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Daily India money news — RBI, banks, markets, tax and small-savings. Short and to the point.
SEBI's monthly portfolio-overlap reports are live — check if your mutual funds are duplicating each other
AMCs must now publish monthly portfolio-overlap data, and sectoral/thematic funds face a 50% overlap cap. Here's what it means for your SIP portfolio.
Unified Pension Scheme: 1.18 lakh government employees opted in, first retiree payouts begin
The Finance Ministry says 1.18 lakh central government employees had opted into the Unified Pension Scheme as of July 2026, and over 9,800 retiree claims for extra benefits have already been processed. Here's what UPS offers and who should consider switching.
Your income tax refund taking longer this year? Government confirms an 19% drop in refunds so far in FY 2025-26
Refunds issued so far in FY 2025-26 stand at about ₹3.34 lakh crore against ₹4.12 lakh crore a year earlier, the Finance Ministry told Parliament. Here's why refunds are being held back and what to do if yours is stuck.
UPI stays free for you — but Parliament just opened the door to merchant charges
The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has cleared both Houses of Parliament, giving the government flexibility to notify which payment modes stay charge-free. Consumers keep free UPI, but a future MDR on large merchants is now on the table.
Sent money abroad? I-T Department's new remittance verification drive means keep your paperwork ready
The Income Tax Department began a nationwide check of suspicious outward remittances on August 18, 2026, covering 394 entities and the CAs who certified them. Here's what genuine LRS remitters should do to avoid a notice.
Q1 FY27 GDP due August 31: estimates swing from 6.4% to 8% — why it matters for your loans and investments
SBI Research has raised its Q1 FY27 (April-June 2026) GDP growth estimate to around 7%, while ICRA sees 6.4-6.6% and RBI's own projection sits at 6.6%. The official number lands August 31 — here's why the gap is wide and how it could feed into your EMIs and portfolio.
EPFO's new withdrawal rules: 75% partial access made easier, full settlement now takes longer
The EPF Scheme 2026 lets members pull up to 75% of their PF for essential needs, housing or special circumstances — but full withdrawal after leaving a job now has a 12-month wait. Here's what changed.
FAST-DS opens today: last chance for small taxpayers to declare undisclosed foreign assets
The Foreign Assets of Small Taxpayers Disclosure Scheme (FAST-DS) opened August 16, 2026 with a December 31 deadline. Here's who qualifies, the 60% tax hit vs the ₹1 lakh flat-fee option, and what happens if you skip it.
RBI proposes ban on NBFC revolving credit — what it means if you use a flexi loan
RBI's August 6, 2026 draft norms would stop most NBFCs from offering reusable credit lines and flexi loans, restricting them to fixed-schedule term loans only. Feedback is open till August 28.
FD rates at SBI, HDFC, ICICI, PNB and Axis in August 2026 — where regular depositors get the best deal
General (non-senior) FD rates across India's top five banks range from 6.00% to 6.60% in August 2026. Here's a tenure-by-tenure comparison and how to pick the best combination.
MSCI India August 2026 review: Groww, Lenskart, Adani Energy, Laurus Labs added — Astral, SBI Cards, Balkrishna Industries dropped
MSCI's quarterly India index review, announced August 13, 2026, adds four stocks and removes three from the Standard index, effective August 31. Here's what the passive-flow rebalancing means if you hold these stocks or an index fund.
India's household savings rate climbs to 21.7% of GDP — what the data means for you
Household financial savings rose from 20% to 21.7% of GDP between FY23 and FY25, the government told Rajya Sabha. Here's what's driving it and where that money should ideally sit.
RBI's new loan recovery rules: what changes for borrowers from January 2027
RBI's Responsible Business Conduct Amendment Directions, issued August 6, 2026, cap recovery agent visits to 8am-7pm, mandate IIBF certification, and set ₹250/hour compensation for wrongful loan-app device locks.
EPF interest for FY 2025-26 credited at 8.25% — how to check if your passbook is updated
EPFO has been crediting 8.25% interest for FY 2025-26 into over 34 crore accounts since mid-July. Here's how to check your passbook and what a delay actually means for your money.
Gold holds near record high above ₹1.49 lakh/10g on MCX — what it means for your money
MCX gold is trading above ₹1.49 lakh per 10 grams, close to its all-time high, as global bullion extends a rally driven by safe-haven demand and Fed rate-cut bets. Here's how it affects gold loan borrowers, jewellery buyers and paper-gold investors.
