S&P BSE Sensex*	Re/US $	Gold Rs/10g	Crude ($/barrel)	FD Rates (1-Yr)
32,968.68 |372.14 1.14%	65.16 |0.01 0.02%	31,510.00 | 410.00 1.32%	69.53 |0.62 0.90%	5.00% - 6.90%

 

In the eye of this controversial storm, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recently extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with PAN from March 31, 2018 to June 30, 2018. This is the fourth time that linking your Aadhaar to other personal documentation been drawn out to a future date. The initial deadline was July 31, 2017 and the latest one is June 30, 2018.

As on March 5, 2018, a little over 50% of total 33 crore registered PAN cards were linked with Aadhaar.

If you are one of those who haven’t linked your Aadhaar with PAN, here’s how to do it three easy steps.

But before you start, make sure your mobile number is registered with Aadhaar, else, get it done first.

In addition, your date of birth and gender should match in both records. This acts as an additional level for authentication. If there is a mistake, you need to correct that as well.

Read on to know how to link Aadhaar with PAN…

Have both your documents in place, to link them effortlessly.

Step 1: Visit www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home

Once you visit the homepage of the Income Tax e-filing portal, the option to link your Aadhaar card can be seen on the left-hand side.

Click on the link to visit the page to update your details.

Alternatively, you can visit - https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/e-Filing/Services/LinkAadhaarHome.html directly.

Step 2: Enter your details

All you need to do now is fill up a simple form with your PAN number, 12-digit Aadhaar number and name as per Aadhaar. Here you need to ensure that you enter your name EXACTLY as mentioned on the Aadhaar card.

Once you confirm all the details are correct, enter the Captcha Code (to verify you are human), and click ‘Link Aadhaar’.

Step 3: Complete authentication, if required

If there is no mismatch in your name in both records, you will get a message-“Aadhaar-PAN linking is completed successfully.” There is nothing more to be done. Sit back and relax.

However, if you get a message stating that the records do not match, you will need to proceed with an additional step to verify your identity. You will need to generate a One Time Password (OTP) that is sent to your Aadhaar registered mobile number.

Choose ‘Option2’ from the pop-up to generate your Aadhaar OTP.

Once you receive the OTP, choose ‘Option1’ to complete the process.

If there is a minor mismatch, Aadhaar-PAN linking will be successful.

In rare cases, where the name on the Aadhaar is completely different from that in PAN, then the linking will fail and you will be prompted to change the name in either Aadhaar or in PAN database.

To update your PAN details, you may choose to do it online here: https://www.onlineservices.nsdl.com/paam/endUserRegisterContact.html 

Under the application type, choose “Changes or Correction in existing PAN data”

Your Aadhaar details can be updated online here: https://ssup.uidai.gov.in/web/guest/update

The facility for Aadhaar-PAN linking is also available after logging in to your Income Tax e-Filing account.

• Go to Profile settings and choose Aadhaar linking.

• The details as per PAN are pre-populated.

• Enter the Aadhaar number and the name EXACTLY as given in Aadhaar card (avoid spelling mistakes) and submit.

• And the process here is the same as the one explained above.

All taxpayers can use this simplified 3-step process to complete the linking of Aadhaar with PAN.

Apart from complying with the regulations, this will be useful for e-Verification of Income Tax returns using an OTP sent to your mobile registered with Aadhaar.

Note that once you link your Aadhaar with PAN, it becomes easy for the tax department to track your high value transactions. If there are irregularities between amount you spent and income you disclosed, the tax department will easily know about it now.

Therefore, you should always do a tax planning exercise in a systematic way and e-file your Income-Tax returns before due date disclosing all your income.

PersonalFN is of the view that by making Aadhaar linkage compulsory, the government expects to weed out fake PAN cards in the system which is often used for fraudulent transactions.

The Apex Court, on March 28, 2018, also has extended the deadline to link Aadhaar with welfare schemes to June 30, 2018, so that many are included and direct benefit of welfare schemes can be passed on to citizens.  

Currently, there is an ongoing controversy on the data privacy associated with Aadhaar linkage. A constitutional five-judge bench is hearing the matter that contests the government’s decision of making it compulsory to link Aadhaar with almost everything—social welfare schemes, PAN, Income Tax Returns (ITRs), bank accounts, and mobile phone connections.

