Knowledge Center
Personal finance, explained in plain English - no jargon, no fluff. Every guide is dated so you know it's current, and every one ends with a way to ask Laalaji about your own numbers.
How to File a Complaint with SEBI (SCORES Portal)
SCORES is SEBI's official online complaint portal for grievances against listed companies, brokers, mutual funds, and other registered market intermediaries - free to use, and every complaint gets a trackable registration number.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsIRDAI's Insurance Ombudsman: How to Complain About Your Insurer
The Insurance Ombudsman is a free, IRDAI-backed forum for resolving disputes with an insurer for claims and relief up to ₹50 lakh - filed via the Bima Bharosa portal or at one of 17 regional offices, after first giving the insurer 30 days to respond.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsRBI's Ombudsman Scheme: How to Complain About Your Bank
The Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme is a free, RBI-run grievance mechanism covering banks, NBFCs, and payment system participants - you must approach your bank first, and can escalate to the Ombudsman if it doesn't respond within 30 days or you're unsatisfied with the response.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsThe Union Budget: How It Shapes Your Taxes and Investments Each Year
The Union Budget, presented every February 1st, sets the government's tax and spending plans for the coming year - and is exactly where changes to income tax slabs, capital gains rules, and government scheme allocations are actually announced.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsWhat Is IRDAI and What Does It Actually Regulate?
IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) licenses and regulates every insurance company operating in India, sets rules on solvency and conduct, and runs a dedicated Ombudsman scheme for policyholder complaints.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsWhat Is SEBI and What Does It Actually Regulate?
SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) is the regulator for India's stock markets, mutual funds, and listed companies - its job is protecting investors and keeping the securities market fair, transparent, and free of manipulation.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026 Regulators & Consumer RightsWhat Is the RBI and What Does It Actually Do?
The Reserve Bank of India is the country's central bank - it sets monetary policy (including the repo rate that ultimately influences your loan EMI), regulates banks and NBFCs, and is responsible for overall financial-system stability.
Last verified 14 Sep 2026Glossary
- AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India) AMFI is the mutual fund industry's own self-regulatory body - not a government regulator like SEBI - responsible for standards like fund categorization and the mutual fund Riskometer, working alongside (and under) SEBI's rules. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) CBDT is the government body that administers India's direct taxes - income tax and corporate tax - operating under the Finance Ministry's Department of Revenue, and is the source of the rules, forms, and notifications that govern how you file your ITR. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) CBIC administers India's indirect taxes - GST and customs duty - the counterpart to CBDT's direct-tax role, and is why GST rates and customs duty changes are notified through CBIC circulars rather than the Income Tax Department. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- Insider Trading (SEBI's PIT Regulations) Insider trading means buying or selling a listed company's shares while in possession of unpublished, price-sensitive information not yet available to the rest of the market - prohibited under SEBI's PIT Regulations, 2015, regardless of whether the trade is on-market or off-market. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- IPO Regulation Basics Every Initial Public Offering in India must first clear SEBI's review of a detailed disclosure document (the DRHP), and retail investors apply through ASBA, where funds stay blocked in your own bank account until shares are actually allotted. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- Mutual Fund Riskometer The Riskometer is a standardized, six-level risk label - from Low to Very High - that every mutual fund scheme must disclose and update monthly, so investors can compare risk on a common scale across fund houses. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- National Consumer Helpline The National Consumer Helpline (1915) is a general-purpose consumer-grievance channel covering financial products alongside every other consumer complaint - a broader safety net alongside the sector-specific SEBI/RBI/IRDAI mechanisms, not a replacement for them. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) PFRDA is the statutory regulator for India's National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana, responsible for registering and overseeing pension fund managers and protecting subscriber interests. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- RBI's Digital Lending Guidelines: The Rules Legitimate Lending Apps Must Follow The Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 require a genuine digital lender to disburse loans only directly into the borrower's own bank account, cap third-party default guarantees at 5% of the loan portfolio, and give the borrower clear, upfront disclosure of all costs - rules a fake or predatory loan app has no interest in following. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- Solvency Ratio (Insurance) Solvency ratio measures whether an insurer holds enough capital to cover its claim obligations, with IRDAI mandating a minimum of 150% - a ratio below that threshold can trigger regulatory intervention. Regulators & Consumer Rights
- The 30-Day Rule for Financial Grievance Redressal Every major financial-sector ombudsman - SEBI, RBI, and IRDAI alike - requires you to first raise a complaint directly with the entity involved, and generally allows escalation to the regulator's ombudsman only after 30 days without a satisfactory response. Regulators & Consumer Rights