I come across a new credit card launch every few weeks. I usually do not pay much attention to these new cards. After all, how many credit cards can you own? However, if I come across a co-branded credit card by a merchant/retailer/brand that you extensively use or browse, it is difficult to ignore such… Continue Reading
ICICI Bank has launched an EMI facility for UPI payments under its ICICI PayLater product. With this, you can scan a UPI QR code from the UPI app and purchase using an instant EMI facility. So, you purchase an item worth Rs 15,000 and instantly convert this into 3 EMIs of say Rs 5,200 each.… Continue Reading
We know about ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL). We know about platforms that allow us to pay rent using a credit card. If we combine these two products, a resulting permutation could be ‘Rent Now, Pay Later’ (RNPL). Transfer Rent on credit. And credit comes through a loan and not a credit card. Such a… Continue Reading
Online and digital payments have become increasingly popular in India with the rise of credit cards, debit cards, and UPI. UPI has revolutionized payments in the country and has surpassed credit and debit cards in popularity due to its ease and convenience. To protect yourself, it is important to take steps to secure both your… Continue Reading
We have looked at “Buy vs Rent” for a house. In this post, let’s extend this argument to a car. Wait, what, a car? Yes, instead of buying a car, you can rent a car. You buy a new car on loan. You pay EMIs for 3-5 years and for insurance and maintenance every year.… Continue Reading
Financial Innovation in credit products is the order of the day. Recently, I came across Bajaj Housing Finance myEMI home loan product. How is this product different from existing home loan products? Let’s find out. Bajaj Housing Finance myEMI Home Loan Product Under this product, you can choose your EMI subject to the following conditions.… Continue Reading
A loan is a contract. And a contract can be worded in any way. Minor changes in the wordings or the product structure can make a huge difference. A borrower must understand the loan structure properly before choosing among the various loan options. We have all read about SBI Maxgain and other home saver loans.… Continue Reading
There are many ways to own gold. You can buy gold coins, gold biscuits, or even gold jewellery. You can also hold gold in financial form. Gold mutual funds, Gold ETFs, and Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs). SGBs deserve special mention since these bonds also offer 2.5% interest. No other form of gold ownership pays you… Continue Reading
Why do we have to make down payments for home purchases? Why can’t the banks lend the full amount for the purchase? Two reasons. Firstly, the banks get a wider security cushion while lending. So, if the bank lends Rs 80 lacs for purchase of Rs 1 crore house, in the event of default, the… Continue Reading
You open a bank fixed deposit of Rs 5 lacs for 2 years at 7% p.a. After a couple of months, you need Rs 2 lacs to meet a planned expense. To meet the expense, you take out an overdraft facility against the FD of Rs 5 lacs. The interest rate on the overdraft facility… Continue Reading