Insurance Isn't an Investment (And Mixing the Two Often Costs You)

Almost everyone in Nepal has a relative or friend who sells life insurance. And almost every pitch sounds the same: "You get protection AND your money back with bonus! It's like saving and insurance together!"

It's a tempting idea. Who doesn't want both? But it's also where a lot of confusion, and a lot of disappointed families, starts.

This post isn't against insurance. Insurance is one of the most important parts of a money plan. It's against buying the wrong kind for the wrong reason.

Bonds and Debentures: You're the Lender Now

When you buy a debenture, you're lending money to a company. They promise to pay you interest regularly and return your money at the end. Simple enough.

The question is how sure you are that they'll keep that promise. And whether you'll be able to get your money out if you need it before the end.

Fixed Deposits: Look Past the Headline Interest Rate

Banks love to put the FD rate in big bold numbers on a banner outside the branch. Those numbers matter, but they're not the whole story.

Before you lock money away, here's what I'd compare.

Mutual Funds in Nepal: 5 Questions Before You Invest

If you don't have time to research individual companies, read annual reports and follow every NRB directive (which is most of us), mutual funds sound like the perfect answer. A professional picks the shares, you just invest.

Sometimes it really is that simple. Sometimes it isn't. Nepal's mutual fund market has grown a lot in recent years, and the funds vary widely in structure, cost and quality. Here are the questions I'd ask about any fund before putting money in.

Got a Right Share Offer? Here's What to Check First

You own shares in a company, and suddenly there's a notice: "1:1 right share issue." It sounds like a gift. It isn't. It's the company asking you for more money.

That isn't necessarily bad. Plenty of good companies raise money this way. But it does deserve a proper look, and it's one of those decisions where doing nothing is also a decision with consequences.

Cash Dividend vs Bonus Shares: Why Bonus Isn't Free Money

Every book-closure season, the excitement is the same. "20% bonus announced!" The WhatsApp groups go wild. People rush to buy before the book closure date. Then the price adjusts and they wonder where the gain went.

Let's clear this up properly, because the difference between a cash dividend and a bonus share is one of the most misunderstood things in the Nepali share market.

EPS and P/E Ratio: Handy Numbers, Not Buy Signals

"P/E is only 12, it's cheap!" I see some version of this every week in investor groups. Sometimes it's true. Often it isn't.

EPS and P/E are probably the two most quoted numbers in Nepali share market discussions. They're useful. But they're also easy to misread, and some people use them to make weak shares look like bargains. Here's what they actually mean.

How I Read a Company's Annual Report (Without an Accounting Degree)

Annual reports are long, dense and full of photos of board members cutting ribbons. Most investors never open them. That's a shame, because 30 minutes with one can tell you more than a month of share-market Facebook groups.

Here's how I go through one.

"NEPSE Is Up 40 Points!" What the Index Does and Doesn't Tell You

Every evening the news says something like "NEPSE rose 40 points today." Then you open your portfolio and it's red. What's going on?

What the index is

The NEPSE index is a single number that summarises how listed shares moved overall, calculated with a specific method. Bigger companies count for more. A few large banks and hydropower companies moving a lot can push the whole index up or down.

So the index is a rough picture of the market as a whole. It isn't a picture of your shares.

Placing Buy and Sell Orders in TMS Without Costly Mistakes

Your first order on a broker's TMS can feel nerve-wracking. Lots of numbers changing, a clock running, and a button that spends real money. A few basics make it much less stressful.

What an order really is

When you place a buy order, you're saying, "I'll buy this many shares at this price." Someone has to be willing to sell at that price for it to go through. If no one is, your order just sits there. Placing an order doesn't mean it will execute.