All you need to know about the portfolio investment scheme

Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) has been newly introduced by the Reserve Bank of India to make the route to foreign investment in India simpler and attractive. This scheme enables NRIs and OCBs to purchase and sell shares of Indian companies without getting involved into too much of complications and investment related technicalities.

All transactions will be recognized by stock exchanges and routed through your active NRI savings account.

How attractive is India to foreign investors?

India is one of the most appealing destinations of foreign investment. The country is projected to become the third largest economy in the world by 2025. Research and analysis rates India as the best investment destination, ahead of China. 65% of the Indians are in the working age group of 18 to 64 years, making the demography of India favorable for investment. The BSE Sensex in India has remained stable despite global turmoil. All these advantages invite foreign investors to India.
There are several conditions that should be fulfilled if you want to avail this scheme. You definitely cannot be an Indian resident and must have received permission from any AD Category- I bank (banks authorized by RBI to administer the PIS). Your salary details, age, employer and your designation in your company etc. are required to carry out portfolio investment in India.
You need to start with opening an account with any of RBI approved bank of AD Category- I who has a wide network and international presence. You may also open a Special Non-resident Rupee Account (SNRR) as your first step towards portfolio investment in India.

Requirements
Documents required for portfolio investment in India are a PAN card, 3-4 passport sized photographs, photocopies of an Indian address proof such as Voter Id Card, Driving License etc, an Overseas address proof, a PIO card or OCB master card, a permanent foreign Id proof and VISA card.
Apart from these, you may also be asked to submit your salary and savings details, your assets and liabilities etc. depending upon the requirements of the bank you have chosen.
The annual maintenance fee to keep your Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) account active is around Rs. 1000 + service tax and you also need to pay an RBI approval fee of Rs.750 + service tax.

Thus Portfolio Investment Scheme is a lucrative offer and India’s rapid economic growth coupled with an increasing number of indigenous companies, assures you a high return on investment.

Learn how to send money to India the right way

There are multiple ways through which you can send money to India. However selecting the best method is quite a challenging one. You need to consider various aspects like the amount you need to transfer, the speed of transfer, whether it’s one-time transfer or a regular one, the cost associated and also the convenience of the receiver.
Some typical methods are listed below:

1. Online Money Transfer

It’s the easiest way of money transfer to India. You just need two things to initiate the transfer– an internet connection and an access to local banking services. For this you will however need information like the name and address of the recipient along with the name of the financial institution and its IBAN or SWIFT code. Online transfers are specifically recommended if you transfer funds on a regular basis as it allows you to avoid the stiff banking charges.

2. Wire Transfer

Wire Transfer is also one of people’s favorite when it comes to transfer of money to India. All a sender needs to do is visit a bank or other agencies which offers such transfers and send money to India. This process however may take few days while the institutions gathers the necessary information regarding the recipient and the recipient's bank and then commence the transfer.

3. International Money Order

If you are looking for a safer, cheaper and a faster way to make a money transfer to India, specifically to the remote places, then you may opt for International Money Orders. These orders can easily be deposited into the recipient’s bank account and at the same time cashed at various check cashing kiosks.

4. Cashier’s Checks and Bank Drafts

This method has both pros and cons. It requires a minimal fee to be paid in a considerable amount of time. Also the cost required to buy a bank draft is more than that of a money order. However you can trace the money you have transferred in case it fails to reach the appropriate destination.

5. Personal Checks

You can also send personal checks in foreign currency as it is time consuming. However, it may require the recipient to pay extra fee for the exchange rate and the encashment.

6. E-mail Transfer of Money

This type of online money transfer is safe and secure and charge free. All you need to do is to log in to a the bank’s website and fill a form mentioning the receiver's e-mail id and answering security question, the answer of which is shared with the receiver. The bank then sends an e-mail to the receiver and after validating his authenticity he is forwarded to his bank's website where he is asked about the details of his bank account ensuring the completion of the transaction.

NRI Banking Scams: How to protect your foreign banking transactions?

What is a scam?

A scam refers to an illegal act, generally put forth by an entity or entities with the intention to earn money or other valuable possessions. However, banking scams have been a common occurrence, not only in India but also other countries. Innocent customers have been deceived by scammers, improving on their methods day to day. However, with the government and private banks raising awareness on the issue and providing guidelines to safeguard your account, we have observe lesser of such cases.

