Page 3 - Karthik Jerome

Beware, over-leveraging with top-up home loan could cost your home

A top-up home loan's tenure can, in theory, extend up to the residual tenure of the home loan

Health insurance premiums are rising: Here is how to stay covered

Combine base policy with super top-up; buying a multi-year policy will also help

Lock into best fixed deposit rates for up to a three-year tenure

Senior citizens will receive an additional 50 basis points over these rates.

Try pay-as-you-drive insurance cover if driving under 10K km annually

A standard motor insurance plan has no cap on the number of kilometres (kms) a customer can drive. "In a PAYD plan, customers opt for a predefined number of kilometres

Costlier term cover: Opt for high claim settlement with low premium

Narrow down prospective insurers' list to well-known players with strong claim settlement ratios, then select one offering lowest price

Life insurance premium rates are rising; select one at early age

Narrow down the list of prospective insurers to well-known players having strong claim settlement ratios, then select one offering lowest price

BAFs: Check equity exposure range; select fund based on risk appetite

Currently, retail investors perceive equity market valuations to be expensive

Buy adequate home insurance to rebuild property in case of monsoon damage

Use carpet as measure area to determine the sum insured

Cashless claim denied? Bank on credit card, pledge gold or fixed deposit

Keep some emergency cash at home and ensure your credit card limits are adequate

Loan against MFs: Opt if portfolio growth set to outpace loan rate

The Mutual Funds offered as collateral must be held in demat format

Play it safe: Match your horizon with gilt fund's average maturity

By taking the mutual fund route, investors can take exposure to gilts with small amounts

Midlife financial planning: Buy deferred annuity plan for assured income

Some portion of retirement savings must also be invested in growth assets and some in liquid ones to meet emergencies

Reversion to mean: Why frequent switching of SIPs should be avoided

Long-term investors should never stop their SIPs during market corrections

Mutual funds or NPS? Go for both if you don't mind latter's lock-in

MFs offer investors access to a wider range of assets (gold and international funds), fund houses and fund managers. Barring ELSS, the open-ended funds offer anytime liquidity

How to handle demands for outstanding dues on credit card that's not yours

Check your credit report, either monthly or quarterly, to stay informed about your credit transactions

Check mid-market exchange rate in global currency when sending money abroad

Ensure the money transfer provider is a licensed entity

Safety guaranteed: Diversify into g-secs to lower risk in your portfolio

Choose instrument by matching your investment horizon with tenure of the paper

Smart landing: What to keep in mind when investing in real estate

While prices remained stagnant (2015 to 2021), incomes rose, enhancing affordability. This bodes well for the housing sector in a country facing a shortage of 20 million houses

Looking for value housing? Buy in a locality where rental yield exceeds 3%

After three years of price rise, some areas may be growing overheated; proceed with caution

Fixed Deposit investors: Stagger FD investments to catch peak rates

While some portion of your money should go into longer-tenure FDs offering higher rates, diversifying across maturities is also essential