September 2016

This is why the Future is all about Contextual Content Marketing…

This is why the Future is all about Contextual Content Marketing…

Customer delight is no longer as simple as it used to be about two decades ago. That is when content alone would engage the customer and drive revenue growth. Not anymore…

We are now in a highly connected world, and as more and more information becomes available to the marketer, customer expectations about personalization and delight soar extraordinarily high.

For the marketer, availability of personalized information is highly rewarding as it enables delivery of content based on time, place, person and the ideal medium and strategy.

We Have Now Moved from Content Marketing to Contextual Marketing

Contextualmarketing, the buzzword that culminates all of this, is the next generation thinking that will drive a truly personalized customer experience.

This new marketing focus in the Internet era is slightly different and much more effective than plain content marketing that we have been looking at for sometime.

While value and relevance are targeted in both approaches, context marketing is much more strategic; ensuring that the likelihood of acquiring satisfied customers is very high.

There is Enough Reason for Contextual Marketing to be More Important than Mere Content Marketing

Customercontext is the term of the future, plainly because of the way customers react to the content in the presently connected world.

The number of messages in different forms that customers are exposed to every minute is humungous. This means that most of the content is going to be ignored unless it catches attention owing to a certain context.

In order tochrun content that matters to your customers, marketers must ensure far beyond mere customer segmentation.

Sending messages in context ensures that customers are well connected to your brand, and theyare able to portray the right attitudes for longer periods ensuring brand loyalty.

By getting to the core of contextual data and ensuring that customerrecognition has been carried out, marketers can ensure high-quality customerexperience.

Most of all, marketers can ensure that by pushing out highly relevant information tailored according to buyerpersonas, they will be ruling out the possibility of being ignored by their target market.

Here’s Why Contextual Marketing is Going to Rapidly Cover Ground

Marketers are observing customer behavior extremely closely. The competition is not about getting more content to a large group of audience. Rather, it is about providing useful content in the right context.

According to Teradata survey, as many as 90{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} marketing professionals out of the 1500+ group of professionals, was of the opinion that even segmentation is a thing of the past. The future is about thinking in context and in real-time.

Marketers realize that Big Data is the ideal grounding on which to base their customer analysis. Overcoming challenges related to security, human resource, funding and technology would provide the desired customer view.

So Make the Move from Plain Content Marketing to Insightful Contextual Marketing

It’s true; you will not move an inch in this competitive digital landscape without banking on contextualmarketing. But that does not mean you can do away with content marketing altogether.

With contextualcontentmarketing you are able to more appropriately tune into the tastes and preferences of your customers for the best buyerjourney.

Giving the right recommendations at the right time along the buying experience as well as pushing alerts and notifications that matterensures a customer experience that they can cherish.

Finally, basing these content snippets on the attitudes, needs, preferences and motivations of buyers is the key to customer satisfaction and delight.

A strategy along these lines,carved using the best interactions and engagement using contextualdata ensures precision every time.

Contextual Marketing Can Lead to the Best Goal Oriented Marketing Strategy

Marketing is an ongoing process and the more relevant the feedback loops, the better it is for developing a brand image that fares well.

A well planned contextual content marketing plan ensures that marketers get the right tracking information during their campaign.

Eventually, a thorough understanding of customer emotion, response or action results in an effortless buy decision.

Contextual Marketing is a Full Plan Rollout for Maximum Conversions

Contextual marketing is a much-focused approach deployed under the right circumstance, at a time when shoppers are most receptive to the marketing message.

By getting their attention for the right reasons, marketers have figured out an approach that identifies with not the demographic, but rather the emotional state of their most prized consumers.

In the digital marketing arena today, such an approach is the sure shot pathway towards instant conversions.

