Team FeeOnly

Retirement income: Systematic withdrawals win over dividends

Banking, Governments, Investments, Mutual Fund, RIA, Taxes / By /

Investors often prefer “income” like dividends over withdrawing capital, even when withdrawals are more tax-efficient.
Austin, investing ₹5 crore for retirement, shared this instinct and favoured the dividend option to avoid “touching capital.”
Behavioural research by Shefrin and Statman shows investors treat dividends as safe, approved income, while selling units feels uncomfortable.
This mental accounting bias is widespread and reinforced by the social-media push for “second incomes.”
But relying only on income requires a much larger corpus and can derail retirement planning.
Recognising these biases helps investors accept disciplined SWPs or products that withdraw only from gains.

Retirement income: Systematic withdrawals win over dividends Read More »

When paying fees hurts: Why investors favour commissions

Banking, Fees, International, Investments, Mutual Fund, Personal Finance, RIA / By /

When Paying Fees Hurts: Why Investors Favour Commissions
Nobel Prize–winning behavioural economist Richard Thaler showed that people spend far more when the payment feels painless — like using a credit card instead of cash. The “pain of paying” is strong when money leaves your hand, but much weaker when the cost is hidden or delayed. The salience also drops because the price of a ticket gets buried among dozens of items in the credit-card bill. A ₹10,000 ticket feels expensive on its own, but as part of an ₹80,000 bill it seems acceptable.
This simple insight explains why investors resist paying visible fees to advisers but readily accept commissions embedded in financial products. Fees deducted from investments (as in PMS) are also less painful than fees paid separately by cheque.

This pattern holds worldwide: wherever investors can choose between commissions and fees, most pick commissions because they feel painless. Only in countries like the UK and Australia — which have banned commissions — do large numbers of investors pay fees directly.

When paying fees hurts: Why investors favour commissions Read More »

Your credit is easier to steal than your money

Advice, Banking, Financial, Governments, Investments, Mutual Fund, Personal Finance, RIA / By /

Your credit is easier to steal than your money.
With just a phone number and an OTP, fraudsters can trick lenders into approving loans in your name — without your knowledge. Weak consent systems, no instant alerts, and rushed digital lending have made identity theft alarmingly easy. It’s time India strengthens its safeguards with verified consent, real-time alerts, and stricter ID checks to truly protect borrowers.

Your credit is easier to steal than your money Read More »

Programmable currency: Ensuring donors money is used right

Banking, Governments, Mutual Fund, RIA / By /

Programmable currency can transform the way money is given and used by allowing it to be spent only for its intended purpose. Just as governments could ensure subsidies are used for food or education, individuals like Hema could send money coded specifically for school fees, guaranteeing its proper use without adding friction. With consent-based visibility and universal acceptance, this next step in India’s digital journey could combine trust, traceability, and dignity — empowering millions to give with confidence and impact

Programmable currency: Ensuring donors money is used right Read More »

Loan rates should mirror unfinished homes higher risk

Advice, Banking, Financial, Governments, Investments, RIA, Taxes, Uncategorized / By /

Rajesh and Seema’s ordeal with a stalled housing project shows how India’s home loan system masks the biggest risk in real estate — that under-construction projects may never be completed. Banks and buyers treat them like ready homes, offering or taking loans at the same rates despite far higher uncertainty. With weak enforcement of RERA safeguards, homebuyers are left exposed. Differential interest rates — lower for completed homes, higher for under-construction ones — would make risks visible, protect buyers, and push the housing finance system toward fairness.

Loan rates should mirror unfinished homes higher risk Read More »

Notify draft rules making dealer liable for sold vehicle

Advice, Financial, Investments, Mutual Fund, Uncategorized / By /

Have you ever sold a car and signed a blank transfer form — did you know it could stay in your name for months and even end up as a terror tool, just like in the Parliament attack of 2001?
RCs often remain in the seller’s name while vehicles pass through multiple hands. If that car is in an accident, you may still be liable. Worse, it can be misused in crime — even terrorism — while the records still show you as the owner.
Other countries have solved this problem with simple processes. India’s draft rules of 2022 offered a clear solution: dealer authorisation, digital delivery intimation, and deemed ownership during possession. Yet three years later, these reforms remain unnotified.

Notify draft rules making dealer liable for sold vehicle Read More »

When compliance overwhelms, access to advice suffers

Fees, Financial, Investments / By /

The story of a visually impaired masseur exposes how compliance and mis-selling limit access to sound financial advice. SEBI’s accessibility rules, coupled with rising audit costs, add to the heavy burden on solo investment advisers. A review of regulations is needed to balance fiduciary standards with practical, proportionate compliance.

When compliance overwhelms, access to advice suffers Read More »

Remove friction in fee payment for advice

Advice, Banking, Fees, Mutual Fund, RIA / By /

Abhilash dislikes selling mutual fund units monthly to pay his RIA.
MFD commissions are deducted automatically, but RIA fees need direct payment.
He suggests letting funds sell units and pay RIAs directly.
This keeps costs transparent, taxable, and investor-controlled.
Removing such friction can make quality advice widely accessible.

Remove friction in fee payment for advice Read More »

Scroll to Top
Secret Link

Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 (VAW2025)

Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 is being observed from October 27th to November 2nd, 2025, with the theme:

सतर्कता: हमारी साझा जिम्मेदारी (“Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility”).

All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the e-pledge initiative by visiting the CVC portal: https://pledge.cvc.nic.in/.