Pavithra Jaivant, Author at PrimeInvestor

Old vs New Tax regime: Tax Planning for 2023-24

Taxes

Old vs New Tax regime: Tax Planning for 2023-24

If you’re a salaried employee then you’ve probably only recovered from the dilemma of old vs new tax regime and the process of collecting all the bills and proofs of investment to submit to your employer for the financial year that will end on March 31, 2023. So if you’re wondering why we are telling you about tax planning for FY 24 when you’ve only just emerged from under a small mountain of rent receipts and pharmacy bills – it is precisely to avoid the mad scramble that inevitably accompanies tax related deadlines that we advocate planning for taxes from right at the start of the financial year.
This gets even more important with several important changes proposed by Budget 2023 coming into force in FY 24.
In this article we will cover:
the key changes proposed by Budget 2023 that you should be aware of in your tax planning,
what you are giving up under the ‘New Tax regime’’
re-examining the role of ‘tax-saving’ investments in your portfolio and
the all-important question of old vs new tax regime

Pavithra Jaivant March 21, 2023 20 Comments

Prime stock update: Are we still sweet on this sugar maker?

Stocks

Prime stock update: Are we still sweet on this sugar maker?

In August 2021, we recommended a sugar manufacturer, well placed to play the ethanol opportunity that was set to change the dynamics of the sugar sector in India. 18 months down the line, the ethanol opportunity has played out as we expected and we have more clarity on this front. But at the same time, stock returns for our chosen candidate stand at just ~5% since our ‘BUY’ recommendation even though it rallied over 30% and also fell by almost 20% in the interim. We think, this calls for an update.

Premium article available only to subscribers.

Pavithra Jaivant March 9, 2023 No Comments

Taxes

How is your insurance policy taxed?

Some of us may be hoarse from shouting about why tax benefits should not be the reason we buy insurance. Shouting notwithstanding, tax treatment remains a key consideration when buying insurance of almost any sort and this is what we look at in this article.
There are two points in time when the tax aspect will have to be kept in mind:
First at the time of premium payment
Second, at the time of a payout in the form of a claim being met or maturity benefits being paid out.

Pavithra Jaivant February 16, 2023 2 Comments

ULIP vs. Mutual Fund - where should you invest?

Mutual funds & ETFs

ULIP vs. Mutual Fund – where should you invest?

As far as investment products go, ULIPs (short for Unit Linked Insurance Products) have the reputation of being the ‘bad boys’. While investor wariness toward ULIPs in their earlier avatar was justified, they have evolved since their pre-2010 days following changes made by IRDAI. However, ULIPs have still not entirely managed to shake off their reputation. In this article, we pit the present day ULIP vs. mutual funds – and compare them on parameters such as their function, how they invest your money, liquidity, expenses and tax treatment and see how they stack up.

Pavithra Jaivant December 15, 2022 5 Comments

Insurance

Critical Illness plan review: Star Critical Illness Multipay Insurance Policy

To secure your finances against health emergencies, Primeinvestor recommends combing a hospitalization plan with a critical illness cover. Our earlier article has discussed ‘What to look for in a critical illness health plan’ in detail. We subsequently shortlisted a few critical illness covers, from which we reviewed Activ Secure Critical Illness Plan by Aditya Birla Health Insurance, Criti Care policy by Bajaj Alianz General Insurance and IFFCO Tokio’s Critical Illness Benefit Policy. Here, we review the Star Critical Illness Multipay Insurance Policy. We think this plan has a good structure without being over-complicated.

Pavithra Jaivant November 6, 2022 2 Comments

Insurance

How to use the free look period

If one acts quickly, a bad or unsuitable insurance purchase can be reversed. Here, we tell you about how you can use the free look period in life and health insurance policies to your benefit.

Pavithra Jaivant October 11, 2022 No Comments

How are deposits, bonds and debt funds taxed?

Taxes

How are deposits, bonds and debt funds taxed?

Deposits, bonds and debt funds are great ways to diversify one’s portfolio. But the taxation on these instruments can decide whether an option is attractive or unattractive on a post-tax basis. Taxation, though varies across instruments and can be quite complex. The fact that not all debt instruments are taxed in the same way compounds the decision making dilemma on which option to choose. This write-up will break down the taxation aspect of popular debt instruments for resident individuals.

Pavithra Jaivant September 8, 2022 6 Comments

Higher rates offer a window of opportunity for NRIs

Bonds & Deposits

Higher rates offer a window of opportunity for NRIs

If you are an NRI, the chances are that you usually keep an eye out for places to park your surplus earnings in India that are safe, will protect you from exchange rate changes and fetch a respectable return. You probably already have NRE deposits and FCNR(B) deposits, the bank FD equivalents for NRIs. But did you know that there have been recent regulatory relaxations by RBI that give you a window of opportunity to lock into higher rates on these tried and tested savings tools? Here is a closer look.

Pavithra Jaivant August 9, 2022 2 Comments

Insurance

Insurance Review – IFFCO Tokio Critical Illness Benefit Policy: Keeping it simple

This article reviews the IFFCO Tokio Critical Illness Benefit Policy which we think ticks the boxes on simplicity and generous sum insured. Here is a detailed look :

Pavithra Jaivant July 31, 2022 2 Comments

Insurance

Insurance Review: Criti Care Policy by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance

This insurance player has two critical illness covers on offer – the ‘Critical Illness Insurance Policy’ and the more recently launched ‘Criti Care Policy’.

Pavithra Jaivant June 9, 2022 2 Comments

Adani and Holcim cement the deal – now what?

Stocks

Adani and Holcim cement the deal – now what?

Last month, we analysed the cement industry in detail. In this analysis, we’d noted a few points – one, that there has been consolidation in the space, two, that companies had been deleveraging, and three, that margins have been under threat owing to pricier energy and inputs.

Pavithra Jaivant May 22, 2022 No Comments

Insurance

Insurance Review – Activ Secure Critical Illness Plan by Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd.

We have shortlisted a set of critical illness plans, which we will start reviewing. We begin with the Activ Secure Critical Illness Plan by Aditya Birla Health Insurance, which we think is a good plan for high-income earners.

Pavithra Jaivant May 10, 2022 No Comments

PrimeInvestor - Articles and Reports

Old vs New Tax regime: Tax Planning for 2023-24

Prime stock update: Are we still sweet on this sugar maker?

How is your insurance policy taxed?

ULIP vs. Mutual Fund – where should you invest?

Critical Illness plan review: Star Critical Illness Multipay Insurance Policy

How to use the free look period

How are deposits, bonds and debt funds taxed?

Higher rates offer a window of opportunity for NRIs

Insurance Review – IFFCO Tokio Critical Illness Benefit Policy: Keeping it simple

Insurance Review: Criti Care Policy by Bajaj Allianz General Insurance

Adani and Holcim cement the deal – now what?

Insurance Review – Activ Secure Critical Illness Plan by Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd.

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