Keywords:Content marketing, context marketing, content, customer context, contextual content marketing, contextual marketing, contextual data, customer segmentation, customer recognition, customer experience, buyer persona, buyer journey

6 Reasons Sovereign Gold Bonds Are Safer Than You Think (Content Strategi)

6 Reasons Sovereign Gold Bonds Are Safer Than You Think

The Reserve Bank Of India will soon be issuing Sovereign Gold Bonds on behalf of the Government of India.

How They Work

Investing in Sovereign Gold Bonds is similar to investing in physical gold. Investors receive returns that are linked to the market price of gold.

The bonds are issued on payment of Rupees and are denoted in grams of gold. Investments can be as small as two grams or even as large as 500 grams per fiscal year.

These bonds will be available from designated post offices and individual commercial banks. When applying for a Sovereign Gold Bond, the potential investor includes a bank account. This account will be credited all rofits from the bond.

The bonds can be purchased through cash, cheques, demand drafts, and electronic fund transfers. They are paid upon maturity in direct payment credited to the bank account provided.

Sovereign Gold Bonds earn interest at the rate of 2.75 percent per year on the amount of initial investment. They will be available in both paper and demat forms.

Exiting The Investment

Though the tenor of Sovereign Gold Bonds is eight years, it is possible to exit the investment early. There are a few ways to do this:

● Trading the demat form of bond on the Exchange

● On the 5th, 6th, and 7th years there is the option of coupon payment dates.

● Approach the bank or post office purchased from within thirty days of the coupon payment date.

● Must be done at least one day before the coupon payment date.

Once early redemption has been completed, proceeds will be credited to the bank account provided when applying for the bond.

Better Than Gold?

Investing in physical gold can come with issues and risks. These problems are removed when investing in Sovereign Gold Bonds.

Sovereign Gold Bonds eliminate the risk and cost involved with storing gold. These bonds also remove the issue of purity level involved in gold jewelry investments.

Using Sovereign Gold Bonds In Other Ways

Sovereign Gold Bonds can also be used as collateral when applying for loans. The loan to value rate for Sovereign Gold Bonds would be the same as it is for gold loans.

The Sovereign Guarantee

Sovereign Gold Bonds carry a Sovereign Guarantee on both the capital invested and on the interest obtained.

The quantity of the investment is protected since payment when redeemed at the market price per gram.

Secure Records Prevent Loss

With Sovereign Gold Bonds, there is no risk of losing the bond. The files of the bonds are held in the books of the Reserve Bank of India.

When the bond is one month from maturing, a notice is sent to the investor. On the day it matures the proceeds are credited to the bank account on record.

Tax Exemptions

The capital gains tax on the profits from redeeming a Sovereign Gold Bond has been exempted. This exemption will transfer to the new holder if the bond is traded or transferred.

The only risk of Sovereign Gold Bonds is one attached to any investment based on gold. The risk that the market price of gold will drop.

Startup Trouble! Watch Out For These Five Legal Complexities When Starting Up (Rank Princess)

Startup Trouble! Watch Out For These Five Legal Complexities When Starting Up

Thinking of launching your startup? Stop and Read! Here are the five most common legal complexities to watch out for when starting up.

Getting to the stage where you have your venture up and running can be a difficult task even with the greatest ideas on mind. New entrepreneurs are more likely to run into legal complications, but this can be avoided. Careful assessment of the legal procedures and comprehension of the long-term effects can save a fortune and even make one!

Here is a detailed brief on legal issues to be kept in mind.

1. Improper settlement between co-founders

To avoid a probable legal feud between partners in the future, a proper settlement needs to be made between co-founders right at the beginning. Most legal hassles stem from misrepresentation of agreements between partners.

This, however, can be duly avoided by having a detailed, documented and decisive agreement made between the co-founders before any further incorporation. It is advisable to get this agreement made before registering as a private limited company.

2. Legal hurdles when raising the first investment

A lot of questions and decisions must be dealt with in the investment phase. All the legal formalities must be taken care of with regard to taxation, employment laws, intellectual property, business licenses, and contracts.

