There are multiple ways to make credit card payment CRED is one of them. CRED offers rewards for credit card bill payment. CRED is a mobile app that helps you to manage multiple credit cards.
Suppose you have multiple credit cards and you have difficulty in managing credit card payment CRED app is for you. Apart from clearing credit card dues, you can view all credit card statement, recent transactions on a single console. Let’s review the CRED App.
What is CRED?
CRED is a mobile app that offers cashback and rewards on bill payment. The rewards are given in terms of CRED coins. These CRED Coins can be redeemed for various lifestyle products & services. This benefit is on the top of normal cashback and rewards offered by the credit card.
It is AI-based app that also offers features such as due date reminder, spend analysis and other card usage statistics.
It is a membership-only app. You should have excellent credit score 750 or above to use this app. This app uses Experian & CRIF credit score to determine membership eligibility.
How to use CRED App?
Follow the simple steps given below to use CRED App.
Now enter your mobile number linked to your credit card.
You will get OTP on mobile number.
Once OTP is verified you need to enter your first name and last name.
Now the app will check for your credit score based on mobile number and name.
You need to enter your email id for sending your credit report.
It will display your credit score on the screen. If your score is more it allows you to subscribe to this app.
The app will try to find out associated credit card alternatively you can also add credit card manually.
The app will verify your card instantly.
Now you can make use of this app for clearing credit card dues.
CRED App Review
It is very easy to download this app. The user interface of this app is very good. The step for registration is lightning fast. On the registration is promptly display credit score and add CRED coin balance on the registration.
You will get your Experian credit report on your email id. It also detects your registered credit cards. In case the app is unable to detect credit card you can add it on your own.
The app is integrated with WhatsApp. It is sending payment reminders, hidden charges, and reward updates on Whatsapp.
I have tried to make credit card bill payment of ICICI and it works instantly. I have got CRED coins worth bill payment amount.
Initially, I was worried about the security of app but going through the documentation and other details I found that CRED App is maintaining the highest security standards including application-level encryption. The app security section describes more detail about privacy practice, data security and standards followed by them.
CRED is associated with leading brands such as amazon, levis, Ubar, zamato, cleartrip,flipkart, bookmyshow, bigbasket, ixigo, cleartax, swiggy etc.
Based on my experience pros and cons of this app is given below.
Pros
Single Interface to manage all credit cards.
WhatsApp Integration for bill reminders and hidden charge details.
Instant Credit score reports on registration.
Extra rewards and easy redemption process.
Track of payment history and rewards.
Refer friends and earn additional rewards.
Cons
You need to burn more CRED coins to get any reward offer.
If we compare this app with other apps such as PayTm this app requires improvements in terms of a premium feel.
In review rating few users have complained about customer support.
At last, I would like to say that CRED is a wonderful app that helps you in managing multiple credit cards as well as earning rewards. Credit card geek with a higher credit score should use this app.
Portfolio Management Service is an investment service offered to High Networth Individuals (HNIs) by professional money managers.
The chance of losing money in the stock market is very high for beginner or DIY (do it yourself) investors. To avoid this situation you can take assistance from an expert fund manager by opting for PMS. If you opt for these services, your entire portfolio will be controlled and managed by PMS. They will take the entire headache of portfolio management and financial goals. You need not to do anything. All buying, selling decision will be taken by them. You will be able to access your portfolio anytime. The arrangement of PMS helps investors to reduce risk & maximize returns.
What is PMS?
PMS stands for Portfolio Management Services. A PMS is offered by almost every stock broking companies. Money managers of PMS are experts in the stock market and they offer the following services to the client.
They take entire responsibility of managing your portfolio.
They understand your financial goal and what type of return you expect from the investment. They make investment portfolios accordingly.
They track the market and invest money on your behalf for wealth generation.
They also advise you on other financial instruments and your investment strategy.
PMS services are offered by brokers, banks, independent investment managers, and AMC.
PMS is registered on SEBI.
The minimum investment required for these services is 5 Lakh. however, the minimum investment required is varied for different service providers.
