This year, Akshaya Tritiya will be marked on May 3. People buy all forms of gold ranging from coins to jewellery to digital gold to SGB to ETF. Advantages of Gold ETF Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart lists out the reasons why an individual should prefer buying Gold ETFs over physical gold. 1) You can buy & sell units online as these units are traded on stock exchanges like shares of companies. So ETFs are as liquid as the physical gold. 2) Gold ETFs have is the price of it is same pan India unlike in case of physical gold, where one may see different prices across cities. 3) When one is purchasing physical gold in form of jewellery, the person may have to pay upto 30% extra in the form of making charges. In case of Gold ETFs, the expense ratio is around 1%, while brokerage is around 0.5%. One also needs to pay 1% wealth tax if the purchased physical gold value exceeds Rs. 30 lakhs. Gold ETF holdings, however, do not attract wealth tax."
The latest round of sell-off in the Indian equity market has pushed the benchmark indices about 5 per cent lower in just five sessions, thanks to a sharp fall in select index heavyweights and IT counters. In the five trading sessions between April 11-19, BSE Sensex has tumbled about 5 per cent, whereas its NSE's counterpart Nifty50 has marginally outperformed the BSE's barometer, with a 4.6 per cent drop. However, second-rung stocks have outperformed their headline peers as BSE midcap and smallcap indices tumbled about 3 per cent each. BSE500 index, which constitutes about 95 per cent of BSE market cap, is down by 4 per cent. Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart, said stocks with higher capitalization amongst midcaps in IT sector, along with smaller banks can be chosen for investment, whereas real estate sector can be avoided due to possible rate hikes.
The new era of work presents a chance for small businesses to attract and retain talent with innovative compensation packages, personalised benefits and relevant initiatives that address the evolving needs of the workforce. Small businesses will have to go a step further - they may very well have to anticipate how the employee context, priorities and preferences would evolve in the shorter and longer time horizons, and design their salary and benefits offerings that are potentially ahead of that evolution curve and impact the business growth. What are the new ways in which small businesses and fast-growing organisations can compensate, reward, recognise and retain employees? “SMEs and startups have the added advantage of saving costs with partial offline operations. The costs can be utilised to build holistic remote capabilities. Effective use of virtual tools and technology can help manage resources and be a boon for business continuity irrespective of physical boundaries," Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart, added.
Equity mutual funds attracted an all-time high net inflow of ?28,463 crore in March, on continued interest by retail and HNI investors, who used market correction as a good buying opportunity. The net infusion, which also marks the 13th straight month of net inflow, indicates the underlying bullishness among investors despite record outflow by foreign funds. "A falling market and turmoil across the globe have not prevented Indian investors from investing in the market through the mutual fund route. Their trust in the market can be seen from staggering net inflow in March 2022," TradeSmart Chairman Vijay Singhania said.
World Health Day, April 7, 2022 : Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart - Normally the axiom is “Health is Wealth”, but what if we flip this around and say that “Wealth can also lead to better Health”. When we say this, we do not just mean that better health because money can buy better healthcare. What we are saying is that good financial planning can potentially lead to better health. Here’s why. One of the factors that affects health is stress. According to a recent study by Statista. In 2020, financial stability was the second leading cause of stress amongst Indians. Second only to the Covid fears and its health issues. Close to 27 per cent of the respondents cited financial stability as a cause of stress.
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With the beginning of the Financial Year 2022-23, the tax clock starts ticking afresh. So, you should also start your tax calculation afresh taking into consideration the changes in tax rules and enhancement prospects in your income. After calculating the estimated annual income, you should consider all the available avenues to save taxes, so that the tax outgo may be minimised. As tax-saving investments are long-term in nature and come with certain lock-in periods, you should pick up the instruments carefully, so that, apart from saving tax, such instruments should also meet your long-term financial goals. “Tax planning is an important practice to adopt once our income becomes taxable. And with adequate knowledge about the tax planning structure, we can prevent ourselves from paying unnecessary taxes and instead make suitable investments to save more and eventually achieve all our aspirational goals. There are numerous financial instruments available for this purpose,” said Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart. Singhania lists the following tax-saving investment options that one may opt for as per his/her requirements.
Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart says "Investments in tax-saving instruments should not be looked at in isolation; they should be part of a larger strategy and of planning our financial goals. An ideal strategy is built on adaptability and should be revised based on an individual's changing financial circumstances. Tax planning should not be an exercise to be done at the end of the financial year, but should be a continuous process. If you look at tax-planning structures and the investments that can be made under them, you will find that the structure is designed in a way that can help achieve financial goals, with the added benefit of paying lower taxes. For example, if you have a goal to accumulate funds to buy a home or for your child's future education, you actually have investments options which can help save on taxes as well. One option available is Equity Linked Saving Schemes (ELSS), which are tax-saving mutual funds. These can help build an investment corpus over the years and give tax breaks. Similarly, if you want to buy your own home, there are tax breaks available when you take a home loan."
Bootstrapping is not a new phenomenon in the startup ecosystem. In fact, unofficial reports say nearly 92 percent of Indian companies are bootstrapped or have not raised any equity/debt funding. We spoke to entrepreneurs from across sectors to catch a glimpse into what it’s like to bootstrap. Vikas Singhania, CEO and Co-founder of discount broking platform TradeSmart says "Many VCs did show interest in our company on multiple occasions. However, we did not raise VC funding to avoid the pressure and other related factors that are associated with the performance when external parties are invested in the business."
Investors make capital gains or losses whenever they sell their investments in stocks or mutual funds. Capital gains are taxed based on the holding period of your investment. Experts say that investors can reduce their tax liability to some extent by using the tax loss harvesting method. According to experts, tax harvesting is one of the most effective ways to reduce tax liability. “Tax-Loss Harvesting is a method by which one can reduce the tax incidence on their trading gain. The effect of tax loss harvesting is seen at the portfolio level. Suppose during a year a trader has taken many trades and is sitting on a hefty profit. At the end of the year, he will have to pay a tax on his profits, either long term (held for more than a year) or short term,” Vikas Singhania, CEO of online trading platform TradeSmart told FE Online.
Vijay Singhania, Chairman, TradeSmart says "Markets will be keenly watching investor interest in this new-age company - Veranda Learning Solutions. Keen interest in this company's IPO from both retail and institutional investors, will help revive the sentiments of the primary market Though the IPO is only of Rs 200 crore, it is a good dip-test for the market to judge investor sentiments."
Neha Singhania, CPO, TradeSmart - The fintech industry in India has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and is now the third largest in the World after the USA and China. In an industry where growth is rapid and times are ever-changing, diversity and inclusion are key drivers for innovation and shaping businesses differently. Diversity and Inclusion are no longer a new set of terms in the industry or in boardrooms however, there is a long way to go as we have just scratched the surface. Global reports suggest that only around 30% of the Fintech workforce is female, and the percentage grows steeper at the leadership level.
We are long past the old wives' tale of the pathetic patriarchal society of the past which forced the idea that women cannot be founders, co-founders, or manage businesses successfully. Now, women are not only reigning in the sphere of businesses but also appearing as a powerful force commanding the startup ecosystem much like their male counterparts. Women entrepreneurs are not a myth now but in fact, breaking the stereotypical boundaries built by a regressive world that was male-dominated. StartupTalky salutes all the women entrepreneurs this Women's Day, who have successfully come out of all the past prejudices and are breaking stereotypes in entrepreneurship. Neha Singhania, CPO, TradeSmart says "In the ever expanding entrepreneurial landscape, we can see a rising percentage of women joining the bandwagon. With India being the third largest contributor to startups and fintechs in the world, we have large number of these businesses and unicorns led by women at the front. The status quo is changing in most of the sectors as women are proving that the age-old conditioning system or gender inequality only exists in the mind. Women of today are shaped for growth and with widened opportunities, we can expect to see more women-led enterprises in the coming years. Furthermore, women are setting a strong foundation by supporting other women to achieve a gender diverse workforce and having an equal ratio at work."