Due diligence must be made, and guidance must be sought from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals. With everything in check, raising an investment can be a rewarding experience. The right investment company must be selected by keeping in mind the income tax, returns, and policies.

3. Enforcement and negotiation of contracts

Startups enter various contracts with third-party vendors almost right from their inception. Contracts, as we all know, are legally binding and may lead to possible trouble if not properly enforced and negotiated.

It is important to assess the hidden clauses, the terms and conditions, and other legal aspects of the contract before submission. It may be so that a contract made with a PR agency allows it to walk out of the agreement under certain circumstances and this clause was not negotiated by the startup.

The concentration of power, loss of money and larceny are some of the outcomes of faulty agreements. This, however, can be avoided by cautious evaluation and suitable negotiation of the contracts. Help can be sought by hiring an expert for the enforcement and negotiation of dealings.

4. Improper asset handling

Asset mingling is the most common mistake made by entrepreneurs. It is important to plan properly and sort all the investments. There is a fine line between personal money and company budget; they must never be mixed.

Business accounts must be properly managed to avoid legal issues with partners and investors. Documentation of every payment, purchase and investment are completely necessary. Negligence on this part may come back biting hard in the future. Startups suffer from murky court trials and even arrests in some cases due to asset and accounting faults.

5. Taxes! They must be paid on time!

Taxation is the most important aspect to be taken care of; tax payment done on time ensures the company stays up and running without any legal trouble. Startups need to be aware of the tax system and its implications.

There are just too many cases of tax frauds due to negligence. The results can be devastating, ranging from fines and incarceration.

So, this can be avoided by simply paying the taxes.

What Monsoons Might Have To Do With Your Start-up’s Productivity? (Content Strategi)

What Monsoons Might Have To Do With Your Start-up’s Productivity?

Some might assume that the 21^st-century urban entrepreneur is free from the vagaries of nature. Some might assume that, apart from the agro-industry, no one really needs to care about the eccentricities of the weather and least of all Internet start-ups. They would be categorically wrong.

Monsoons have a surprisingly strong and unquestionably harmful impact on start-ups’ productivity.

Rain, rain, go away

Quite simply, the monsoon rains and storms damage the rather vulnerable infrastructure that is used to maintain the Internet connections.

Without an Internet connection or at least a reliable one, start-ups struggle to keep up their operations. Most transactions and data keeping and updating are online. These vital operations become difficult without the Internet.

How important is the Internet to Indian start-ups?

Start-up companies in India are increasingly being based on the Internet.
Popular examples include PepperTap, CommonFloor, and UrbanLadder. In fact, even if the core of their work doesn’t relate to the Internet, they at the very least heavily rely on the Internet for most of their operations.

Without the Internet, it is very hard to imagine that India would have such a budding and lively start-up culture.

Are there any solutions?

Well, theoretically, yes. Practically? Not so much.

Most start-ups use either underground fiber networks or overhead cables. These structures are quite vulnerable to damage due to the rain and monsoons. In fact, even the lightest of stormy weather could cause power cuts in some areas.

And because of these power cuts, the transmitters that relay Internet signals don’t work. The solution would be to invest in a leased line Internet connection.

What is a leased line connection?

Well, to avoid going into recondite engineering definitions, suffice it to say that a leased line is much more resilient to monsoon weather.

With a leased line, the bandwidth that the client has asked for is reserved solely for the client’s use. That is, the connection is dedicated. Moreover, the hardware design is such that it just isn’t harmed by rain or storms.

Then what’s the problem?

The problem is, that leased line connections cost too much money. At least, from the point of view of start-ups.

By definition, start-ups function on initially low reserves of capital money. They don’t have a lot to invest.

And leased line connections can cost up to and more than ten times the amount they are paying for with the other connections, depending on the speed and reliability they desire. These costs can understandably be prohibitive to the start-up founders.

The Money Problem

For start-ups, lack starting capital and need to invest in the latest technology present a daunting conflict. Many start-ups fail because of lack of investment, and/or poor technological infrastructure. Examples include Shubhamilana.com, SASLAB Technologies, HashTag – to name a few.

