“How would you explain ULIP compared to a direct mutual fund to a layman?” Tax expert Manmohan Sethumadhavan answers.About the author: Manmohan Sethumadhavan is a freelancer, investor, and personal finance enthusiast “in search of the absolute truth.” You can follow Manu on Twitter @ManuTsr. Also, read his articles:It is March – the year-end season, and the usual tax-saving madness comes with it. Walk into any office, and one of the two people you meet will be trying to sell you an insurance policy. Bank managers and financial agents are under immense pressure to meet their sales targets, and for them, pushing high-commission…
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Image source: Getty Images With the S&P 500 falling into correction territory, a lot of terrific US stocks are suffering from volatility right now. But while most investors are busy panic-selling to protect their downside, I’m hunting for bargains to improve my potential upside. Corrections have historically been some of the best windows of opportunity to snap up shares at a discount. And just looking at the track record of some of the largest companies in the index like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), the potential gains from capitalising on volatility can be enormous. In fact, between the end of the 2022 market…
(Bloomberg) — The Turkish lira headed for its steepest weekly drop in nearly two years and stocks slumped as an emergency interest-rate increase failed to halt the currency’s retreat amid mounting political tensions. Most Read from Bloomberg The detention of a key opposition politician, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, rattled investors this week, sending markets into a nosedive on Wednesday and prompting action from the central bank to stop locals from switching their savings into dollars. The currency was trading down 0.4% at 37.9482 per dollar at 6:17 p.m. in Istanbul on Friday, extending its losses over the past five days…
Image source: Getty Images The FTSE 100’s filled with dividend stocks and income opportunities. In fact, 99 of the 100 companies inside of the UK’s flagship index offer investors passive income. And the five largest yields right now are coming from Phoenix Group Holdings (10.3%), M&G (9.2%), Legal & General Group (8.8%), Taylor Wimpey (8.4) and Vodafone (LSE:VOD) at 7.7%. Combined, this basket of five dividend stocks offers an average yield of 8.9% – almost triple the FTSE 100’s current level of payout. And with exposure to the financial services, insurance, construction and telecommunications industries, it appears to be a…
Vitamins and supplements like zinc and cod liver oil are often touted for their ability to boost your immune system, but Jeffrey Bland, the “father of functional medicine,” says that’s not actually possible.”I’ve heard, ‘I can boost my immune system if I take a lot of vitamins.’ It could be vitamin D, vitamin A [or] zinc,” Bland says. “[But] those nutrients don’t boost the immune system. Those nutrients may fill the gaps in a person who needs them to meet their daily requirements for proper immune function, but you’re not going to boost the immune system like you do with…
Image source: Getty Images London’s stock market is a great place to consider going shopping for dividend shares. A strong culture of dividend distribution means it’s packed with top high-yield shares and companies with strong records of sustained payout growth. With this in mind, here are two great passive income stocks to consider today: Dividend sharePredicted dividend growth this yearDividend yieldRamsdens (LSE:RFX)4%5.2%Primary Health Properties (LSE:PHP)2%7.3% As you can see, the forward dividend yield on each of these shares comfortably beats the FTSE 100 average of 3.6%. Here’s why I think they could prove great ways to make a second income…
Image source: Getty Images I’m thinking I might use some of my new Stocks and Shares ISA contribution limit for penny shares. These ultra-affordable stocks are typically priced at less than £1 with the companies valued at under £100m. Lower prices tend to lead to bigger spreads between buying and selling prices. And that can mean we need a bigger rise to break even. And I try to keep away from companies that are too small, as they so often seem able to go bust in the blink of an eye. Back to growth? I took my eye off Staffline…
Image source: Getty Images Every Stocks and Sharers ISA portfolio has a few weeds in it. It comes with the territory. But these two stocks from the healthcare sector are sticking out like a pair of sore thumbs in mine. A falling knife Let’s start with Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA). I first bought the shares in 2022 after they’d dropped 50%, then doubled down at the start of 2024 when they dipped below $90. Now they’re at $32 after falling 20% year to date. Now, I didn’t go in totally blind about Covid vaccine sales. I knew they’d fall once everyone…
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has long been the ultimate Marmite stock. Whether you loved or hated it, though, you often couldn’t ignore it. But the polarisation has now spread to the brand itself and CEO Elon Musk specifically. Even long-time Tesla bulls are worried. For example, Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, says the electric vehicle (EV) maker is facing a “brand tornado crisis moment”. The Tesla share price is down 50% in three months. But investors who bought previous dips like this have been rewarded handsomely. Despite the drop, the stock is still up 728% from a Covid-crash low…
Every investor knows, or should, that the moment of maximum uncertainty is a time to buy. The only trick, then, is discerning when we’ve reached peak uncertainty. The stifling lack of clarity about the breadth or severity of the Trump administration’s promised “reciprocal” tariffs due on April 2 is the obvious eye of this uncertainty storm. But swirling around it are immigration restrictions, headlong and haphazard reductions in Federal spending and a separate but related confidence shock weighing on consumer behavior. Friday’s midday rally in the S & P 500 from an early 1% decline to a minimal gain by…