The services offered here are chargeable and it is a percentage of portfolio size.
Different model portfolios are provided in this service. Investors can choose it according to their financial goals and requirements.
Types of Portfolio Management Services
There are two types of portfolio management services available in the market.
(1) Discretionary PMS
Discretionary Portfolio management means a service provider can take buy or sell investment decision on the client behalf. They are not bounded to consult the client while making a transaction. Investment decisions are made at portfolio manager discretion.
(2) Non-Discretionary PMS
Non-Discretionary Portfolio management is opposit of discretionary. Here service provider needs to consult the client before making any transaction. The decision making power for transaction lies with the client only. Portfolio manager only assists the client in taking the right decision.
Who can invest in a PMS?
Anyone can avail services of PMS. However, it is more suitable for the following types of investors.
High net worth investors ready for taking a risk.
An investor seeking a customized investment solution.
A newbie investor who wants to maximize gain and reduce risk.
An investor seeking long term wealth generation & who understand the risk associated with these type of services.
How to evaluate Portfolio Management Services (PMS)?
You may come across many PMS providers in India. Following factors will help you in evaluating and zeroing down Best Portfolio Management service provider in India.
(1) Experience & Performance History
The first thing you need to check is the skill & experience of manager managing services. The manager should be competent and aware of the market scenario.
It also becomes crucial to look at the stock selection and portfolio management strategy. You should check past performance history and client reference before opting for any services.
(2) Lock-in Period
Lock-in period is another factor of evaluation. Lock-in period is a time during which you will not be allowed to quit from this services. As per regulation, there is no lock-in period but few companies keep conditions for Lock-in period. One should avoid the companies offering services with Lock-in period.
(3) Fee Structure
The fee structure of PMS is another important factor for the consideration. The fee structure of every PMS is different. Some of them charge a fixed fee based on the portfolio valuation while other charges variable fee.
A variable fee is made up of two components (1) Flat fixed fee (slightly lower) (2) Profit-sharing component.
You can select a fee structure based on your convenience. However, make sure that you understand fee structure completely before opting for services.
(4) Brokerage and Other Charges
Brokerage charges are applicable at every buy and sell activity. These charges are on the top of a fixed fee structure. This means if buy-sell activities are more you need to bear additional expenses for the brokerage charges. So, it is a good idea to look at the turnover ratio before making a selection of the PMS.
(5) Investment Strategy
You should look at the investment strategy adopted by the manager before availing services. A fund manager should make use of various asset class while making your portfolio. The fund manager should not give higher exposure to the equities. Higher exposure to equities will increase risk.
(6) Customer Base
Another important factor you should look at is the existing customer base of the company offering the services. You can get this information from the company website or from various other resources. If total client count is high, the fund manager may not be able to do justice with the services offered to you.
(7) Entry & Exit Load
Entry load is imposed when you enter into services whereas exit load is applicable when you exit from the services. Most of the PMS either charge entry load or exit load. You should select the services where the entry load and exit load are minimum.
Best Portfolio Management Service in India 2019
#1 Porinju Veliyath’s Equity Intelligence
Porinju Veliyath Equity Intelligence is among one of the Best Portfolio Management Services in India. This PMS offers only discretionary services. It means the decision to buy and sell stocks will be taken by the fund manager on its own.
The minimum investment required for joining equity intelligence is 50 Lakh. The services offered here is without lock-in. You can withdraw your investment anytime. The past performance history of Equity Intelligence is excellent. NRI can also invest in this PMS.
Fees of Equity Intelligence
Equity Intelligence of Porinju Veliyath charges a fixed management fee of 2% of quaterly Average Balance.
Additional performance fee 10% share of the returns above 10% per annum.
Brokerage charges are extra
#2 Motilal Oswal PMS
Motilal Oswal is second in the list of best portfolio management services. Motilal Oswal also offers discretionary portfolio management services. The minimum investment required for joining Motilal Oswal PMS is 25 Lakh. They offer three different products –
Value Strategy – The investment style of this product is buying undervalued stocks & selling overvalued stocks, irrespective of index movements.
