Value Research Online

Look once a year, not daily

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0530

Daily portfolio tracking produces noise, not insight. Here are the four checks that shape long-term outcomes: contribution rate, asset allocation, diversification and tax.

Mostly vanity, occasionally the taxman

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:31:08 +0530

The new tax regime reduced last-minute tax-saving investments, but capital gains tax still influences many decisions. Learn how to avoid costly tax-driven investing.

For once, I am not telling you to ignore the news

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:07:16 +0530

A lifelong science fiction reader laid out where SpaceX's road actually leads. Here is why I, who tells investors to ignore the news, found this one hard to file away.

Stop fussing over where to invest

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0530

A saver with an 8 per cent return and Rs 20,000 a month ends up with more than a skilled investor earning 14 per cent but saving Rs 12,000. Here is why amount beats alpha.

The slow learner

Wed, 01 Jul 2026

A business can strengthen its margins and position for years before its share price catches up. Here is where that gap pays off, and where it traps investors.

Read the RBI's new rules as confessions

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0530

The RBI's new directive bans 11 dark patterns in bank selling. Read each rule as a confession of what was routine. Here is what the document actually admits about banks.

How to save for Musk's utopia

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0530

Musk argues AI abundance makes saving pointless. But in a robot-powered world, owning productive capital matters more than ever. Here is the case for keeping your SIPs.

A familiar drift

Sat, 20 Jun 2026

Most flexi-cap funds keep three-fifths of assets in large caps and have for six years. If you bought one for flexibility, here is why that label may no longer hold.

Your gold doubled. That is the problem, not the prize

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0530

A 5 per cent gold hedge left untouched may now be 15 to 20 per cent of your portfolio. That is no longer a hedge. Here is why rebalancing gold is the right move now.

The AI revolution worth having

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0530

While giants stake $80 billion on AI's future, the more useful revolution fits in your morning routine. Here is why ordinary investors should ignore the noise and use the tools.

Old file, new company

Mon, 01 Jun 2026

Markets keep reading old files on companies that have already changed. When margins rise and ROCE improves, but the label stays stale, the price lags. That’s where the opportunity is.

SEBI's new rule helps the wrong people

Sat, 30 May 2026 10:00:00 +0530

SEBI wants employers to route SIPs for salaried workers. But formal-sector employees already have auto-debit. The informal workforce, who need it most, are left out.

Fear, greed and panic

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:57:00 +0530

Markets thrive on fear and panic. Warren Buffett’s timeless advice reveals why investors should ignore noise and stay invested.

The most useful answer is 'I don't know'

Sat, 23 May 2026 10:00:00 +0530

Readers wrote in after last week's column on West Asia and markets. Their questions sorted into four piles. The answers are less dramatic than the questions deserved.

The complexity of investment jargons

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:07:00 +0530

Investment jargon often masks complexity and creates false expertise. Simplicity matters more than complexity in investing success.

Such a long journey

Wed, 20 May 2026

India's largest equity fund now manages Rs 1.25 lakh crore. As funds balloon, portfolios drift and returns shift. Here is when that change demands action and when it does not.

Protection against catastrophes

Mon, 19 May 2008

Can you shield your wealth from wars, crashes, or crises? Diversification and asset allocation offer a practical defense plan.

When 'this too shall pass' doesn't

Sat, 16 May 2026 10:10:05 +0530

Most crises damage sentiment. This one damages things. Physical refining capacity, not just prices, is being destroyed. Here is why the usual stay-the-course advice needs a caveat.

The day even HDFC said no to gold

Thu, 14 May 2026 09:41:52 +0530

Gold ETF inflows crashed 87 per cent in 90 days. The PM, the government and HDFC Mutual Fund reached the same conclusion in 72 hours. Here is how to rebalance your gold allocation now.

Process vs Randomness

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:22:00 +0530

Nassim Taleb says markets are too random for financial models, and uniform systems make rare crises deeper, wider and far more dangerous in markets globally.