Finance News

Gold prices on Tuesday slipped below ₹1.50 lakh per 10 grams in India for the first time in two months. Falling for the second consecutive day, gold of 99.9% purity declined by ₹1,400 to ₹1,48,600 per 10 grams. Silver prices, however, remained unchanged at ₹2.32 lakh per kilogram.

A person needs to start investing with a ₹10,000/month SIP at an expected 12% per annum rate of return and has to increase the contribution by 10% every year. After 32 years, the total invested amount would be ₹2.41 crore. while the estimated returns would amount to ₹9.30 crore. The total corpus after 32 years will be around ₹11.71 crores.

Borrowers should not expect their CIBIL Score to rise immediately after fully repaying a personal loan, as per Livemint. CIBIL says lenders generally provide account information within 30-45 days, so the report may initially show the previous outstanding balance or active status. Borrowers should obtain a loan closure letter/no dues certificate and check their credit report after sufficient time.

Insurance Brokers Association of India expressed concern over IRDAI's recently released consultation paper proposing distribution reforms including commission caps and expense limit cuts. "[Proposals] will harm the very policyholders [IRDAI] seeks to protect," association said. Reduced intermediary earnings threaten millions of self-employed point-of-sale persons and corporate staff, it added.

Quant Multi Asset Allocation Fund delivered the highest 10-year return at 18.39% as of September 28, Livemint reported. Bank of India Aggressive Hybrid Fund followed with 16.03%, while Quant Aggressive Hybrid Fund gave 15.81%. ICICI Prudential Multi Asset Allocation Fund and ICICI Prudential Aggressive Hybrid Fund also featured among top performers, with returns of 15.04% and 14.80%, respectively.

Bernstein has sharply cut its target price for PB Fintech Ltd., the parent company of Policybazaar and Paisabazaar, to ₹1,085 from ₹2,310, a reduction of about 53%, following its reassessment of the impact of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India's (IRDAI) proposed changes to insurance distribution commissions.

Life-cycle mutual funds automatically adjust asset allocation as a goal approaches, while a do-it-yourself (DIY) portfolio lets investors decide how to allocate money across equity, debt and gold or silver ETFs, according to Livemint. For a 30-year goal, life-cycle funds may suit those seeking a hands-off approach, while DIY portfolios may suit investors who prefer greater flexibility, it added.

Apple has launched its Apple Pay payments service in India, allowing users to make contactless payments through Apple devices. The service will initially be available with Axis Bank-issued credit cards, while potential partnerships with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are reportedly pending. The India launch comes after years of delays and marks Apple's entry into the country's digital payments market.

NBFC stocks such as L&T Finance, CreditAccess Grameen, M&M Financial Services and Fusion Finance may be exposed to a strong El Niño due to rural demand and crop stress. IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank have higher agricultural lending exposure. FMCG, fertiliser, building-material and tractor stocks may also face pressure from weaker rural demand, higher food inflation and crop losses.

If FD payment is delayed after maturity, first verify that the deposit has matured and check whether there are any issues with the account details, according to Moneycontrol. Check what the bank has done and ask for a written explanation. If the issue remains unresolved, one may approach the Reserve Bank of India's Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026.

One should not ideally restrict term insurance cover to just 10 to 15 times their annual income, as it may fall short in the future. Factors such as home loans, children's education, dependent parents, household expenses and the family's future financial needs should also be considered. The ideal term insurance cover should help meet one's financial responsibilities in their absence.

Leading traders' organisations have withdrawn their call to observe October 2 as "No UPI Day" after a delegation of trade representatives met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. Around 20 senior trade leaders raised concerns over the proposed MDR fee on UPI payments above ₹2,000. Sitharaman assured the trading community on the matter, delegation leader Praveen Khandelwal said.

Hospital stocks declined after the Supreme Court raised concerns over high medicine mark-ups by private hospitals. Apollo Hospitals, Max Healthcare, Fortis, KIMS and others witnessed selling pressure as investors assessed potential regulatory changes on drug pricing, pharmacy margins and hospital billing practices. No final policy changes have been announced yet.

Acme India Industries Ltd’s ₹121.69-crore SME IPO opened for subscription on September 30, 2026. The issue has a price band of ₹186–196 per share and a lot size of 600 shares. The company plans to use the proceeds for expansion, working capital and future growth, with a proposed BSE SME listing.

Time Technoplast Ltd approved the amalgamation of its 74.86% subsidiary TPL Plastech with the listed parent, aiming to simplify its corporate structure. The merger will consolidate packaging operations, reduce duplication and improve efficiency. TPL Plastech shareholders will receive Time Technoplast shares under the approved exchange ratio, subject to regulatory approvals.

An analysis of 13 long-running flexi-cap funds by Moneycontrol showed how a ₹1 lakh lump sum and ₹10,000 monthly SIPs compounded over up to 32 years. HDFC Flexi Cap turned ₹1 lakh into ₹1.98 crore, while Taurus Flexi Cap grew to ₹23.87 lakh. A ₹10,000 monthly SIP grew to ₹21.57 crore in HDFC and ₹5.02 crore in Taurus.

Before buying a health insurance policy for first time, buyers shall check co-payment clause, room rent limit and disease-wise sub-limit (fixed payout cap for procedures like cataract surgery). They should check if policy covers pre and post-hospitalisation costs, day care procedures, treatment at home and non-allopathic treatments. They can also look for no-claim bonus and restoration benefit.

Sensex & Nifty 50 recorded their worst month since March after falling 4,477 and 1,460 points in September. Both indices fell about 6% as crude oil prices crossed $100/barrel amid heightened geopolitical tensions, the rupee weakened past ₹95.80, foreign outflows touched $2.7 billion, and global central banks hiked interest rates. Sensex ended at 72,480.29 and Nifty 50 at 22,620.45.

While there is no fixed corpus at which an investor should hire an investment adviser, experts say ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh could be a meaningful amount to seek professional. The need for advice depends on an investor's goals, income, liabilities and investment experience. A person with a ₹10-lakh corpus can also seek advice to build the right financial foundation.