Fixed Rate or a Floating Rate Loan

You have finalised your dream house to purchase. You have also finalised the bank to take home loan from. You have a long relationship with the bank. You have been informally told that you will get the loan easily given your high repayment ability. You are planning to visit the bank branch tomorrow. The spirits… Continue Reading

Another Reason Not to Opt for HLPP

I got an e-mail from one of the regular readers at EMICalculator.net. He brought to my notice an aspect I had failed to cover in my earlier post on Home Loan Protection Plans (HLPPs). Case Summary His father had taken a loan of Rs 8.95 lacs for a tenor of 17 years from a leading… Continue Reading

Tax Benefits on Home Loans Are Overhyped

You have excess cash in hand from the last bonus you received and the fixed deposit that just matured. You have been thinking about how to use the funds. Your financial advisors that include your friends, doctor, lawyer and grocer have suggested that you take exposure to equity mutual funds. Your parents have advised you… Continue Reading

How Do You Invest More?

In one of the earlier posts on Retirement Planning, I had discussed the importance of starting early, portfolio diversification and a few psychological investments to get you on right financial track. By starting early, you get the power of compounding behind you and your small (involuntary) contributions can result in a significant corpus by the… Continue Reading

ICICI Bank Home Safe Plus — A Review

When it comes to financial planning, everyone wants to leave behind an asset for their families. Nobody wants to leave behind a liability. And when it comes to your house, you want to ensure that your family inherits your house and not your home loan. Repayment of a home loan is a long term activity.… Continue Reading

Budget 2016 — Salient Points

The latest Union Budget is a mixed bag for many investors. Though the budget had many sops for the borrowers & middle class folks, there were a few setbacks too. Let’s look at ten most important takeaways from the latest budget. 1. Tax Relief for First Time Home Buyers First time home buyers have been… Continue Reading

Focus on Your Financial Goals While Planning for Taxes

As the financial year draws to a close, the hustle for tax-saving products grows stronger. The human resources department of your company is after you for proofs of tax-saving investments.  Last quarter of the financial year is anyways quite hectic. You are already under so much work pressure. Amidst that you need to find time… Continue Reading

SBI FlexiPay Home Loan Scheme

State Bank of India has recently come out with a home loan product, SBI FlexiPay Home Loan scheme.  As with all the SBI home loan products, it has created a lot of buzz among the prospective borrowers. In this post, I will discuss the important features of this scheme and what makes it different from… Continue Reading

Tax Benefits on Joint Home Loans

With real estate prices at elevated levels, purchase of a dream house is not easy anymore. Higher residential real estate prices lead to requirement for higher value loans too. If the bank or housing finance company feels that your salary is not enough to service the loan comfortably, it can even decline your loan application.… Continue Reading