Aarati Krishnan, Author at PrimeInvestor

Bonds & Deposits

What you should do about the US bond yield spike

Suddenly everyone’s talking about US bond yields surging. I see that the 10-year US government security is up by some 0.02 % to 1.57%. Why is this such a big deal?
While yesterday’s move isn’t big, what’s big is the US 10-year Treasury’s 43 basis point rise in the last one month. This means that, a month ago, investors in long term bonds issued by the US government were getting 1.13% by way of interest and now they’re getting 1.57%. That’s a 40% jump in returns from an asset that is regarded as one of the safest parking grounds for money in the world.

Aarati Krishnan March 5, 2021 31 Comments

Bonds & Deposits

9 things to look before you choose your bank FD

With the economy looking up and interest rates likely to rise again, safety-seeking investors may like
to shop around for bank deposits offering attractive rates. But as we had explained in an earlier
article, given the way deposit insurance works in India, it simply isn’t worth it to take risks with your
bank deposits for slightly higher rates. (Read this to know why https://www.primeinvestor.in/why-bank-
fixed-deposits-can-be-high-risk-too/)
But identifying a sound bank has become infinitely tougher post-Covid. Borrowers are just coming
out of a loan moratorium and banks are prevented from reporting their true bad loan picture due to
a Supreme Court standstill. If bad loan provisions get out of hand, some currently profitable banks
can turn loss-making or face capital shortfalls.

Aarati Krishnan February 18, 2021 No Comments

Stocks

How to deal with loss-making stocks in your portfolio

When building a long-term equity portfolio, one common mistake that many of us make is to watch over our profit-making stocks with tender love and care, while orphaning our loss-making stocks. This, over time, leads to our portfolios featuring a few big winners but carrying a long tail of loser stocks that are down 80 or 90% from their buy price.

Aarati Krishnan February 11, 2021 No Comments

Bonds & Deposits

Do PFC bonds make the cut? Which series to buy?

With bank deposit rates plumbing the depths, fixed income investors are hard-pressed to find investment options that can deliver better returns without big risks. Power Finance Corporation’s (PFC) retail offer of secured non-convertible debentures (NCDs) appears well-timed to capitalise on this need. But should you bite the bait? If yes, which of the 7 bond options is worth a look? An analysis.

Aarati Krishnan January 16, 2021 10 Comments

Bonds & Deposits

Outlook 2021: Debt & Gold

Forecasting is a tricky business and 2020 showed how Black Swans flying at you out of nowhere can make you look foolish. But looking back at the debt outlook and strategy we recommended a year ago, we’re glad we erred on the side of caution.

Aarati Krishnan January 5, 2021 7 Comments

Stocks

Five ways to book profits on your stock portfolio

With Indian stock markets at an all-time high valuation despite uncertainty about the shape of earnings recovery, it is not surprising that many investors want to take some money off the table ahead of New Year. There could be three legitimate reasons for you to sell some of your equity holdings.

Aarati Krishnan December 24, 2020 No Comments

Gold

Is it time to buy gold?

Is it time to buy gold? Does the recent correction in gold prices provide an opportunity to accumulate? Aarati Krishnan analyses.

Aarati Krishnan December 3, 2020 50 Comments

Mutual funds & ETFs

Should funds ration your investments?

As the stock indices defy gravity to soar past earlier highs, AMCs are back to using a time-tested ploy to manage their flows – rationing your investments.

Mirae Asset has just drastically slashed the monthly SIPs it will allow into its Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund from Rs 25000 to Rs 2500 from November 6. SIPs and STPs registered earlier will be allowed to continue, but new registrations will need to be capped at Rs 2500. The scheme had already put a stop to all lumpsum investments from October 2016 and capped its SIPs at Rs 25000 a month in November 2017. This is a rare instance of a large and mid-cap equity fund regulating inflows, but such rationing is a common practise with small-cap funds.

Aarati Krishnan November 19, 2020 13 Comments

Personal finance

How NPS works for Central Government employees

While the National Pension System (NPS) has been opened up to all Indian citizens of late, employees who work with the Central government service have been contributing to NPS as their default pension scheme since January 1, 2004. The features and tax rules of the NPS as they apply to Central government employees are quite different from those for ordinary folks.

Aarati Krishnan November 12, 2020 No Comments

Personal finance

What is NPS Tier II and how to use it

Our previous articles had many of you asking about the less-known NPS Tier II account. Does the Tier II account offer the same tax breaks as Tier I? If not, should one open it at all? Here’s all you may like to know about the NPS Tier II account and how you can make the most of it.

Aarati Krishnan November 5, 2020 No Comments

Bonds & Deposits

Why bank fixed deposits can be high risk too

If you decide to park a portion of your deposit portfolio in riskier bank fixed deposit options after fully calculating the risks that can play out, that’s certainly a valid decision. But before you take that call, it is important to know how bank failures actually play out in India.

Aarati Krishnan October 29, 2020 43 Comments

Bonds & Deposits

Quarterly review of Prime Deposits: No time for risk-taking

Covid or no Covid, stock markets in the last six months have been quite kind to equity investors. But debt investors have had no such luck. Even though India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has been in pause mode since June after slashing its repo rate from 5.4% to 4% in the preceding eight months, the returns that savers get on their bank and corporate FDs, bonds and debt funds have continued to plumb new depths.

Aarati Krishnan October 22, 2020 13 Comments

PrimeInvestor - Articles and Reports

What you should do about the US bond yield spike

9 things to look before you choose your bank FD

How to deal with loss-making stocks in your portfolio

Do PFC bonds make the cut? Which series to buy?

Outlook 2021: Debt & Gold

Five ways to book profits on your stock portfolio

Is it time to buy gold?

Should funds ration your investments?

How NPS works for Central Government employees

What is NPS Tier II and how to use it

Why bank fixed deposits can be high risk too

Quarterly review of Prime Deposits: No time for risk-taking

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