Next Trillion-Dollar Opportunity – This product aims to deliver superior returns by investing in focus themes which are part of trillion-dollar GDP growth opportunity.
India Opportunities Portfolio Strategy – The IOP invest in companies which are expected to grow with India and meet the unique investment philosophy of Motilal Oswal.
Fees of Motilal Oswal PMS
The fixed management fee is 2.25-2.5% based on the portfolio value.
The variable fee structure is 0.75% to 1% on the profit.
Brokerage charges are extra.
#3 Kotak PMS
Kotak PMS is the next popular PMS in India. The minimum investment required to join this PMS is 25 Lakh. No Lock-in period applicable to this portfolio management service. You can withdraw your money anytime. They offer two products.
Special Situation Value Strategy – In this product investment is done in undervalued stocks associated with special situation benefits such as a merger, acquisition, restructuring, etc.
Small & Mid Cap Strategy – Here 75% of the portfolio is made up of small & mid-cap stocks. The stock-specific approach is employed with a medium to long term perspective.
Fees of Kotak PMS
A fixed management fee is 2.5% per annum payable quarterly.
No Performance fee.
Exit load 1% if you exit before 1 year.
Note – I have not invested in any of the PMS services mentioned above. The review given above is based on customer feedback and information available on the internet.
Opening a Demat & Trading account is mandatory for stock market investment or trading. Demat & trading accounts can be opened at the bank or with a brokerage house. In India, you will find more than 30+ stock & brokerage houses offering demat & trading accounts. Some of them are discount brokers and others are full-service brokers. Most of them are offering similar types of plans. So, it becomes difficult for the new investor to shortlist the Best Demat & Trading account. To help you, I have shortlisted Best Demat & Trading Accounts in India. The factors that I have taken into account while shortlisting are low brokerage, easy account opening, quick online access, user-friendly app & customer support.
Difference between Demat & Trading Account
Most of the investors consider the Demat & Trading account as a single account. However, both the demat account and trading account are different. The main difference between these two accounts is given below.
Demat Account
A Demat account is a short form of a dematerialized account. It is used to store share certificates and other financial instruments in electronic format. The working of the demat account is similar to the bank account. In the bank account, you deposit and withdraw money. On the other in the demat account, you store shares. The Demat account is linked to the bank account where the dividend amount of shares will be deposited.
Trading Account
A trading account is used for stock trading activities. If you are a stock trader involved in frequent buying and selling of shares you require a trading account. A trading account provides you with an online platform for buying and selling shares online. The brokerage cost is important when making a selection trading account.
The factors I have compared while making a selection of Demat & Trading Account are given below.
Brokerage & Other Cost
One of the most important factors while making a selection of a Demat & Trading account is brokerage cost. Brokerage cost is the cost applicable for buying and selling activity. This cost is charged in the percentage.
E.g. ICICI Direct and HDFC charge 0.5% of the transaction amount as brokerage. Zerodha offers zero brokerage on the delivery transaction and a minimum of 0.1% or Rs.20 on intraday.
In addition to brokerage costs, one should also consider account opening charges and other costs associated with the demat account.
Trading Platform
User-friendliness of the trading platform is the next important factor. The trading platform should be fast and intuitive. It should provide a predefined and customizable dashboard and analytical tools. The trading platform should have facilities of real-time market updates with trading charts. Notification via SMS and E-mail is another important factor for trading platforms.
User-Friendly Mobile App
A user-friendly mobile app is next on the list. The mobile app should be simple, intuitive, and capable of providing help whatever is required on the move. The app should be capable of accepting and executing orders on the move. You should prefer a stockbroker providing both Andriod and IOS App.
Customer Support
The brokerage house should have online and offline customer support facilities. Customer support should be prompt and capable of handling your queries. Customer support facility is very important when it comes to demat and trading accounts.
