Abhishek Kumar in The Economic Times

Abhishek Kumar explained that mall REITs let individuals invest in retail property without large capital or upkeep, and pointed out risks from e-commerce, economic cycles and rising interest rates.

Abhishek Kumar said buying makes more sense when the owner plans to live in the home for at least a decade and can use home loan tax deductions, and suggested treating a primary residence as a lifestyle choice rather than an investment.

Abhishek Kumar said competition for school admissions is one reason parents seek such classes. He suggested treating these costs as fixed spending, building a sinking fund, and planning six to twelve months ahead using recurring deposits or liquid funds.

Abhishek Kumar said the 4% withdrawal rule may not hold in India given higher general and medical inflation and limited pension cover, and that 3–3.5% is a more sustainable rate in his experience.

Abhishek Kumar explained that choosing between a standalone policy and a rider depends on cover needs and budget. He said a standalone policy offers wider cover and more flexibility, but at a higher premium.

Abhishek Kumar explained that the framework lets pension funds offer multiple customised schemes with equity of up to 100%, removing the earlier 75% cap. He pointed out that charges would rise and said the change could draw more private sector employees to NPS.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that the approach carries market risk because investments may not beat the loan rate, and said it works only with disciplined, consistent investing.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that retail investors can use SIPs for T-bills but should expect to hold them until maturity, since, unlike bank deposits, they are hard to sell early in the secondary market.

Abhishek Kumar said he respected the poster's choice but disagreed, describing parenthood as an emotional and legacy decision. He contrasted a consumption-based view of money with one built on saving for the family.

Abhishek Kumar explained how the 2.88 linking factor is derived to convert CPI-IW values from the 2016 base year to the 2001 base used in the DA formula.

Abhishek Kumar explained that the plan's annual additions do not compound and shared calculations of its effective return. He cautioned against the marketing pitch and suggested a pure term plan plus a mix of equity and debt suited to one's risk appetite.

Abhishek Kumar explained that the external benchmark rate is tied directly to the RBI repo rate, which makes it more transparent. The article's savings comparison for switching was sourced from SahajMoney.

Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI-registered investment adviser, explained that the incurred claim ratio shows how much an insurer pays in claims for each rupee of premium, and that a low ratio could mean either careful underwriting or many rejected claims.

Abhishek Kumar said that if the RBI cuts the repo rate, banks would soon follow by lowering their rates.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, worked through examples of the new special surrender value rules, showing a larger payout than before for a policy surrendered after four years and a refund of ₹31,295 on a ₹50,000 premium for exit after one year.

Abhishek Kumar was credited, along with a consulting firm, as a source for the article's tables setting out holding periods and tax rates on mutual fund gains before and after Budget 2024.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, listed gains taxed at slab rates as short term whatever the holding period: debt fund units bought after 31 March 2023, market-linked debentures, and unlisted bonds sold or redeemed from 23 July 2024. The article credits him for its gold rules.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said a surrender value paid within 48 hours looks attractive but urged policyholders to check for any clawback if LIC rejects the assignment, and said investors buying the trust's certificates should bear LIC's stance in mind.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, explained how a duplicate order ID led the platform to show units the fund house never issued, and suggested investors check their holdings through a monthly consolidated account statement from the registrar rather than relying on the app.

Abhishek Kumar said that with inflation under control and government bond yields steady, he did not expect the PPF rate to rise in the coming revision and expected it to stay unchanged.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, worked through examples showing a policyholder exiting after four years would get about ₹1.55 lakh under the new norm against ₹1.2 lakh earlier, supplied the article's surrender value table, and called the change a welcome step for consumers.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, explained that retail policies can now be cancelled only for established fraud with seven days' notice, not for misrepresentation or non-disclosure as before, and that compulsory motor cover can now be cancelled for total loss as well as double insurance.

Abhishek Kumar explained that debt returns track inflation, and that an unstable coalition might spend more, widen the fiscal deficit and push rates up, while a stable one can aim to cut the deficit.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, explained the earlier refund scale for cancelling a health policy: 75%, 50% and 25% of the premium for cancelling within one, three or six months after the free-look period.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, noted that cover during the grace period was earlier optional and offered by only some insurers, but is now required of all insurers.

