Synopsis
Invest and forget may be a prudent suggestion from a savings perspective, but can be quite detrimental if you really forget about your investments.
By Nilanjana Chakraborty
Income Tax Guide
Income Tax Slabs FY 2025-26Income Tax Calculator 2025New Income Tax Bill 2025
Invest and forget may be a prudent suggestion from a savings perspective, but can be quite detrimental if you really forget about your investments.
For one, a large number of elderly investors prefer to hold on to their share certificates rather than dematerialising them, which is required for trading or redeeming shares. Soon, the physical shares end up as pieces of papers that are filed and forgotten. Not all investors are forgetful: there are those who keep track of their investments, carefully save share certificates as well as documents for mutual funds and bank accounts. But a relocation, age and illness can easily throw matters off track.
As of today, a humongous Rs 37,300 crore is sunk in shares, insurance policies, mutual funds, small savings schemes, inoperative bank and demat accounts. Unclaimed provident fund totals another Rs 26,497 crore.