Is The Grass Greener On The Other Side?

Unfortunately, the urban, hopeful Indian entrepreneur isn’t the only one hit by the rains. Another important victim is the rural, hard-working farmer.

The unpredictability of the weather combined with a lack of information about sustainable modern farming methods causes untold misery to farmers who depend on the rains for their daily bread.

Other URLs:
http://scroll.in/article/733519/startups-in-bengaluru-have-another-nightmare-monsoon-rains
http://www.forentrepreneurs.com/why-startups-fail/
http://www.hso.co.uk/leased-lines/leased-line/what-is-a-leased-line-an-expert-explains
http://monsoon.yale.edu/monsoon-affects-economy-health-in-india/

LSI Keywords: agro-industry, technological infrastructure, modern farming methods, latest technology, unpredictability of the weather

Masala Bonds – How They Work and How They Help India’s Investment Ecosystem (Content Strategi)

Masala Bonds – How They Work and How They Help India’s Investment Ecosystem
Since September 2015, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given clearance to Indian companies to delve in Masala Bonds – an amazing way to expand a company’s market of investors to the world at the comforting rate of the rupee.

Almost a year later The London Stock Exchange welcomed Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) into the UK stock market. They’ve raised Rs.3000 crore because of it.

NTPC also raised Rs.2000 crore from bonds dedicated to supporting alternate power sources and solutions.

This is just two of the bonds entirely worth 1 million USD the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued in the UK last year.

So, What Is A Masala Bond?

Before this concept, it was only common
for companies with foreign currency earnings to delve into international stock markets and diversify their portfolio of investors.

Foreign investors meant profits from stocks being in a different currency so; there was the conversion charge as well as a large part of your stock now riding on the economy of another country.

This meant that if the price of the INR fell, companies would have to put in more rupees to meet say, the same price in Euros.

It’s a loss-making strategy to depend on too many variables, and every company recognized that, so it was a rarely opted for choice for Indian companies.

It was only common for companies with foreign currency earnings to delve into international stock markets and diversify their portfolio of investors.

These bonds bridge the gap between the currency exchanges.

With this, stock buyers buy in INR, no matter where they’re buying from. It works out cheaper for investors as well as Indian companies.

With the stock dependent of the value of INR alone, business is steadier and can flourish under an expanded buying market.

Benefits of Bonds

They’re Rupee Denominated – Since most foreign investments come in a different currency, a stock will depend on the currency fluctuation of other countries. This is an added risk.

With bonds, investors pitch in using INR and help make our currency an international one.

Big Returns, For a Lesser Price – For a foreign investor to buy stocks in INR works out best; for both the company and the investor.

Companies like NTPC, HDFC, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), Adani Transmission, Shriram Transport Finance have all begun to put out international stocks and are making big bucks from it.

Additionally, it’s about 200 basis points lower in cost for companies when foreign investors buy their Masala bonds.

Safe and Secure – The RBI issues Masala Bonds and only allows foreign persons who have cleared the Financial Action Task Force’s examination to decide that the investor is not of malicious intent like an international money launder and a beneficiary for any terrorist organization.

This keeps the company-investor relationship a close one, even if they’re miles apart.

How Does It Benefit India as A Nation?

Masala Bonds help in roping in international investors and divert all eyes to the Indian stock market.

This sort of attention compels advice and feedback that is useful to companies so that they may increase their market value and the investor’s capital
gain.

If other nations invest in the long-term stability of the Indian Rupee, both intellectually and financially, it helps boost INR to international standards
and increase in value.

It is in India’s best interest to spread its stocks out to the world, so they can find value and give value to our economy and helps us grow into a
superpower.