Easy Account Opening
The process of opening an account should be easy and fast. Online facility of opening demat & trading account without a personal visit to the branch is preferable.
Full-Service Brokers Vs Discount Brokers
A stockbroker is an individual or organization registered at SEBI and authorized to buy/sell stock on behalf of the client. In India, we have two types of stockbrokers – Full-service stock brokers & discount stock brokers.
(1) Full-Service Stock Brokers
A full-service stockbroker is a traditional broker that provides a trading platform as well as research & advisory for stocks, mutual funds, and commodities. They generally have a large number of branches in different cities.
A few popular full-service stockbrokers are ICICI Direct, HDFC, Axis Direct, Sharekhan, Motilal Oswal, etc.
(2) Discount Stock Brokers
Discount brokers only provide a trading platform to the client. They do not provide any advisory services. This type of account is suitable for the do-it-yourself investor.
Few examples of discount stock brokers are Zerodha, Upstox, 5 Paisa, etc.
Best Demat & Trading Accounts in India 2025 – Review
Best Demat & Trading Account – Discount Stock Brokers
#1 Zerodha
Zerodha is India’s biggest and number-one discount stock broker. Zerodha has more than 8.5 Lakh trading customers. Zerodha is a low-cost broker and best for small investors and traders. Zerodha offers free equity investments with flat Rs.20 or 0.01% (whichever is lower) intraday and F&O trade. Key features of the Zerodha Account are given below.
Key Features of Zerodha
Free Equity Investment. No brokerage on delivery
Lowest brokerage charge
Fast and user-friendly trading investment platform
Completely online account opening
Mobile app for trading on the move
Zerodha Charges
Trading Account Opening Charges (one time) – Nil
Demat Account Opening Charges (one time) – Rs 300
Trading Account Maintenance Charges (AMC) – Rs 0
Demat Account Maintenance Charges (AMC) – Rs 300 per year
Equity Intraday and Future trading brokerage Rs.20/per trade or 0.01%
#2 Upstox
Upstox is one of the most popular fast, reliable, and popular discount stock brokers in India. Upstox offers an easy-to-use trading platform. Upstox also provides a facility to invest in mutual funds. Upstox offers free equity delivery trades. The brokerage charge of Upstox is similar to that of Zerodha. You need to pay Rs.20 per trade or 0.01% (whichever is lower) for intraday trading.
Brokerage Charges – Rs.20 or 0.01% (whichever is lower)
#3 5Paisa
5Paisa is claimed to be 2nd largest discount broker in India. 5Paisa demat & trading account is advisable for both beginner and advanced investors. 5Paisa offers a flat brokerage of Rs.10 per trade irrespective of the trade amount.
Key Features of 5Paisa
Integrated platform for equity, mutual funds, and insurance
Paperless process of account opening
Ultra-fast mobile application for trading
Real-time advisory via robo-advisor
Automated trading tool based on pre-defined parameters
5Paisa Charges
Account Opening charges – NIL
AMC charges – Rs.45+ GST per month
Brokerage Charges – Rs.10 per trade
#4 ICICI Direct Demat & Trading Account
ICICI Direct Demat & Trading account is first in the list of full-service stock brokers. It is also known as a 3-in-1 account (Saving + Demat + Trading). ICICI Direct has more than 8.4 Lakh clients. ICICI Direct provides a wide range of investment services. This includes equity, mutual funds, NFO, IPO, ETF, Insurance, and currency investments. This type of account is suitable for investors with low trading volume.
Key Features of ICICI Direct
Trading advice and recommendation to the client
Website and app-based trading option
Average Customer support services
Option to invest in Mutual funds and other investment avenues
Different Brokerage charges
ICICI Direct Charges
AMC charges based on Holding value
Holding Up to Rs.5000 – NIL
From Rs.50001 – 2 Lakh – Rs.100
Above 2 Lakh – Rs.700
Brokerage Plan
I-Saver Plan – Turnover based
I-Secure Plan – Fixed percentage of brokerage – 0.275% – 0.55%
#5 SBI Smart
SBI Smart is next in the list of best demat & trading accounts. SBI Smart account is offered by SBI Cap Securities. SBI Smart is a full-service stock broker that offers services like equity investment, currency, IPO, Mutual Funds, NCD, ETF, Home Loan, Car loans and loans against securities. SBI Smart is one of the costliest demat and trading accounts. It is placed in to best demat account list due to the rich feature list & backing by the trusted name SBI.