Current Scenario

NRI banking and its security measures’ demands have marked up over the past decade. Fraudsters have victimized many account holders, especially NRIs. Their techniques to entice you have also improved over time and so has their operational level. A few bank managers have also been involved in scams recently, associated with unusual channeling of money in NRI held bank accounts. These accounts are mostly handled by individuals in India, although each financial institution undertakes personal monitoring of the account themselves. This is because even if your Indian associate handling the account is not involved in perpetrating a scam, they might be the victim of one.

Banks have identified such schemes on their websites and blogs on social media are full of information on how to adhere to precautionary measures in order to safeguard your bank accounts and monetary possessions from such fraudulent schemes.

Types of Scams

The fact that we have identified and understood how to tackle them signifies our progress. Two typical banking scams prevalent in today’s world include:-

Phishing – This type of swindling involves customers receiving emails from accounts that seem to be originally from their banks, because they direct them to similar web pages and beguile them to expel sensitive information. They allure customers who do not have a keen eye to detect minor differences from emails belonging to their bank. Those customers who give out information such as their passwords, usernames, atm pins, etc. end up falling prey to these scammers. The only way to protect yourself would be to observe the differences in these mails and the original ones from your bank. Before spelling out personal information, it is suggested to confirm the scheme from the bank.

Malware - Trojans, viruses and other web associated platforms can be downloaded on your computer with minimal requirements from your end. All it takes from your end is to open an email and on the other hand your computer downloads the virus which provides a hacker with all your personal information saved. Regularly checking your device and its functions and monitoring whose emails you receive can help you tackle this menace.

NRI services in India have provided efficient knowledge on other such schemes which include:- money mules, card cloning, SIM frauds etc.

The ideal guide on sending money to India

Transferring money

Transferring money from one to any other part of the world is no more a boisterous task. Indian banks accept various kinds of money transfers and has equipped its banks to receive currencies from all parts of the world. As we march towards a global digital economy, cashless payments are becoming a frequent practice. With such digitization, a lot of options are available for households to send money to India.

Depending upon your requirements you may choose from many mediums to send money. Each medium comes with its own unique procedure; although the ultimate objective is the same.

Means of Transfer

Out of all options, the most common ones include:-

 Bank transfer - the traditional way of electronically paying a merchant or transferring funds from your bank account to another.
 Wire transfer - international transfer of monetary value between banks.
 FX transfers - you can use forex brokers to help you transfer funds. This proves beneficial for big amounts.
 Money transfer agencies - Agencies like the Western Union, take a surcharge and transfer funds from one entity to the other, in different places.
 Online Transfer - you can choose amongst a number of digital arbitrators and compare currency rates to choose the best possible options available.
Therefore, it does not matter where you are in the world, transferring money to India can be done with sheer convenience.

Taking into account the features of each medium, you can analyze and then decide the best option for you. Each medium or agency that is associated with money transfer to India, has established their own norms and as such users are required to read them carefully. This is because the transfer of cashless money involves a lot of risks. Cashless transactions are accurate but are subjected to strict policies and regulations, with each medium functioning based on their own established guidelines.

Which is the right credit card you should apply for?

What is a credit card?
A card issued to someone (cardholder) on the basis of a line of credit and a supervised account, to grant access to the cardholder for payments to any merchant is called a credit card. Depending on the line of credit, the cardholder borrows this money for the payments being made for which he/she agrees to pay back the issuer along with interest for the transaction(s).

A credit card differs from a cash card. Since it is not necessary for the holder to clear the amount due at the end of the month; he/she can extend it as a recurring debt and clear it later, subject to a sum of interest.

Applying for a Credit card

When applying for credit cards in India or international banks one should adhere to the prescribed ‘Dos and Don’ts. For digitization of currency comes with great benefits but also a few setbacks. Therefore, one should form an analysis of the payments that he/she would be making using the card which will allow the user to apply for a particular category of credit cards. In today’s world, banks provide you with a variety of credit card options to choose from and as a rational customer you should apply for the category which provides you with the maximum utility.

Types of Credit card

The most common types of credit cards in India have been categorized based on a particular area of expenditure. A few common categories in practice are on the basis of:

1) Lifestyle - if you use the card mainly for shopping, dining out, etc. Lifestyle credit cards offer maximum utility as they are designed to reward you with bonuses and cash back.

2) Travel - credit cards providing you access to airport lounge facilities and other rewards on your tours and expeditions.

Customized cards for each Individual

Presently credit cards are personalized for an individual and while applying for one, do look up the benefits in store for you and whether or not it entails benefits that makes using the credit card more feasible. However, your credit score plays an important role here. The card you get is based on your credit score which is estimated by the bank.

