Himali Patel

US-focused funds' outlook in 2026: Expect consolidation, moderate returns

US-focused mutual funds surged in 2025 on an AI-led rally. In 2026, expect consolidation and moderate returns; rebalance mega-cap tech exposure and invest in phases

Gold's outlook for 2026: Expect returns to moderate after scorching run-up

While existing investors should do partial rebalancing, new investors should enter in a staggered manner

Year-end fund review: Is underperformance cyclical or fundamental?

Temporary underperformance could be due to the fund manager's investment style not being favoured by the market currently; wait out such phases

Year-end portfolio review: Should you reduce weight of gold and silver?

Small deviations may be corrected by directing more money into underperforming assets like debt and equities

Overseas investments via GIFT City funds: Strong rules, simpler taxes

Taxes on capital gains and dividends are paid at the fund level; investors do not pay

Buy life insurance riders that align with your financial goals, risks

Understand exclusions, waiting periods, survival period requirements, and claim triggers before purchase

Take cover: Check details, seek written confirmation of terrorism insurance

Terrorism coverage under term, health, and home policies varies across insurers and products, may require rider, and could come with loadings for high-risk occupations and regions

Term insurance: Pick insurer with consistently high claim settlement ratio

A strong persistency ratio signals customer trust, better service and fewer disputes, while a high claim settlement ratio shows how reliably an insurer honours claims-key checks before buying term cov

Rich IPO valuations: Track post-listing performance before investing

Better price points, aligned to fundamentals, tend to emerge once the initial hype fades

Exit a fund only if risk appetite changes or tracking error widens

Experts say investors should not exit smart-beta funds due to short-term underperformance as factor strategies are cyclical and tend to recover

Retain transfer proof, receipts in political donations for future scrutiny

The receipt must have details such as donor name, amount, date, payment mode, PAN, and party registration number

Algo trading: Trade with multiple stop-losses, strict risk control limits

When selecting an algo, factor in not just the returns but also the costs incurred while trading

Go global to limit India-specific shocks, hedge currency risk

Limit global allocation to 10-15% initially, avoid chasing recent outperforming countries and themes

Use passive funds in portfolio for broad-based, low-cost, stable allocation

Avoid need to chop and change funds due to underperformance; supplement with active funds in satellite portion

Bank nomination rules amended to align with will, avoid disputes

For deposits, nominee shares should mirror the division in the will; for lockers, the order should match the will

MAAFs: Rebalance if allocation in portfolio has drifted significantly

Continue SIP if the fund has maintained its strategy and performance consistency, and continues to suit your goals

Access to EPF corpus made easier, but use the facility only in emergencies

EPF subscribers should continue to save separately for housing, and children's education and marriage

Buy gold ETF with low tracking error and expense ratio, high liquidity

Bulk of gold investment for investment purpose should be through ETFs; limit jewellery purchase to personal use

Bull run in silver: Avoid large lump-sum bets after massive rally

In particular, one-time investments in silver ETFs, which are trading at high premiums, must be avoided

Property deals: Mismatch in sale value, TDS, returns may invite scrutiny

Quoting false PAN can lead to a penalty of ₹10,000 per default; wilful concealment can even result in imprisonment