I came across an instance in a Youtube video about how borrowers are harassed by recovery agents. A news organisation uploaded the video on their Youtube channel. Do note the media does not smell of roses and tends to sensationalize things. I have not independently verified the claims of the concerned media channel. Broadcast media… Continue Reading
The interest rates have been going down for over a year now. I have written many times about how banks and housing finance companies are reluctant to pass on the lower rates or move you to a more transparent interest rate regime (Base Rate to MCLR or MCLR to Repo Rate Linked loans). Even if… Continue Reading
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the Loan-to-Value (LTV) for gold loans offered by banks from 75% to 90%. This is to increase the availability of credit to households and small businesses during these difficult COVID times. Many Indian households hold gold. And gold makes for an excellent collateral. From a lender’s perspective, it is… Continue Reading
The Loan Moratorium ended on August 31, 2020. While I have written about various measures to manage cashflow stress beyond August 31, let’s explore the relief that RBI has afforded to individual borrowers in a circular issued in August 2020. On August 6, 2020, the RBI provided a framework for Resolution of COVID 19-related stress.… Continue Reading
Loan EMI and credit card payment moratorium comes to an end on August 31, 2020. While it is possible that the moratorium will be extended, you can’t be sure until RBI makes an announcement. As a borrower, what should you do? Irrespective of what the Reserve Bank decides, you must have a Plan B. You… Continue Reading
You plan to buy an expensive phone from Flipkart or Amazon. You do not have the free cash to buy the phone outright or settle the credit card dues in a month’s time. What can you do? You can buy the phone on EMIs. You have two options. You take the EMI offer available on… Continue Reading
The Reserve Bank of India has been cutting repo rates for over a year now. We might argue whether the loan interest rate for the existing borrowers are falling enough or not. However, the new borrowers are clearly getting attractive deals. In a previous post, I wrote about Covid-19 personal loans from public sector banks,… Continue Reading
Covid-19 has put brakes on ambitions of car-sharing (Ola, Uber) and bike-sharing apps (Bounce). With the need for social distancing, the prospects of these companies remain circumspect even after the lockdown is lifted. The businesses must quickly figure out alternative revenue streams. And some of these companies already are. Bounce (Bike-sharing app) has launched lease… Continue Reading
RBI has reduced the repo rate from 4.4 percent to 4.0 per annum. If your home loan or any other loan is linked to the Repo rate, this is good news for you. RBI Repo rate has moved down sharply in the last 10-12 months. Repo Rate Reduction Date 6.25% to 6% April 4, 2019… Continue Reading
The nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 has affected the cashflows or income potential of many citizens. While it is painful to imagine the plight of daily wage earners, many in the organized sector have also struggled. Every day you can hear about the salary cuts or employee layoffs. And this is coming… Continue Reading