1. Investors..
Welcome to Commodity
Trading.
Presented by
S. Arunagirinathan.

2. Investing in commodity market
Commodities are an excellent investment option as it can add a great
deal of diversification to your portfolio
TAGS: diversified investment portfolio, excellent investment
option, high price volatility, non-agri products, practical knowledge
Investing in commodity market
A person having no knowledge about commodity market and the one
who doesn’t know how to invest in it, then he can probably look for
that information about commodity investments from the Internet and
follow some online Tips. But this is not enough, as having practical
knowledge of how to go about investing is also very important. So, let’s
understand how we can invest in commodity markets and what are its
benefits and drawbacks.

3. How to invest in commodity markets?
The commodity markets are markets where the raw products are
exchanged. It is a market where we can trade in both the NCDEX and MCX
markets. MCX includes the gold, zinc, copper, lead, nickel, rubber and crude oil
and the NCDEX market includes agri and non- agri products. The commodities
are traded on exchanges where the buyers and sellers can work together to get
the products they need or make profit from the fluctuating prices. Commodity
trading is buying and selling of futures and futures options.
Key benefits of investing in commodity markets
Less risk: If you choose to invest in commodity then as an investor your
chances of risks are less. Thus, profits from commodity investing will be
helpful for you to balance other losses on account of other losses due to other
financial instruments in your portfolio. There are chances of less risk as
commodity investing deals with diverse items.
Main component of diversified investment portfolio: The commodities are
generally viewed as the main part of the diversified investment portfolio.
Economic growth of the emerging countries: The economic growth of
emerging countries like India, Brazil and China and the demand for raw
materials rise significantly. The growing economies need raw materials to boost
the pace of the industry and also make products. So, stronger the economy
grows, the greater the demand for commodities.

4. How commodity trading can make you rich
For a lot of people, trading in commodities is as good as trading in the
stock markets.
It has the same amount of uncertainties and risks associated with it. You
can also make the same amount of profit, if not more, from it.
Knowing the basics of commodity trading, however, is essential before
you dabble in its nitty-gritty.
What is commodity trading?
Commodity markets are markets where physical raw or primary
products such as gold, agricultural products, precious and base metals, energy
commodities, etc, are exchanged.
These raw commodities are traded on regulated commodities
exchanges such as National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited and
Multi Commodity Exchange of India, in which they are bought and sold in
standardized contracts.

5. Why should you opt for commodity trading?
The commodity market is a promising avenue for your investment. It
offers huge opportunities and enables you to diversify your portfolio. With the
least margin requirement being as low as Rs 5,000, it is suited for small
investments also.
It also enables you to have more control over the costs associated with
trading. For example, if you have traded in gold as a long term
investment, there might have been times when you would have been worried
about the protection, transportation and purity of the gold you are investing in.
With commodity trading, you can deal in gold futures where, just like
stock futures, you do not have to actually buy the gold and keep it somewhere.
Instead, by buying gold futures, you can eliminate the need to worry about
these things and concentrate on maximizing your profits.
The potential for attractive returns is probably the most obvious reason
to go in for commodity trading, but it isn't the only factor.
Commodities also offer investors other significant benefits, including
enhanced portfolio diversification and a hedge against inflation and event risk.

6. What are commodity futures?
Commodities can be traded on either spot markets, or in the form of
futures.
Spot markets are those in which the commodity is traded immediately
in exchange for cash or some other goods.
Futures are standardized contracts among buyers and sellers of
commodities that specify the amount of a commodity, grade/quality and
delivery location.
Commodity trading with futures contracts takes place at a futures
exchange and, like the stock market, is entirely anonymous.

7. How does the trading work?
Commodity trading works exactly like stock futures. When you buy a
'futures,' you don't have to pay the entire amount, just a fixed percentage of the
cost. This is known as the margin.
For example: You decide to buy 100gms of gold futures (which is the
minimum contract size) for a certain price. You have to pay a certain amount of
margin set by the commodity trading exchange you are trading on, which would
be a lower amount than the original price for 100 gms.
The next day, the price goes up by Rs. 1000. Rs. 1000 would be
credited into your account. The following day, it dips by Rs. 500. Rs. 500 is
debited from your account.
Once you feel that the amount that you have already profited with is
not going to change, you can choose to sell the futures. This is simplest way to
explain commodity futures trading.

