Exploring Untapped Potential of Mutual Funds

 

The Mutual Fund industry has seen unprecedented growth in the past 3 years. In November 2016, total assets managed by mutual funds touched a record high of ?16.5 lakh crores rupees, a year on year growth of 27%.

Total number of folios in India also reached a record number of 4.7 crore. However, mutual funds still suffer extremely low penetration in India. A 7% share of Assets under Management (AUM) of Mutual Funds to GDP is significantly lower than some other emerging economies like Brazil (42%) and South Africa (33%).

Introducing Direct plans of mutual funds

MoneyFront aims to highlight the true potential of mutual funds to investors by firstly adopting the no-conflict option of direct plan of mutual funds. Direct plans are an alternative to the regular plans of mutual funds where you can skip the distributors and agents and invest directly with the Fund House.

Exploring Untapped Potential of Mutual Funds A direct consequence of this is an increase in returns by up to 1.5% annually, as the commissions paid to the distributors/agent are not charged to the scheme. MoneyFront, in its endeavour to provide maximum benefits to clients offers only ‘Direct Plans’.

For investors who are not well-versed about mutual funds or who need help with their asset allocation, MoneyFront also offers investment advisory that provides model portfolios and scheme recommendations tailor-made to the investor’s financial goals and risk tolerance levels. Over and above that, the investors have access to a vast library of news, views, developments, and statistics related to mutual fund schemes and everything else that impacts them.(read more...)

Your Loan Eligibility Holds the Key to Your Dream Home

Latest News - Have you ever been hounded by telemarketers urging you to apply for a loan? Calls, text messages, WhatsApp or even meeting you in person, representatives of financial companies leave no stone unturned when it comes to convincing you to take a loan.

But how is the loan eligibility application processed? Do lenders really bend over backwards to hand you the loan cheque? It does not quite work that way.

Yes, sales personnel employed by financial institutions are aggressive in their attempts to lure you. They have to be; their commissions depend on it. And if one takes the bait and applies for a loan, the situation is likely to change by the time the application is processed.

It is the borrower who is expected to satisfy the credit parameters and fulfil all the eligibility criteria for the Home Loan.

Let’s get down to the basics. What do you think is the main eligibility criteria for taking a Home Loan?

The simple answer is the borrower’s ability to repay the loan.

This means the income of the loan applicant must be enough to pay the instalments on time. The lender provides a schedule for paying the equated monthly instalments (EMIs).

With interest rates favourable, now is as good a time to take a Home Loan as any. And non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) such as Bajaj Finserv offer instant approvals and Home Loans at attractive interest rates when you apply online.

Find out how:(read more...)

Why are More People Applying for Personal Loans?

Why do people prefer Personal Loans
 

There are many factors that make Personal Loans more attractive.
 

• Easy to get: Personal Loans are easier to obtain than many other types of loans.
• Flexible usage: You can use the funds in a variety of ways. You can use it to pay for a vacation or a medical emergency. You can use it to fund a wedding, renovate a house, and more. 
• Quick process: It can take as little as three days to get approval for a Personal Loan. Just make sure you have all the necessary documentation.
• No collateral: Personal Loans are unsecured loans. In other words, they are not backed by any collateral. This helps reduce the documents required for your loan application or even the duration of the vetting process. 

You can even apply for a Personal Loan from the convenience of your home. All you need to do is visit the lender’s website. An application for a Personal Loan from Bajaj Finserv , for instance, usually takes seconds for approval and you can get funds of up to Rs.25 lakh in as little as 72 hours. 

 

 

The bottom line

Personal Loans are popular today, but it is important that you opt for a professional lender to avail financing. Keep the various factors in mind when you apply for a Personal Loan and take the first step towards fulfilling your financial goals. (read more...)

 

Paytm crosses 200 million wallet user base

Since demonetisation the company claims to have made rapid strides in the online wallet sector

 

Latest News - Mobile wallet major, Paytm announced today that its user base has crossed 200 million users. The company said that within three years of launching the Paytm Wallet, it has become most widely used and accepted payment method in the country.

Since demonetisation the company claims to have made rapid strides in the online wallet sector by laying stake to the top position. In the last 12 months, the company has managed to launch a variety of offline services, which have increased the usage of phones at various points.

Paytm wallet has moved from just mobile phone and DTH recharges, electricity, gas and water bill payments, to using it at milk booths, grocery stores, pharmacies and parking among other places.

"Reaching 200 Mn registered users and more than half a million users on a daily basis is a great showcase of the country's trust in our payment solution and reaffirms our belief in the need for a quick and easy cashless payment method. Going forward, we would continue to drive strong consumer-focused innovation in the category to reach the widest set of merchants and consumers in India," said Deepak Abbot, senior vice-president.(read more...)

Paytm launches online marketplace app - Paytm Mall

Paytm Mall aims to offer a combination of the Mall and Bazaar concepts to Indian consumers

 

 

Breaking News : Paytm E-commerce on Monday announced the launch of its new Paytm Mall application on Android.

Paytm Mall aims to offer a combination of the Mall and Bazaar concepts to Indian consumers.

"Only trusted sellers passing strict quality guidelines and qualification criteria will be allowed on the 'Mall'," Paytm said in a statement here.

All products listed on the mall will also go through Paytm certified warehouse and shipping channels ensuring guaranteed consumer trust, it said.

"We have defined quality criteria for sellers and are building strict controls over warehousing and shipping for products sold on Paytm Mall. Consumers would continue to get the largest assortment of domestic and international products through Paytm Bazaar, which will also be featured on the new app," said Saurabh Vashishtha, Vice President - Paytm.

The Bazaar is an unstructured shopping channel on Paytm that will also be featured on a new application, it added.

