMFI, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, there has been a steady stream of circulars, notifications, and policy changes that touch everyone…
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How to Build an Emergency Fund: A Practical Framework for Indian Households
Of all the pieces of financial advice that get repeated so often they become almost invisible, “build an emergency fund” might be the most under-practiced despite being nearly universally agreed upon. Almost everyone nods along when they hear it, and yet a surprisingly large number of otherwise financially disciplined people, including some who diligently run…
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NPS vs PPF vs EPF: Choosing the Right Retirement Vehicle for Indian Investors
Three letters, or rather three sets of letters, dominate almost every conversation Indian salaried professionals have about retirement savings: EPF, PPF, and NPS. All three offer tax benefits, all three are backed in some form by the government, and all three get recommended almost reflexively by financial advisors and well-meaning relatives alike. But they work…
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Indian Economic Data for August 2026
Continuing our monthly series on the Indian economy, here is a look at how the key metrics moved through August 2026. As always, a few indicators that are reported with a lag (mutual fund flows, wholesale prices, and labour force data) reflect the most recently released month rather than August itself, and this year that…
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Asset allocation strategy for middle class investors
Asset allocation plays a vital role in the overall returns generated by a portfolio of investments. It is my opinion that middle class investors should opt for mutual funds and ETFs over stocks and derivative instruments. Mutual Funds offer diversification of the portfolio and professional management of the portfolio which cannot be achieved otherwise without…
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Indian Economic Data for July 2026
Starting today we will be publishing economic data about various metrics related to the Indian Economy on a monthly basis. The purpose of this exercise is to collate economic information from various sources and make it available in a single page. The various metrics we will be referring to include the Indian stock market indices,…
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Taxes of the Government of India
The Indian Government’s annual budget was presented in the parliament by the Finance Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman on the 1st of February 2026. After several years the taxes on Tobacco products were increased significantly. It is clear that the government does not want you to have a happy life, because even if you want to…
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What Is a Financial Advisor? Advisers, Distributors and How to Choose
What a financial advisor does, the difference between a SEBI-registered investment adviser and a mutual fund distributor, how each is paid, and how to check credentials before you hire one.
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The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton Related reading: mutual funds: a beginner’s guide, and financial planning: getting started.