8. What are the dos and don'ts of commodity trading?

9. Why the time is not ripe to buy a home
That the property market has undergone a significant correction is well
known. That real estate experts are now talking about prices bottoming out is
well known too.
But, contrary to conventional wisdom, experts are of the view that this
may not be the right time to invest in residential property. And, their advice is
for both first and second-time home buyers.
Consider this: A report from PropEquity, a firm that maintains data on
real estate, said that in the first quarter of the current financial year, the Mumbai
market saw an average correction of 42.84 per cent compared to the
corresponding quarter last year.

10. Time not ripe for buying a home
According to another report by Centrum Broking on Maharashtra
Chamber of Housing Industry's exhibition, prominent developers such as
Kalpataru, Lodha, Rustomjee and the Acme Group were quoting prices 20 per
cent lower than their card rate six months ago. Godrej Properties had dropped
the quoted price of its Mahalaxmi project (Planet Godrej) by 34 per cent.
Prices in other major metros too have seen a significant correction in
the past six months, according to the PropEquity report. These include Gurgaon
(24 per cent correction), Chennai (13 per cent) and Hyderabad (10 per cent) for
the same time period.
Then comes the taxation part. If the house is let out, then the rent
income is taxable. It is combined with the person's salary and charged as per the
tax bracket.
The income tax department also charges wealth tax of 1 per cent on a
residential house unless it is let out for 300 days in a year. This is applicable on
the value of the house exceeding Rs 15 lakh (Rs 1.5 million). If the property
value is, say, Rs 25 lakh (Rs 2.5 million), the wealth tax will be levied on Rs 10
lakh (Rs 1 million).

11. Also, if the person does not let out the property, the IT department takes
a notional value of the rent that the property can fetch and taxes the owner
accordingly.
If you buy it in the name of your family member, you will lose out on
the tax deduction. "For a second house, a person can claim the entire interest as
a deduction. In case of co-applicant, the deductions are in the same proportion
as the funds deployed by each person," says Kanu Doshi, a tax expert.
"A house for investment purpose will also skew the portfolio," says
Gaurav Mashruwala, a certified financial planner.
A major chunk of the portfolio will be real estate. This asset class is
illiquid. If there is an emergency in the future, the entire house will need to be
sold. A person can sell other investments in parts. The same is true when the
person reaches closer to his goals for which he has been saving.
One can look at property only if they have excess cash and the property
value is only a minor part of the investment portfolio, say investment experts.
But if you still not convinced and want to go ahead with the purchase,
wait for another six months. "There will be some clarity on the economy as
well as the real estate industry in this period," says Vakil.

12. All about the New Pension Scheme
From May 1, Indians have access to another investment avenue to plan
for retirement in the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
The scheme has been in the pipeline for at least five years but it finally
took shape in 2007-08. Although the government was pushing for the scheme
after a law providing statutory backing to the regulator was enacted, the Left
parties, which were supporting the United Progressive Alliance government,
did not allow the passage of the Bill.
So, last year, the government decided to go ahead by allowing the NPS
Trust to enter management agreements with fund managers. What benefits does
the NPS offer? Who is eligible? Business Standard provides a ready-reckoner.

13. Who can join the New Pension Scheme?
Any Indian citizen between 18 and 55 years. At present, only tier-I of
the scheme, involving a contribution to a non-withdrawable account, is open.
Subsequently tier-II accounts, which permit voluntary savings that can
be withdrawn at any point of time, can be opened. But to be eligible to open a
tier-II account, you need a tier-I account.
How do I enrol?
You will need to visit a point of presence (PoP), fill up the prescribed
form with the required documents.
Once you are registered, the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA)
will send you a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN), along with
telephone and internet passwords.