Paytm Mall has over 17 fulfilment centres across the country to offer consumers an efficient online shopping experience.

The platform would also offer sellers the widest reach through its vast network of over 40 courier partners, it said.

The Paytm Mall would also launch an ungraded version of the Paytm Seller app, available in 7 regional languages allowing anyone with a smartphone to set up an online shop on Paytm Mall.

Paytm Mall is available on Android, and lists over 68 million products sold by 1.4 lakh sellers spread over 1000 cities and towns across the country. The iOS app is expected soon. (read more...)

Web browsing and more: Nokia 3310 mobile model is back with a revamp

Unlike the original, which was known for its sturdiness, the new Nokia 3310 will allow web browsing

 

 

Latest News : Finnish brand Nokia, a former mobile star, launched three new Android smartphones and unveiled a revamped version of its iconic Nokia 3310 model more than a decade after it was phased out.

Unlike the original, which was known for its sturdiness, the new Nokia 3310 will allow web browsing.

The new version will bring back its predecessor's popular "Snake" game and distinctive ringtones, said Arto Nummela, the head of Finnish start-up HMD Global which will produce the phone under a licensing agreement with Nokia.

"The telephone will allow you to talk for 22 hours, ten times more than the original," he said during a presentation in Barcelona on the eve of the start of the Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest mobile phone show.

Launched in 2000, Nokia's original 3310 sold nearly 120 million units worldwide before it was discontinued in 2005, making it one of the world's best-selling mobile phones.

Analysts said resurrecting the popular model was a clever way for HMD Global to relaunch Nokia's brand.(read more...)

8 ways to protect your digital privacy in era of hacking and public shaming

Password management software is best defense against phishing attack: EFF technologist Jacob Hoffman

 

 

Latest News - We are living in an era of widespread hacking and public shaming. Don't like your political rivals? Beg Russia to hack them, and their emails mysteriously show up on Wikileaks. Don't like your ex-spouse? Post a revenge porn video. Don't like your video game opponents? Find their address online and send a SWAT team to their door.

And, of course, the US government has the capability to do even more. It can spy on much of the globe's Internet traffic and has in the past kept tabs on nearly every American's phone calls. Like it or not, we are all combatants in an information war, with our data under constant siege.

So how can ordinary people defend themselves? The truth is you can't defend everything. But you can mitigate threats by reducing how much data you leave exposed for an intruder to grab. Hackers call this minimising your "attack surface."

The good news is that there are some easy steps you can take to reduce the threat. Here is what I am doing this year:

1. Updating Software
2. Making Passwords Longer
3. Securing Communications
4. Protecting Mobile Web Browsing
5. Dropping Dropbox
6. Deleting Some Data
7. Reconsidering Installing Cameras and Microphones at Home
8. Opting Out of Data Brokers

Read Article Source>>>

2 Indians die every minute due to air pollution: Study

Patna and New Delhi are found to be the worst polluted cities of the world for PM 2.5 levels

 

 

Latest News -  The air Indians breathe is turning more toxic by the day and an average of two deaths take place daily due to air pollution, says a new study.

According to medical journal The Lancet, over a million Indians death by air pollution and some of the worst polluted cities of the world are in India.

The study released this week but based on 2010 data estimates that globally 2.7-3.4 million pre-term births may be associated with PM 2.5 exposure and South Asia is the worst hit accounting for 1.6 million pre-term births.

The study says causes of air pollution and climate change are intricately linked and needed to be tackled together.

The Lancet concludes that climate change posed both a "potentially catastrophic risk to human health", while conversely being "the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century" if the right steps are taken.

The smog over northern India is extracting a heavy toll, every minute two lives are lost in India due to ambient air pollution, the study published in The Lancet says.

Further, according an estimate by the World Bank, this would amount to a whopping $38 billion loss in income towards labour in India (read more...)

Virat Kohli first Indian sportsperson to ink Rs 100-cr deal with Puma

The long-term deal could potentially cover Kohli's remaining career with the Indian team

 

BREAKING NEWS  - Virat Kohli became the first Indian sports personality to strike a

Rs 100-crore deal with a single brand, reported Times of India. Kohli signed an eight-year deal with sports apparel brand Puma worth Rs 110 crore. The Indian cricket captain is now set to join the likes of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Thierry Henry, among others, as a global ambassador for the brand.

The long-term deal could potentially cover Kohli’s remaining career with the Indian team. A bulk of the endorsement deal, estimated between Rs 12 crore to 14 crore annually, is locked up in fixed payout.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a great list of athletes that Puma has,” Kohli told TOI. “Not just today’s icons like Usain Bolt, but also the brand’s rich history with Pele, Maradona, Thierry Henry and others. Both Puma and I are committed to a long-term partnership. I am impressed by the way Puma has gained popularity and market leadership in India in a short period of time,” he added.

Only Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in the Rs 100-crore club through multi-year contracts with talent management agencies, but they have never been signed by a single brand for such a big amount. (read more...)

Note ban: You can withdraw Rs 50,000 from your savings accounts from today

Govt, RBI had imposed limits on withdrawal of money due to shortage of currency following note ban

 

 

Breaking News - The weekly limit on withdrawal of cash from savings bank accounts will be increased to Rs 50,000, from the current Rs 24,000, from Monday, and the limit will be removed from March 13.

"Effective February 20, 2017, the limits from cash withdrawal limit from savings bank accounts will be enhanced to Rs 50,000 per week from the current limit of Rs 24,000 per week (and) effective March 13, 2017, there will be no limits prescribed by RBI on cash withdrawal from savings bank accounts."

The Government and RBI had imposed limits on withdrawal of money from ATMs and bank branches in view of the currency shortage following demonetisation.

These limits, however, are being gradually eased, with RBI pumping in new notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. (read more...)