Key Features of SBI Smart
Downloadable trading terminal
Trading mobile app for Android and iphone
Dial and trade facility
Research analysis tools and calculators
Investor education facility
Offline Trading application
SBI Smart Charges
Account Opening charges – Rs.850
Brokerage charges – 0.5% on delivery & 0.05% on Intraday
AMC charges for Demat Account – Rs.350
Conclusion –
Please note that each demat account is different in terms of features and services. Few of them provide a swift trading platform and direct market access whereas others provide advisory services and other unique features. As an end-user, you need to decide which features/services are important to you and evaluate the demat account accordingly.
If you are a trader and DIY investor you should go with discount brokers such as Zerodha or Upstox. If you are a long-term investor and looking for analysis reports and recommendations you should consider full-service brokers such as ICICI Direct, Axis Direct, etc.
To simplify & improve the process of ITR filing and e-verification, the Income Tax department has launched new facilities of e-filing Lite and E-verify IT return without login to e-filing portal.
You must be aware that filing of Income-tax return (ITR) is mandatory if your gross total income (before allowing any deduction 80C to 80U) exceeds 2.5 Lakhs. Once ITR is filed e-verification is mandatory. The process of e-verification should be done within 120 days from the date of filing return. Once ITR is e-verified it will be taken up for further processing at the Income Tax department.
In this post, we will discuss e-lite portal and steps to e-verify your ITR without logging into e-filing account.
E-filing Lite portal enables easy and quick ITR filing. It is a lighter version of the e-filing portal. Only essential links that enable e-filing of ITR and form 26AS will be visible on this portal. Additional tabs appearing in normal e-filing portal like e-proceeding, e-nirvan, compliance shall not be visible on e-lite portal. The process of accessing e-filing lite portal and filing return is given below.
Step -1 Visit income tax e-filing portal. In the Quick Links menu, you will find Quick ITR Filing option. You can access e-filing lite portal via this option.
Step-2 Click on “Quick ITR Filing”. A system will display a notice that one can use this system only for ITR filing, e-verification, viewing 26AS and viewing e-Filed returns.
Step-3 Click on Continue to e-file Lite. You will be taken to the page where you need to provide income tax login ID, Password and login to the system.
Step-4 Click on the Filing of Income Tax Return link on the dashboard. Alternatively, you can also select this option from the e-file drop-down menu.
Step-5 Select the Assessment Year and ITR form number and confirm that return is original or revised.
Step-6 In submission, you can select ‘Prepared and Submit online’ or ‘Upload XML’. After selection system will ask your bank account for refund credit purpose. The system will display ITR on your screen and you can fill, review and submit the return.
E-verify ITR without logging into E-filing account
Once you are done with filing your ITR, you need to e-verify it. If you want to e-verify ITR without log in follow the steps given below.
Step -1 Visit income tax e-filing portal. Click on the ‘e-verify return’ option given in the Quick Links menu.
Step- 2 Enter your details PAN card, Assessment Year and acknowledgment number. Click on the continue button.
Step -3 You will be prompted with three different options on the screen.
(1) I have an EVC to e-verify my return
(2) I do not have an EVC and I would like to generate EVC to e-verify my return
(3) I would like to use Aadhaar OTP to e-verify my return
Select any one option for the verification of the return. If you select OTP and Aadhaar option your mobile should be registered with the Aadhaar database. In case you select an option to generate EVC, you need to generate EVC via pre-validated bank or demat account.
Note –
The facility of e-verify is available only for the e-return FY 2018-19. You can not verify your previous returns using this facility. You can not use the digital signature option using this method.