14. How much can I invest?
There is no investment ceiling. But the minimum investment limit has
been fixed at Rs 500 a month or Rs 6,000 annually. Subscribers are required to
contribute at least once a quarter but there is no ceiling on how many times you
invest during the year.
What is the penalty for failure to make the minimum payment?
You will have to bear a penalty of Rs 100 per year of default and will
need to pay it with the minimum amount to reactivate the account. Also,
dormant accounts will be closed when the account value falls to zero.
Are my investments guaranteed?
No. There is no guarantee since NPS is a defined contribution scheme
and the benefits depend on the amount contributed and the investment growth
up to the time of exit.

15. How should I select my investment option?
You can choose the investment mix between equity or E (high risk but
high returns), mainly fixed income instruments or C (that come with medium
risk and returns) and pure fixed investment products or G (which offer low
returns but have very low risks associated with them). Equity investment is
capped at 50 per cent.
At present, the equity investment consists of index funds that replicate
the Sensex or Nifty portfolio. The C segment includes liquid funds, corporate
debt instruments, fixed deposits and public sector, municipal and infrastructure
bonds. The pure fixed investment instruments include state and central
government securities.
There is a trade-off between risk and returns, with a younger investor
placed better to take risks.
If you are unable to decide the investment mix, the default option will
kick in.

16. What is the default option?
The default option, called auto choice lifecycle fund, will see the
investment mix change according to the age of the subscriber. At the lowest
entry age of 18 years, auto choice entails an investment of 50 per cent in E, 30
per cent in C and 20 per cent in G.
The ratios will remain unchanged till the subscriber turns 36, when the
ratio of investment in E and C will decrease annually, while the proportion of G
rises.
By the time the subscriber is 55 years, G will account for 80 per cent of
the corpus, while the share of E and C will fall to 10 per cent each.
Who will decide the fund manager?
At the moment, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
(PFRDA) has selected six fund managers -- State Bank of India, UTI, ICICI
Prudential, Kotak Mahindra, IDFC and Reliance -- on the basis of a bidding and
technical evaluation process.
You have to select one fund manager at the time of deciding your investment
option; later, PFRDA may allow subscribers to choose more than one fund manager.

17. Can I change my investment mix and the fund manager?
You can shift from one fund manager to another from May 2010.
What happens if I relocate to another city?
The PRAN remains the same and you can access a toll-free number (1-
800-222080). The details of your PRAN and the statement of transactions will
be available on the CRA website (www.npscra.nsdl.co.in).
How can I exit the scheme?
The normal retirement age has been fixed at 60 years. At 60, you will
be required to use at least 40 per cent of your accumulated savings to buy a life
annuity from an insurance company. A phased withdrawal is also allowed but
the lump sum benefit has to be availed of before you turn 70 years.
For those looking to exit before turning 60, there is an option to
withdraw 20 per cent of the accumulated savings but buy an annuity with the
remaining 80 per cent.
.

18. If the subscriber dies before he or she turns 60, the nominee can receive
the entire pension corpus. Alternatively, a subscriber can exit if the account
value falls to zero or if the citizenship status changes.
The age of exit will be reviewed by PFRDA from time to time. There
will also be the option to select an annuity that will pay a survivor pension to
your spouse.
Are there tax benefits for NPS?
At present, the investment is covered under section 80CCD of the
Income Tax Act and a tax will be levied if you withdraw the money.
You can avoid paying tax by transferring the entire corpus to the
annuity service provider. PFRDA has, however, approached the government to
treat investment in NPS on a par with instruments like Employees Provident
Fund and Public Provident Fund, for which no tax is levied at the
investment, accumulation or withdrawal stage.

19. Documents
1. Pass size Photo Graph of theApplicant.
2. Address proof
3. Pan Card Xerox
4. Canceled cheque
5. Payment cheque in favour of ‘Alice Blue (P) Ltd ‘
Contact
Mr.S.Arunagirinathan
Call Unwired:+91 - 9444177336
E-mail: commoditytrading.arun@gmail.com