Senior citizen FDs: small finance banks pay up to 8.50%, PSU and private banks lag near 7%
A round-up of August 2026 senior-citizen FD rates shows small finance banks like Shivalik, Jana and Unity paying 8.2-8.5%, well above SBI, HDFC and ICICI's 6.9-7.1%. Here's how SCSS compares.
RBI's August rule: credit card finance charges can no longer include unpaid fees, penalties, and taxes
From August 2026, banks must exclude convenience fees, late-payment penalties, and taxes when calculating interest on your unpaid credit card balance — trimming the compounding effect for revolvers.
RBI holds repo rate at 5.25% for a third straight meeting — what it means for EMIs and FDs
The MPC unanimously kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25% and retained its neutral stance at the August 2026 review. Here's what the hold means for borrowers and depositors.
Freelancers and small business owners: your ITR deadline is August 31, not July 31
ITR-3 and ITR-4 filers without a tax audit — freelancers, consultants, doctors, and presumptive-taxation small businesses — get an extra month this year. Here's who qualifies and what happens if you miss it.
SEBI's Closing Auction Session starts today — what changes for F&O stock investors
From August 3, 2026, SEBI replaces the 30-minute VWAP closing price method with a 20-minute Closing Auction Session for F&O-eligible stocks. Here's what it means for your trades.
CKYC 2.0 rolls out from August 2026 — one KYC, no more repeat paperwork
Banks and insurers begin phased rollout of the upgraded Central KYC framework this August, letting customers reuse verified identity records instead of resubmitting documents at every institution.
SEBI lets demat mutual fund holders set up SWP and STP — but not before 2027
SEBI's July 2026 circular finally allows systematic withdrawal and transfer plans for mutual fund units held in demat form, but the facility rolls out in phases through early 2027.
TDS/TCS Q1 return due July 31: old forms 24Q, 26Q, 27Q are now 138, 140, 144
Deductors have three days left to file the April-June 2026 TDS/TCS statement under the new Income-tax Act 2025 form numbers, or face a ₹200/day fee plus a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh.
444-day special FD showdown: PNB beats SBI and BoB by up to 15 bps
PNB's 444-day special FD pays 6.60% to general depositors versus 6.45% at SBI's Amrit Vrishti and BoB's Square Drive Deposit — here's the full rate comparison and what to check before booking.
CBDT now shows your foreign bank accounts and assets in AIS — check before you file
A July 8, 2026 CBDT order has enabled foreign asset and income data from CRS/FATCA information-sharing to appear in taxpayers' Annual Information Statement, just before the July 31 ITR deadline.
Income Tax Department switches on 24x7 helpline for the final ITR filing week
From 8 am on 25 July until midnight on 31 July, e-filing and CPC support lines will run round the clock to help last-minute filers with login issues and portal glitches.
Govt rules out scrapping LTCG tax on equities — collections jump 79% to ₹1.29 lakh crore
Finance Ministry tells Lok Sabha there's no proposal to remove or cut the 12.5% LTCG tax on listed shares, as collections surged from ₹72,249 crore to ₹1,29,158 crore in one year.
SEBI brings back open-market share buybacks from August 1 — what it means for your portfolio
SEBI has restored the stock-exchange buyback route it phased out in 2025, with a new capital-gains tax framework for shareholders. Here's how open-market buybacks work and why they matter for retail investors.
RBI's August 3-5 rate call: why a hold looks likely even as inflation tops 4%
Retail inflation rose to 4.4% in June, but easing crude prices have cut the odds of a rate hike at the RBI's August MPC meeting, according to ICRA. Here's what it means for EMIs and FD rates.
Bought a car over ₹10 lakh? Don't forget to claim back the 1% TCS in your ITR
Car dealers collect 1% TCS on vehicles priced above ₹10 lakh at the time of sale. With the 31 July deadline days away, here's how that amount gets adjusted or refunded when you file your return.
SIP inflows hold above ₹31,000 crore for a 5th straight month — what June 2026 AMFI data tells investors
AMFI's June 2026 data shows SIP contributions at ₹31,781 crore, equity fund inflows up 26.5% month-on-month to ₹28,973 crore, and industry AUM at ₹82.22 lakh crore — even as debt funds saw large outflows. Here's what it means for your portfolio.
Only 1.97 crore ITRs filed with 12 days left — and no extension in sight
Filing for AY 2026-27 is running far behind last year's 7-crore pace at the same point, but the tax department says on-time tools mean there's no case for pushing the 31 July deadline this time.
Sensex closes above 78,150 on earnings rally — what retail investors should (and shouldn't) do now
Sensex jumped 964 points and Nifty gained 261 points on 17 July 2026 as Q1 earnings from Jio Financial and Tech Mahindra offset a weak global selloff. Here's the sensible response for retail investors, not a reaction.