Wealth Guide: Women's Day Special? - When it comes to investing, women in India already have a head start over men. Women are much better at saving than men, that’s half the battle won. The other half can be won by choosing the right instrument to invest in. Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart, on the occasion of Women's Day shares his knowledge on how can women make the most of investment options in India. Vikas Singhania, says, “Keeping your money as cash under the mattress or in a savings bank or some instrument product that is not even able to beat inflation may be counted as saving but is not an efficient way of handling money. Apart from having an insurance cover to meet uncertainties women need to invest in money in order to be independent and be prepared for any situation."
Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart - It is said that less than 5 percent of those who come to the stock markets are consistently profitable. In a zero sum game, wealth is accumulated by a handful of investors. What separates these individuals from the rest is not a very high level of intellect but a disciplined and pragmatic approach. And it is these traits that make investing come naturally to female investors. Female investors have advantages over their male counterparts in the sense that they are good at saving, and can differentiate better between price and value. However, there are some golden rules to build wealth in the stock market that can help women earn riches.
The pandemic has given rise to hybrid and remote workspaces – one of the biggest trends defining the now and future of work. With most firms introducing hybrid work models, life in a physical office may no longer be the norm. But are smaller businesses ready to be part of this change? "The level of volatility in most aspects was high in the previous two years, and we can expect another [high level of disruption] in 2022 as well. We cannot blindfold ourselves from new COVID variants erupting in different parts of the world." shared Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart.
No, it is not COVID, but an outbreak of a war between Russia and Ukraine as well as heightened expectations of tighter monetary policies by central bankers across the globe which led to a steep double-digit fall in equities across the globe and India is not immune to the selloff. Warren Buffett once said that it is wise for investors to be “fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” “The current market fall has the markings of a black swan event. The attack came as a surprise to the market which is apparent from the reaction. But is this the time to be greedy when everyone else is fearful -- Warren Buffett's teachings?,” Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart, said. “It is definitely the time to run our scanner and look for stocks where the intrinsic value is lower than the market price. The search is to be restricted to frontline stocks as they tend to recover faster,” he added.
Peter Lynch in his book ‘Beating the Street’ writes about how a class of seventh graders picked up stocks for a paper portfolio that gave a return of 69.6 percent beating most fund managers and the S&P 500 which gained 26.08 percent. The stock selection process of the kids was simple- they picked up stocks of companies they knew like a toy manufacturer or baseball swap card makers, known cloth brands, cold drinks and so on. Zee Business speaks to Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart to decode what is driving retail interest towards LIC IPO. Indian retail investors now have a similar opportunity–of investing in a company that they have heard since their childhood. Life Insurance Corporation or LIC is a household name in India. In fact, LIC is the second most popular and trusted brand after Tata. It is not without reason that retail investors are excited about this company’s IPO. The government expects that LIC’s IPO will bring in 7.5 million new investors to the market through this issue.
Gold is getting its shine back in 2022 after a consolidation that lasted for more than a year. Gold and silver futures traded higher on Wednesday, taking cues from the international spot rates as the Russia-Ukraine crisis boosted demand for gold. Gold, which was in a pull-back or consolidation phase for over a year, is preparing to surge again, and the price could go higher as the Russia-Ukraine crisis intensifies. There are speculations that gold prices may increase further if the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates. “Investors may want to come out of riskier assets like equities and move to safer ones like gold. War times also result in central banks preferring buying gold to cushion their currencies which will also help the bullish case in gold. Gold prices may get hit if the US announces rate hikes. A high interest rate would result in investors chasing a yield generating asset rather than gold,” observed Vikas Singhania, CEO, TradeSmart.
India is gearing up for what is expected to be its biggest initial public offering (IPO) yet, as the government aims to sell a stake in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which has the potential to raise about $8 billion. “One would like to have the [public] issue when the markets were buoyant, but then the government has to come out with the issue in this fiscal [year] to balance its budget,” said Vijay Singhania, Chairman of TradeSmart, an online trading platform in India. The LIC – given its size and how well established it is in the sector – is quite a different proposition than the start-ups with relatively high valuations which were listed last year, and have seen their shares slump, Mr. Singhania said. “While most of these companies were not profitable when they tapped the market, they managed to raise funds capitalizing on the euphoria prevalent then,” he said.