Nevertheless, it appears that linking Aadhaar with many important documents will become a must for everyone.

Why Is Gold Gaining All The Attention These Days? Know Here...

The calendar year 2018 started with a bang for equity investors. The effervescence of optimism overflowed across the global equity markets. Indian markets too participated in the global rally and the key indices touched their life-time high in January.

Those who missed the bus felt dismayed and fearing the permanent loss of opportunity, invested in equity when the markets rallied at steep valuations.

 But soon after the budget was announced, the tide turned against equity.

Long term capital gain tax on equity, PNB scam, fear of political instability in India, geo-political tensions at the global landscape, possibility of escalation of tariff wars made guest appearances. These factors pricked the balloon of equity.

But as they say, one man's loss is another man's gain. Gold shot into the limelight.

Gold is already up close to 5% in India and is expected to exhibit sheen in 2018.

To read more and to know where gold is headed, click here.

Should Some Dynamic Equity Funds Be Renamed As 'Erratic Equity Funds'?

Do you remember Ms Dipa Karmakar? She was the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the final round of the women’s vault competition at the Rio Olympic Games 2016.

Many admire her for attempting the ‘Produnova’, a manoeuvre as incredibly complicated as it sounds.

Ms Karmakar lost out on a medal, but she won the hearts of a nation with her vaulting performance. Her name is etched in history as the first Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics in 52 years, as she attained 4th position in Women's Vault Gymnastics.

At gymnastic competitions, you will often see athletes do flips, jumps, and tricks that inspire awe. Their superhuman ability to defy gravity isn't the only thing we can't help but admire.

To attain such flexibility takes years of training and practice.

Flexibility in investing

Imagine the same flexibility when investing — the ability to move in and out of equity investments in an effort to deal with market volatility and generating superior returns.

Nonetheless, based on these concepts, mutual fund houses offer investors Dynamic Equity Funds.

These funds lure investors though their flexibility to move in and out of stocks in an effort to beat the market and other peers.

To know how Dynamic Equity Funds have performed, clicked here.

Good News! Your Tax-Free Gratuity Limit Increased And Much More!

Rajya Sabha recently cleared the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill 2018 without any resistance (and discussion), merely by the vote of voice. Once the president gives his nod, which is now only a formality, the fortunes of those working in India's formal economy will change forever.

Why was the passage of this Bill so crucial?

The limit of tax-free gratuity to double

In recent times, the government hiked the limit on tax-free gratuity to Rs 20 lakh for the Central Government employees as suggested by the 7th Pay Commission report. But, this had put their private sector counterparts at a disadvantage.

The passage of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill 2018 was crucial as it will now replace the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, thereby creating a level-playing field for the private sector employees.

To know more what changed, click here.

IDFC Classic Equity Fund: Signs Of An Improving Performance Under Mr Anoop Bhaskar

IDFC Classic Equity Fund was launched by IDFC Mutual Fund over a decade ago in August 2005. Except for Mr Ankur Arora, who had been managing the fund of four years between February 2012 and March 2016, none of the other fund managers were at the helm for more than three years.

About two years ago, ace fund manager Mr Anoop Bhaskar—who was earlier with UTI Mutual Fund—took over the reins of IDFC Classic Equity Fund. Since then, the performance of the scheme has shown signs of improvement.

Click here to read the complete note.

Ever since the government decided to link the interest rate of Small Savings Schemes (SSS) with the yield of the benchmark g-sec bond, investors have been receiving lower interest quarter after quarter.

When the bond yields are down, the government lowers the interest rates on interest rates on SSS such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC).

But when yields rise, it seems it manages to delay the transmission to SSS investors. For instance, for the upcoming April-June quarter, the government has decided not to hike interest rates despite rising bond yields.

Hopefully, the government will be fair with the investors in passing on the benefits of rising yields.  But higher interest payment on SSS directly adds to the expenses of the government.

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Dynamic Asset Allocation: Dynamic asset allocation is a portfolio management strategy that frequently adjusts the mix of asset classes to suit market conditions. Adjustments usually involve reducing positions in the worst-performing asset classes while adding to positions in the best-performing assets.

Quote: "The difference between success and failure is not which stock you buy or which piece of real estate you buy, it's asset allocation..."‒Tony Robbins