Outlook Money Outlook Money, June 2018 | Page 16

News Roll June 1: Union AMC Corporate Bond Fund re-opens U nion Asset Management Company (Union AMC) launched Union Corporate Bond Fund in May this year. It is an open-ended debt scheme predominantly investing in AA+ and above rated corporate bonds. The fund offer period for the scheme first opened on May 4 and closed on May 18. It will re-open on June 1 to enable continuous subscription and redemption. It is a moderately low risk scheme, where income will be generated through interest accrual and capital appreciation by investing in fixed income securities of varying maturities, according to the scheme information document. “The scheme is over a medium to long-term period, and is more tax efficient as compared to most traditional investments offering a fixed rate of interest,” the document states. In addition, the scheme may be lower on volatility and risk parameters as compared to other asset classes, according to a Union AMC release. Investments in debt mutual fund schemes, when held for more than three years, are eligible for Long Term Capital Gain Tax (LTCG) with indexation benefit, making post-tax returns on debt funds more attractive than most traditional investments. Union Asset AMC is a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Union Bank of India. Its total average assets under management (AAUM) for April 2018 are `4,444 crore, taking into account all product categories. Japanese financial services major Dai-ichi Life bought 39.62 per cent stake in Union AMC this month. By Suyash Desai 16 Outlook Money June 2018 www.outlookmoney.com IRCTC ties up with SBI to launch platinum card The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the ticketing arm of the Indian Railways, is offering a platinum card in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender. The card will enable customers to save on booking train tickets, purchasing fuel at petrol pumps and making purchases at departmental stores. The platinum card enables the customer to earn 4 per cent of the value-back reward points. The total number of value-back reward points on the platinum card increases to 10 per cent when booking is done for an air-conditioned train. The annual one-time fee for availing the IRCTC SBI platinum card is `500. The renewal charge is `300 per annum. The benefits: ■ Customers can save 1.8 per cent of transaction charges when rail tickets are booked through irctc.co.in. ■ Customers can save 1 per cent fuel surcharge for buying petrol worth `500-`3,000 (exclusive of GST and other charges) in any petrol pump across the country. ■ Card holders are entitled to use the interest free credit period between 20 days and 50 days, but this is applicable only on retail purchases, and only if previous month’s outstanding balance has been paid in full. ■ They can access a cash advance limit of up to 80 per cent of the credit limit (maximum up to `12,000 per day). ■ If a customer happens to spend `10,000 on AC tickets in one quarter and `1,00,000 on fuel and another `1,00,000 on purchases in departmental stores, travel and electronic items, then cash benefits worth `1,380 and reward points worth `1,630 will accrue additionally. ■ Cardholders will earn `180 saving on transaction charges, besides `1,200 on fuel surcharge waiver. By Suyash Desai