Abhishek Kumar, SEBI-registered investment adviser and founder of SahajMoney, said investors should not believe every claim, should ask for proof they can check independently, and should verify credentials on SEBI's website before parting with money.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said most withdrawn variants match the replacement plan on features, suggested exploring porting at least 45 days before renewal for a higher no-claim bonus, and linked the move to product consolidation.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said a plan that ignores rising health premiums can derail goals, called a deductible option a last resort, and warned that porting only for a lower premium may not work for long.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, described a client who completed re-KYC with PAN and a driving licence, got 'registered' rather than 'validated' status, and could use existing folios but not open new ones.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said his firm had asked clients to update Aadhaar and PAN in small savings accounts after the 2023 rule change, and urged others to do so to avoid trouble receiving maturity amounts.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that IRDAI kept surrender values largely unchanged after its consultation paper, so policyholders exiting early will still get little back.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said IRDAI's final rules keep early surrender values low, which favours insurers, and that many policyholders may stay in costly non-term policies to avoid a sunk cost.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that VPF was paying a higher interest rate than PPF and described it as a sound option for salaried people saving for retirement.

Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI-registered investment adviser, said he expected the repo rate to come down as inflation eases, leaving a limited window to book tax-saving FDs, depending on one's investment horizon.

Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI-registered investment adviser, explained that instead of insisting on OTPs, RBI-regulated entities would get flexibility to use other ways of authenticating digital payments, such as time-based passwords generated by an algorithm.

Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI-registered investment adviser, said the Centre's fiscal discipline could let the MPC consider a repo rate cut sooner than expected, and that risk-averse investors could lock money into long-term bank deposits.

Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI-registered investment adviser, said the government's fiscal discipline could make it easier for the RBI to cut the repo rate sooner than expected, and suggested risk-averse investors could lock money into longer-term bank deposits.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said NPS partial withdrawals are tax-exempt, and suggested keeping a separate emergency corpus and adequate health insurance so the retirement corpus is not drawn down.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said partial withdrawals from NPS are tax-exempt and suggested keeping a separate emergency corpus and adequate health insurance so the retirement corpus need not be tapped.

Abhishek Kumar, founder and chief investment adviser of SahajMoney, said under-funding of the retirement corpus is a common problem that people often notice only much later, when their money starts running out.

Abhishek Kumar explained that an incurred claim ratio of 50% or below is an extreme case, and that a low ratio can reflect either careful underwriting or a high rate of claim rejections.

Abhishek Kumar said a PPF rate revision for the January–March 2024 quarter looked very unlikely given recent bond yields, though the coming election could lead the government to surprise small savers with a small increase.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said sovereign gold bonds can suit those planning to gift or use gold with a horizon of at least five years, and that 5–10% of a portfolio may sit in them depending on goals.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the NPS systematic lump-sum withdrawal option suits those wanting higher cash flow in the first 15 years of retirement without managing the corpus, and can help retirees avoid mis-selling.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the facility suits subscribers wanting higher cash flows in the first 15 years of retirement without managing the corpus, and that a regular payout can help retirees avoid being sold unsuitable investments for their lump sum.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said no tax deduction can be claimed for extending an SCSS account, and that seniors who want a steady quarterly income gain from being able to extend it repeatedly in three-year blocks.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said extending an SCSS account brings no Section 80C deduction, and that seniors wanting a steady quarterly income gain from being able to extend in three-year blocks.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, cautioned buyers against stretching their house budget during festive offers and said total EMIs should not exceed 30% of the family's net income.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the change would help individual investors place up to ₹1 crore in bank FDs that can be withdrawn early, and noted that it also applies to NRE and NRO deposits.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the change would let individuals keep up to ₹1 crore in bank FDs with a premature withdrawal option, and that it also applies to NRE and NRO deposits.