Sources:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/masala-bonds/article7194362.ece
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/bonds/http://www.thehindu.com/business/https://advisesure.com/blog/what-are-masala-bonds-and-its-benefits http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/bonds/who-invested-in-hdfc-masala-bonds/articleshow/53402954.cms http://indiafa.org/masala-bonds-an-innovative-financial-instrument/https://www.quora.com/How-masala-bonds-works-and-what-are-its-returns
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/masala-bonds-the-flavour-of-the-moment/article7930287.ece

LSI Keywords: bonds, stock market, investor’s capital gain, investors, currency, market value of the rupee, stocks, Indian Stock Market

Grab Your Umbrella: Monsoons rain down problems on Bangalore Start-ups (Content Princess)

Grab Your Umbrella: Monsoons rain down problems on Bangalore Start-ups

As those living in tropical climates already know, monsoon patterns can impact almost
every aspect of life. Particularly in the Indian Ocean, these seasonal variations in rainfall and wind patterns can have a drastic impact on things as far reaching as food prices, travel plans, insurance rates, and poverty rates.

Why do monsoons matter?

Shifts in monsoon patterns are caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation, a semi-yearly
change in ocean temperatures which causes a ripple effect through atmospheric patterns. Research has shown that global warming is exacerbating the effects of ENSO, causing more
extreme monsoons and more extreme dry seasons.

Yearly changes in ENSO patterns (image: appinsys.com)

How do monsoons impact India in particular?

The monsoon season is particularly important in India. It has one of the most extreme fluctuations in the wet and dry season caused by monsoons. It is also
host to one of the most strong tech industries in the world; Bangalore has long been called the “new silicon valley,” as it is home to over 30{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of start-ups in the
country.

India has experienced serious consequences
from global warming: the country is experiencing record temperatures year after year, and the annual monsoon has been delayed three years in a row, causing
serious fluctuation in crop and energy prices.

Bangalore startups are particularly impacted by monsoon season, because without the extensive infrastructure of an established company, it can be harder to
bounce back from environmental changes such as monsoons.

image: newindiaexpress.com

Entrepreneurs can be the most prepared, well-planned, organized managers of their start-ups, and still, they cannot quite buffer themselves from the
effects of monsoons.

Business and tech are expanding extremely rapidly in India, but much of the infrastructure has been rapidly constructed as well, sometimes leading to
insufficient systems to handle the needs of a huge population.

Startups and Internet in Monsoon Season

Internet connectivity, in particular, is an extremely big problem for start-ups during monsoons. Start-ups often depend on overhead lines or underground
fiber cables for their connections.

Larger companies who can afford dedicated leased lines do not suffer from as many connectivity problems. Start-ups using less expensive internet options
often experience loss of connection in conditions as tame as gentle rain.

Worse, it is very difficult to tell whether, in any given meteorological event, the internet will keep connected or not. Therefore, it is hard to plan the
week and set strict deadlines for projects, since it could be impossible, logistically, to keep them. Planning a big event or conference could go
completely haywire if the internet in the neighborhood goes down due to a fallen tree. We depend on the net for almost everything, and a start-up could
suffer even more if the loss of connection happens to occur on the due date for a big bill or contract processing.

Looking to the future: rural vs urban impacts

However, in other respects, many businesspeople believe the importance of the monsoon for the investment market overall is in decline. Even though the
monsoon may be becoming less predictable, its largest impacts are on rural populations. As time goes on, the stock market is being dominated not by energy
or agricultural staples but by urban consumers and businesses.

Further reading:
http://scroll.in/article/733519/startups-in-bengaluru-have-another-nightmare-monsoon-rains
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB105543491840850900
http://monsoon.yale.edu/monsoon-affects-economy-health-in-india/

keywords: startups, Bangalore startups, India, monsoon, El Niño Southern Oscillation,

Eminent Automobile Company Avails Our Services to Optimize Website (Content Strategi)

Eminent Automobile Company Avails Our Services to Optimize Website

An emerging automobile dealer in Southern California utilized our services to launch their APF-enabled website. The client tells us that this more robust
and secure website has seen no downtime or customer complaints.

