During Financial Crisis How To Manage EMI Payments?

Unlike our ancestors, who worked hard for years to buy their home are open to the idea of ​​purchasing their property for home loans. There is no doubt about taking home loans due to government policies. But at the same time, motivating oneself has made the youth tense and fearful about the unexpected future. Out of all the loans a person takes for a lifetime, the home loan is the most difficult to repay. A normal home loan is taken for a period of 5 to 30 years. EMIs are easier to manage when a home receives some rental income, but this is not the case with self-used property.

Well, we have never seen the future. But at least we can be ready to face it. In this writing, we have shared some great tips to help you manage the payment of EMI during financial stress.

1) Don't Overload Yourself - If you have invested in multiple properties, and repaying a home loan is a difficult task that makes you feel stressed, and then take action on time. Instead of living a stressful life, you should consider getting rid of the burden. These days, you can easily sell a property, even if it is under debt obligation. Alternatively, you can rent it to a suitable tenant or real estate company. By renting property or renting it to a person or business organization for a long period, you can earn a regular income that can be used to pay off debt.

2) Speak to the bank at the right time - Whenever you feel inability to repay a home loan, do not hide the truth from the bank by avoiding its message or call. Rather, you should be transparent about your position to the bank. In general, banks try to support their customers in adverse circumstances.

3) Maintain a contingency fund- To face the effects of adversity such as job loss or economic downturn; you should maintain expenses for about 6 months as a contingency fund. Due to low interest rates in savings accounts, you can keep this money in fixed deposits.

4) Get insurance - Does not come with a life guarantee card. In certain situations such as job loss, economic downturn or death, loan installments may not be paid on time. Failure to pay a home loan can lead to a situation when the house or its collateral will be confiscated. To prevent such situations in unexpected future, you should get home loan insurance.

5) Make quick payments - In some situations, it can be difficult to repay the EMI of a home loan. But reducing EMI payments every month will increase the outstanding principal amount. If possible, try to make a quick repayment of the principal amount as it will reduce the financial burden. Remember that repaying home loan should be your priority over other expenses.

Amidst Corona virus Epidemic: Know the Impact on Financial Investment in India

The whole world is facing the COVID-19 epidemic. And, while its outbreak in China has only ended a few months, it has already affected 74,61,261 people worldwide, recording 4,19,070 deaths so far. The rapid spread of the virus has prompted people to keep their money in liquid form. Thus, instead of investing in the market, more people are selling their property. In just a few weeks, the epidemic has shaken investor confidence. Thus, the SENSEX is showing an unprecedented slowdown. In addition, the crude oil war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has led to instability in the equity and debt markets.

It is estimated that very soon, corona virus can infect two-thirds of the world's population. This scenario is going to have a negative impact on the Indian economy as well as global economic growth. Let us examine the effect of COVID-19 on most investment routes in India.

1) Sensex is below its 10-year average

The stock market is in turmoil as broader market valuations have slipped below the 10-year average. This is the worst time to sell shares as the Sensex has turned negative. The value of shares in the market has fallen by 44 percent, yet due to uncertainty people are eager to sell their shares. While some financial experts suggest that this time may be optimal for long-term investors, hype is that the market may take several years to recover. In addition, there may be a further decline of 8 to 10% over the next few years. Therefore, there is no certainty for the recovery of higher returns in the future.

As the stock market is witnessing heavy selling, this is the worst time for short-term investment. Right now, you should stay away from small and mid-cap stocks until the volatility settles.

2) Tourism and aviation are showing a sluggish business

The rapid proliferation of corona viruses has severely affected the aviation sector. Most international flights have been canceled, and even domestic carriers are showing sluggish business. Tourism is an important opportunity for income generation in India, but unfortunately, there is a panic in the tourism sector as thousands of tourists are barred from visiting India.

As a result, the hotel and restaurant industry is also showing a petty business. Also, all places of entertainment have been closed because avoiding public meetings is a preventive measure against COVID-19.

3) Gold is not so good for investment

Currently, gold prices are touching an all-time high due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Gold has been seen as a place of investment, with equity markets taking a step back from risk. Although gold is expected to benefit from the low yield scenario, it cannot be considered an interest-bearing asset. Eventually, gold prices will definitely decline after a few months.

If you are already investing in sovereign gold bonds, this is an opportune time to sell them and profit from gold price movements. But now investing in these bonds will not be beneficial.

4) Real estate shines amidst all the uncertainties

As the novel corona virus continues to spread throughout the world, the residential real estate market will feel the effects of quarantine. According to an estimate, only 15% of households in India provide at least one room per person, which is mandatory for self-quarantine. Therefore, in the next few months, there may be high demand for fully furnished homes on rent. And, property owners can take advantage of high rental demand.

As the government focused on the need for social isolation, the sale, purchase and construction of real estate will continue for the next few months. According to a survey, between the COVID-19 hit markets, there has been no change in the interests of the buyer and seller. Therefore, there will be almost no impact on the prices of assets. Although the commercial real estate market may not attract new rental interests over the next few months, there will be no drop or rise in their prices.

While each avenue of investment is showing a degree of uncertainty, real estate is the safest option at hand. Investing in stock and tourism businesses cannot be rationalized at present as these sectors are showing no signs of recovery soon. While gold prices have gone up, there is a strong possibility of a fall in prices after a few months. Therefore, if you are thinking about investing your money, then real estate is the best option as it is possible to drop its prices due to any market fluctuations or political, economic and social scenarios.

Women should know about low pay duty charges and interest in real estate

Women in cities have become an important focal point for developers. Unlike the earlier scenario where they were not just considered decision makers and producers, Indian women today are much empowered and have become independent decision makers in home buying matters. Along with good jobs with fantastic growth prospects - not only in corporate India, but also in government positions in rank, women today are an important target audience for major property developers.

Today a growing number of women believe that owning physical assets like home makes them realize more than marriage at the right age.

The scenario has also changed for married women. With dual-income families as background, many women are now active financial partners with equal say in purchasing decisions.

Shortly before this there was a distinct change in family dynamics and their investment priorities, which were mainly gold and Fixed Deposits. Real estate now occupies an important position in their investment portfolio.

The government and the banking system are also going the extra mile to encourage women into standalone homework. In India, stamp duty fees for property registration are lower in some states if it is executed in the name of a woman. Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana are with stamp duty exemption for women buyers. The exemption on stamp duty is up to 1-2% in different states.

“If the property is jointly owned, there may be additional tax benefit. Like men, women home buyers are also eligible for tax exemption up to Rs 1.5 lakh under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act on principal paid on housing loans, and home loans up to Rs 2 lakh under Section 24 per annum on interest. If a property is let out on rent, full interest is allowed on the home loan as a deduction. However, to avail this additional tax benefit on home loans, the property has to be co-owned,” according to experts.

In addition, many large banks in India pay less home loan interest to women borrowers than men. The discount may vary from 0.05% to 0.25% depending on the bank and loan amount.

Thus, women across urban India are buying properties to diversify their investment portfolios or to have multiple benefits for women, ranging from tax benefits to lower home loan interest rates by some banks and in various states Stamp fees and registration fees are also reduced.