Abhishek Kumar suggested that if the government did revise small savings rates, any change to the PPF rate was likely to be a small increase.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, explained that government subscribers investing in NPS Tier II previously had to pick their pension fund managers and allocation percentages themselves, and noted that the default option removes that need.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, explained that government-sector subscribers investing in NPS Tier II previously had to choose their pension fund managers and allocation themselves, and that the new default option removes that need.

Abhishek Kumar said lenders have usually extended tenures so borrowers do not feel a higher EMI at once, and suggested checking that key financial goals are funded before prepaying a home loan.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said many people without formal income documents are shut out of credit cards, and that pre-approved UPI credit lines with basic checks could help small borrowers and shopkeepers fund working capital instead of borrowing from moneylenders.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said credit cards need many documents and leave out people without formal income proof, while pre-approved UPI credit lines need only basic checks and could help small borrowers and shopkeepers meet working-capital needs instead of borrowing from moneylenders.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the proposal would help policyholders understand complex health policy terms, and outlined new sections on policy type, sum insured for individual and floater covers, and financial limits.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the proposal would help policyholders understand complex health policy terms, and outlined new sections on policy type, sum insured for individual and floater covers, and financial limits.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said small investors should stay away from corporate FDs because they stand to lose a great deal if the issuer defaults.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said small investors should stay away from corporate FDs because they stand to lose a great deal if the issuer defaults.

Abhishek Kumar explained how mutual fund units can be gifted by moving them between demat accounts, except units still under lock-in, and noted that transfers across depositories have been allowed since December 2022.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said that with a laddered set of fixed deposits, investors can also benefit if banks raise FD rates soon.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, noted that laddering fixed deposits across tenures lets a depositor benefit if banks raise FD rates in the near term.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said data networks are patchy in many remote areas, so the higher UPI Lite limit would help travellers make digital payments.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said data networks are patchy in many remote areas, so the higher UPI Lite limit would help travellers make digital payments.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said a few banks had cut FD rates early in anticipation of a repo rate cut, but the recent rise in CPI inflation might keep the MPC holding the repo rate for a few more quarters.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said a few banks had cut FD rates early in anticipation of a repo rate cut, but that the recent rise in CPI inflation could lead the MPC to hold the repo rate for a few more quarters.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, pointed out that senior citizens get no extra interest on five-year post office time deposits, unlike bank FDs, where most banks add 0.5 percentage point for seniors.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, pointed out that senior citizens get no extra interest on the five-year post office time deposit, whereas most banks add about 0.5 percentage point on senior citizen FDs.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the add-on lets owners file one claim for several minor losses without a compulsory deduction and may suit those wanting peace of mind, but the extra premium may not be worthwhile on a tight budget.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said lenders fund 60–85% of a used car's value against 85–100% for a new one, suggested avoiding car loans where possible, and pointed to a personal loan or home loan top-up as alternatives in some cases.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said SBI appears to be courting tech-savvy millennials and called the move "bad news for new-age payment apps" as the country's largest lender moves onto their ground.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the bond's non-cumulative interest makes it unsuitable for people still building wealth, but retirees who have used up SCSS, POMIS and PMVVY could consider it for half-yearly payouts.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, noted that premiums for diabetics run at more than twice the non-diabetic rate, said people earlier refused a term plan or with HbA1c below 8 could consider it, and suggested comparing other insurers' term plans.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the change would ease the issuing of prepaid gift vouchers, letting individuals send e-RUPI by phone, for example at festivals, with no bank details needed at redemption, and called it "a great move".

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said fixed deposit investors should consider booking deposits before banks begin cutting rates in response to RBI action.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said fixed deposit investors should decide whether to book their deposits before banks begin cutting rates in response to RBI action.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said a borrower's credit score largely shapes a personal loan's rate, amount and terms, and that borrowing from the bank holding one's salary account can help negotiate a lower rate.

Abhishek Kumar explained that banks were paying more on short-term deposits because depositors expected inflation to stay high in the near term, while over longer periods banks expected the repo rate to ease.

Abhishek Kumar said the scheme could suit those investing up to ₹2 lakh for two years, and cautioned that premature withdrawal carries a penalty, so investors should plan before putting money in.