Visa has appointed Emirates NBD as its National Net Settlement Service (NNSS) agent in the UAE, enabling card transactions on the Visa network to be settled locally in UAE dirhams instead of through international channels. The move is expected to strengthen the UAE’s digital payments infrastructure by allowing banks and financial institutions to clear and…
As heatwaves intensify across India, dehydration, heatstroke and infections remain key seasonal health risks, with experts outlining how these conditions present and how they are covered under health insurance. Bhagat Vachhaney, Associate President – Employee Benefits and Head of Benefit Consulting at Howden India, said heat-related illnesses range from direct impacts such as heatstroke, heat…
Bank employees will see a modest rise in monthly salaries for the May–July 2026 quarter after Dearness Allowance (DA) was raised to 25.70% from 25%. The revision follows changes in inflation trends and is linked to movements in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which determines periodic adjustments in DA. How the hike changes monthly salaries…
HDFC Mutual Fund has introduced a cap of ₹25,000 per investor on systematic investment plan (SIP) contributions in the HDFC Defence Fund, with effect from May 4. The fund house has also allowed fresh registrations under systematic transfer plans (STP) only on a monthly frequency, with the same ₹25,000 limit. The changes apply to new…
Precious metals edged lower in early Asian trade on Monday (May 4), tracking cautious sentiment across global markets as investors monitored geopolitical developments and awaited key economic data later in the week. On the COMEX, gold futures were last seen at $4,620.60 per ounce, down $23.90 or 0.51%. Silver futures also declined, with prices at…
India’s real estate sector recorded investment inflows of $5.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 72% year-on-year increase, according to the India Market Monitor Q1 2026 – Investments report by CBRE South Asia. The report said developers accounted for 42% of the total investments, while Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) contributed about…
Annuities are financial products that convert a retirement corpus into a stream of regular income, typically used to meet post-retirement expenses. In a note, Kamlesh Rao, Chairperson, Insurance Awareness Committee (IAC-Life), and Rushabh Gandhi, Member, IAC-Life, outlined the structure of annuities and their role in providing predictable cash flows. What are annuities? Annuities are contracts…
Investor returns often differ from reported fund performance due to timing and behaviour. Sanchita Mukherji, Managing Partner and MF distributor at Talk the Walk, and Nirav R Karkera, Head of Research at Groww’s W platform, say fund returns are calculated on a time-weighted basis, while investor outcomes depend on entry and exit timing. Frequent buying…
Axis Bank has opened its first digital locker-focused branch in New Delhi, pitching a more convenient and private alternative to traditional bank lockers as urban demand for secure storage rises. The branch, located at Capital Green, DLF Midtown Plaza, was inaugurated by M Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, along…
Kshitiz Mahajan, Co-Founder at Complete Circle Consultants, and Tarun Birani, Founder and CEO of TBNG Capital Advisors, say growth plans in mutual funds, combined with systematic withdrawal plans (SWPs), remain more suitable for long-term wealth creation. They note that income distribution cum capital withdrawal (IDCW) plans cater primarily to investors in lower tax brackets who…