Customer Challenges

After a third party risk assessment, the automobile dealer approached us with the following challenges, which they found difficult to solve:

Protecting customers’ information in online money transactions. This demanded a more secure and sturdy website than they had at the time.
Inability to disable FTP, enable SFTP and secure SSH because their actions would affect others on the shared website hosting platform.
Reducing downtime and making processing faster.

Solution Provided

Since website traffic was steady, we helped the client purchase a Reserved Instance using an AWS account.

We assisted the client in availing tier discounts through the Reserved Instance.
Our technical team moved the existing client website built on Joomla CMS to AWS.

Benefits

The client tells us, that since their website was moved in 2015, there has been 100{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} uptime. They believe such reliability has improved their online
reputation.
The client has also received no customer complaints about the website since we shifted the website.

PreludeSys – AWS Consulting Partner

We have partnered with clients to provide them efficient AWS Reserved Instance solutions, customized services to enhance website capabilities and complex
integrations.

Case Study: APF Website Development Success (Content Strategi)

Case Study: APF Website Development Success

A major automobile dealer based in South California had asked us to solve some technical problems they were facing. Among other changes, we shifted their
site from Joomla to AWS.

What were the challenges we faced?

The customer approached us with the following technical problems, as identified by a third party:

Shifting the mode of payment of automobile loans online. Specifically:
- The technical side of online transactions – making sure the portal worked.
- Getting the people to trust the brand and the process.
The client could not make the following desired modifications because it would affect the other websites using the same host:

Disabling FTP
Enabling SFTP
Secure SSH

Increasing the reliability, security, and transparency of the hosting provider.

The AWS and PreludeSys Solution

We moved the website built on Joomla! CMS to AWS.
By purchasing a Reserved Instance through AWS, we were able to reduce the costs of maintaining the website.

Did the benefits bear fruit?

We had moved the website to AWS in June 2015. The client tells us there has been no downtime ever since.
The client has also informed us that they have received no customer complaints about the website.

In A Nutshell

The client requested our help to improve their website. With our expertise, we were able to successfully shift their website and alleviate those problems.
The solutions, according to the client’s feedback, have been sustainable.

Seven Common Myths About Sovereign Gold Bonds Busted! (Rank Princess)

Seven Common Myths About Sovereign Gold Bonds Busted!

We’ve all heard about the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme where investors get returns denominated in gold, mimicking the benefit of real gold. While this is a very beneficial scheme and allows you to use the bond for collateral loans or stock exchanges, there are a lot of popular myths and misguided facts about this plan, which are about to be cleared in this article. Here are the common myths about this scheme:

1) “This Scheme Is Not Government Approved” (MYTH)

This is a huge myth and is probably a crucial reason for many people to reconsider such a scheme.

Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) are government approved and are issued by the Reserve Bank Of India.

So there’s no dubiousness about your safety, as there is no chance of fraud occurring!

2) “Bonds Are Available Whenever, And Wherever!” (MYTH)

If you’re under the misconception that you can apply for a bond at any point throughout the year, then you’ve not wait received the right information.

SGB reissued in batches and of the Rs.15,000 crore bonds available, the first batch is said to be available from November 5th to November 20th, consisting of Rs.1,000 crores. All public sector banks in the main cities should possess the necessary information on these bonds if one decides to purchase it.

3) “Anyone Can Invest In This Scheme!” (MYTH)

Get out of the myth that the SGB is for everyone! Only citizens of India can invest in this scheme, and this strictly excludes NRIs.

4) “You Can Stay Incognito As Per Your Benefits!” (HUGE MYTH)

You can invest in this scheme unless you have undergone a KYC, thus identifying your personal details. This means that at the time of applying you’d have to present your PAN card (Aadhar Card Is Also Acceptable). So if one has the plan of converting their unaccounted cash into white ones, then they’re in for a nasty surprise!