RBI Floating Rate Savings Bond stays at 8.05% for July–December 2026 — how it beats most bank FDs
RBI has kept the Floating Rate Savings Bond 2020 (Taxable) at 8.05% for the July–December 2026 half-year, 35 bps above the NSC rate. Here's who should use it and the catches to know before investing.
PFRDA launches PRIDE-DISHA — a free tool to compare NPS returns across fund managers
A new PFRDA circular (14 July 2026) rolls out an online calculator that shows real, XIRR-based returns for every NPS pension fund manager and scheme, using NAV history back to 2008.
RBI's ₹25,000 digital fraud compensation rule pushed to January 2027 — what changed
RBI finalised its digital banking fraud compensation framework on 24 June 2026, but delayed rollout by six months to 1 January 2027. Here's the compensation math, the 5-day reporting rule, and what to do if you're defrauded before then.
ITR refunds AY 2026-27: some land same-day, over 24 lakh filers may wait 90+ days
Early filers report refunds credited within hours of e-verification this season — but tax experts warn more than 2.4 million taxpayers could still see refunds delayed past 90 days. Here's what decides which group you're in.
EPFO's new CITES 2.01 platform goes live — auto-claim limit jumps to ₹5 lakh
EPFO has migrated all 34 crore member accounts to a single national database. Auto-settlement of PF advance claims now covers up to ₹5 lakh, up from ₹1 lakh, and UPI-based withdrawals are being tested.
FD rate gap widens: small finance banks at 8.10% vs SBI's 6.45% top rate
Suryoday and Utkarsh Small Finance Banks are offering up to 8.10% on FDs in July 2026, nearly 1.7 percentage points above SBI's best rate of 6.45%. Here's what the higher rate actually costs you in risk.
Redeeming a Sovereign Gold Bond early? Budget 2026 may have made your gains taxable
SGB tranches from 2019-21 are hitting their 5-year premature redemption window right through July-September 2026 — but a Budget 2026 change means the old blanket tax exemption no longer covers everyone who exits early.
RBI's new Ombudsman Scheme is live — banks can now be made to pay up to ₹30 lakh
The Reserve Bank of India's revamped Integrated Ombudsman Scheme took effect on 1 July 2026, raising compensation limits and cutting the complaint window to 90 days. Here's how to actually use it.
RBI lifts rate cap on FCNR(B) and NRE deposits — window closes 30 September
Banks can now price 3-5 year FCNR(B) and NRE deposits without RBI's ceiling, and rates have jumped from ~4% to as high as 7.5%. The relaxation is temporary — here's what NRIs should check before locking in.
RBI's new loan-against-shares limit kicks in — individuals can now borrow up to ₹1 crore
From 1 July 2026, RBI's revised Capital Market Exposure rules raise the system-wide cap on loans against shares and mutual funds for individuals from ₹20 lakh to ₹1 crore, with fresh LTV limits by security type.
EPFO keeps EPF interest at 8.25% for FY 2025-26 — here's when it hits your account
The Central Board of Trustees' rate has finance ministry concurrence and an EPFO circular dated 1 July 2026. Here's the timeline and how to check your passbook.
RBI's weekly credit reporting rule kicks in — your CIBIL score can now change 4 times a month
From 1 July 2026, banks and NBFCs must send borrower repayment data to credit bureaus every week instead of fortnightly, meaning credit scores update faster — for better and for worse.
HDFC and SBI tighten credit card lounge access and reward rules from July 1
HDFC Regalia Gold and Diners Club Privilege now need ₹60,000 quarterly spend for domestic lounge access. SBI's PhonePe co-brand cards get reward-point cuts. What changed and how to stay eligible.
RBI finalises anti-mis-selling rules: banks must refund and compensate from 1 January 2027
The Reserve Bank of India has finalised new Responsible Business Conduct directions banning dark patterns and forced bundling, and making banks refund and compensate customers for mis-sold products. Effective 1 January 2027.
Small savings rates unchanged for July–September 2026: PPF stays at 7.1%, SCSS and SSY at 8.2%
The Ministry of Finance has kept interest rates on all small savings schemes flat for Q2 FY27. Here are the latest rates for PPF, SCSS, SSY, NSC, KVP and POMIS.
ITR filing AY 2026-27: file before 31 July or lose the old regime
The new staggered ITR calendar plus a costly catch — file a belated return and you are locked into the new tax regime, losing HRA, 80C and every old-regime deduction.