A bank or the card issuing body forms a revolving account for the subscriber and associates it with a credit score which estimates the borrowing power of the cardholder. This procedure is the reason most people apply for a credit card in the same bank they have an account in. However, this puts you in a tricky spot as the bank might hold you liable in case of abnormal activities by your card (even when you are not involved in it). Such incidents have occurred with various clients in the past. This is why just applying for a credit card from the same bank might not always be the best option.

What are the different types of EMI calculator available in the financial market?

Loans offer a great financial benefit for those who can afford it and yet may not have the means to invest a large amount at one time. Furthermore, the variety of loans available in the market makes it easier for consumers to utilise this financial aid to its full potential. Take, for example; the personal loan can be utilised for several miscellaneous requirements, whereas the car loan can be used for the purchase of a car.

However, with the application of any loan, comes the responsibility to repay the loan. While you may be able to repay the borrowed amount, you will also need to keep track of the interest rate charged on the overall amount, and how much you will be paying for it on each EMI. Moreover, you will also need to ensure that you can afford the long tenure, or ensure that your disposable income is not completely diverted to the payments of the EMI.

These are plenty of factors to consider, and yet they play an influential role in affecting your loan application decision. So how can you take all these factors into consideration when calculating the ideal loan rates and factors? The EMI calculator is one tool that can benefit you. But for the right loan, you will need to use the right calculator to calculate EMI. To ensure that you are getting an affordable and convenient EMI for the loan you will apply for; you can use any of the following EMI calculators:

Home Loan EMI calculator: One of the most popular loan applications is the home loan. As plenty of individuals purchase a home as an investment or necessity, home loan EMI calculators will go a long way to ensuring you get the best of rates. With this tool, you can calculate EMI in terms of tenure, interest rate, principal amount and even get an amortisation table of the calculated result.

Car Loan EMI calculator: After the home loan, the car loan is the next popular loan choice. The car loan can differ on various points such as the status of the car, the inclusion of ad – on, which will be calculated on the loan amount and consequently into the EMIs, not including the down payment. By using the car loan EMI calculator, you can calculate the EMI’s in terms of the principal amount, interest amount and the ideal tenure that will take to repay the borrowed amount along with the additional funds.

Personal Loan EMI calculator: The personal loan can be used for several personal uses, such as financing a wedding, a trip or even something as small as purchasing a gadget. Like the other EMI loan calculators, it can be used to calculate the ideal borrowed amount, the best interest rate suited to your needs, and the tenure which is affordable for your repayment. 

While the loan options may differ in accordance with your requirements, it is best to use this tool to ensure that you are well aware of the affordability of the loan. Furthermore, you can use these loan calculators to ensure that you safe sufficient funds on a month to month basis.

Never ever make a late credit card payment with these tips

Credit cards are a great way to manage your funds, especially when it comes to making expenditures on a regular basis, or from a single outlet. However, when it comes to the credit card payment you may face an instance of delayed payment, or even keep track of the due date payment. In either case, you will incur an additional payment, which you can easily avoid. Furthermore, you can avoid the possibility of impacting your credit score, with these incidences.

Here are a few steps you can follow to avoid making any late credit card payments in the near future:

Set up auto payment: This is one of the most convenient and advantageous feature any credit card holder has. This is especially beneficial for those who are well aware of the expenditures made in each month. If the expenditures are fixed, then the card holder can assign this amount to be paid before the due date arrives. To make this step, the account holder would need to contact the lending bank, and opt for the automatic payment option. If you opt for this option, ensure you track the payments after a few months so that you ensure that your account is not misused in any way.

Pay off the bills before the due dates: Delays and penalty payments occur only because the card holder is not aware of the due date. Plenty of distractions or even incidences may distract you, causing your to lose track of the due date. To avoid this credit card payment, the trick here is to pay the credit card payment well before the due date. Ideally, it is best to make the payments at least three to five days after you have made a purchase on the card. If you must have to make multiple payments, do so, as in the long run, it will help you avoid a late payment or delay.

Change your due date: Very often the due date of your credit card payment will be lost amongst the other bill payments. In this way, you lose track of the dues to be paid, and then incur a penalty or added charges. This is normally the cause if your credit card payment is due at the end of the month, the same time where every other bill payment is due. To avoid this situation, you should shift your card payment due date to the first few weeks of the month. The best time to do so is when your salary gets deposited so as to make the payment immediately and avoid any chances of missing it. Furthermore, avoid keeping the due date in the last week of the month.

Sign up for alerts: Signing up for alerts is an ideal choice if you are constantly on your emails or on your phone. You can easily set up a calendar alert or an email alert to make the payment. Furthermore, you can easily track if you have made a payment or not in the previous month.