5) “Avoid Further Taxations!” (MYTH)

Whoever came up with this tale has quite an internet following because this one had spread rapidly. The interests you earn out of this scheme are taxable every six months! Once your bond matures, a long-term capital gain will also be applicable meaning you’d have to shell out a 20{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} tax on your returns.

6) “There’s No Upper & Lower Limit for Bond Investments!” (BIG MYTH)

This is not factual, and there is an upper and lower limit for investments in this scheme! The bare minimum bond one has to buy is 2 grams worth of gold, while the maximum gold bonds can be up to 500 grams. Seeing as the fixed price for the gold is at Rs.2, 600.00 (Approx.) per gram of gold, your minimum, and maximum investments would start from at least Rs.5, 200.00

7) “Quit When You Want To” (MYTH)

The bonds issued have eight year tenure, offering an option of exiting only after the 5th year! Trading bonds on the market is also an option subject to the goodness of volumes. If the later is negated, then one can only receive his/her money after the eight or five year tenure time.

Stay Informed:

So get out there and invest wisely, and keep in mind the truth and only the truth while investing in these schemes! Happy investing to you.

Are Sovereign Gold Bonds The Right Investment For You? (Rank Princess)

Are Sovereign Gold Bonds The Right Investment For You?

With the recent changes in the Budget, investors and earners are asking themselves if they should invest in sovereign gold bonds. If you’re one of them, or not sure about what these bonds are, here are a few basic things people should know about sovereign gold bonds.

What are Sovereign Gold Bonds?

“Bonds” allow you to buy or invest in gold without the hassle of actually dealing in physical gold. Instead, you have a bond which is a paper tracking the value of real gold. On top of that, the bondholder also earns interest.

Who Issues These Bonds?

Technically, the RBI is the source of these bonds. But they are actually marketed by various actors like banks, Post Office, Non-banking Finance Companies, and brokers or agents. These actors are paid a commission for selling these bonds to investors.

So, to do away with a common doubt – you don’t have to buy these bonds from your bank. You can go to another bank. You can also approach any of the entities mentioned above to invest in bonds. Specifically, National Savings Certificate agents are allowed to issue these bonds as well.

Can Anyone Invest In These Bonds?

Well, not anyone. These bonds are restricted to Resident Indians and entities like Hindu Undivided Families, Trusts, Universities, and charitable institutions. NRIs are excluded from this club.

How to Buy These Bonds?

You can buy a fixed amount of gold, measured in grams. The cost will depend on the preceding week’s effortless average of closing price of 99.9{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} pure gold published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association Ltd. (IBJA).

Just like with physical gold, investors need to show adequate Know Your Customer (KYC) documentation. These include Voter ID, Aadhaar card/PAN or TAN /Passport.

The bond can be in paper format, and will specify all these details about the transaction. The Stock/Holding Certificate can be changed into demat form as well.

Minors can also invest in these bonds, with their guardian vouching for it.

There is a minimum amount of gold you have to buy – 2 grams. Nothing lower than that is permitted. Bonds are issued in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 grams of gold. On the other hand, there is also a maximum limit of gold you can buy – 500 grams per fiscal year.

What’s the Interest Like On These Bonds?

Well, the Government may change the interest rate every time they issue these bonds depending on the international and domestic market conditions for gold. The interest earned by the investors is taxable.

How Long Do These Bonds Last?

They have a lock-in period of 5 years, where there is an exit motion. Apart from that, these bonds have a period of 8 years.

Can I Borrow Money Keeping Bonds As Collateral?

Loans can be issued keeping these bonds as collateral, and the Loan to Value is set equal to ordinary Gold loan. This LTV is mandated by the RBI regularly.

So, that’s all the basic stuff you need to know about the sovereign gold bond. While they can be a great, reliable long-term investment, one should be aware of the Budget policies. Not that there’s any risk involved, but every investor has his/her own needs.

LSI Keywords: sovereign gold bonds, physical gold, bonds, real gold.

Month: September 2016