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FAQs

• Star Health vs Niva Bupa: Which Health Insurance Is Better for NRI Parents

  My mom collapsed in the kitchen one afternoon in 2016. I was sitting in my Citrix office in Santa Clara. Got a panicked call from our neighbor in Chennai. She had been rushed to Apollo. High blood pressure. Chest pain. They were running tests. I booked the next flight out. My han

• Is It Safe to Keep FDs in NRE Accounts, or Is Mutual Fund Investment Better?

  When I moved back to India in 2017, I had about $85,000 sitting in my US accounts. The big question was simple: Do I park it all in NRE fixed deposits and sleep easy? Or do I take the mutual fund route and aim for better returns? I chose a mix. And I'll tell you why. Let me answe

• Best Banks for NRIs: What I Learned After Banking With Five Different Banks

  June 2009. I just landed in San Francisco on my H1B. First week. I open a Chase account. Easy. Quick. Done in 20 minutes. Second week. I try opening an NRE account with my Indian bank. State Bank of India. Three branch visits. Four phone calls. Two months of waiting. Welcome to N

• Can You Transfer Money From NRO to NRE Account? The Answer Surprised Me

  November 2015. I'm in California. My rental income from Chennai keeps piling up in my NRO account. About Rs 12 lakhs sitting there. Doing nothing. I call my HDFC relationship manager. "Can I just move this to my NRE account?" "No sir. Not allowed." I thought she was joking. She w

• Linking Aadhaar and PAN From Abroad: What Worked for Me

  December 2016. I'm in San Francisco. Packing boxes for my move back to India. My phone rings. It's my CA from Chennai. "Mani, have you linked your Aadhaar with your PAN?" I had no idea what he was talking about. Turns out the government made it mandatory. Miss the deadline and yo

• Reconverting Your NRE/NRO Account When Moving Back: My 2017 Experience

  August 2017. I'm sitting in HDFC Bank's Indiranagar branch in Bangalore. My return to India is official. My H1B stamped passport is now in my drawer. My sons are enrolled in school. My wife has unpacked the last suitcase. But my bank accounts are still screaming "Non Resident." T

• Converting Your Indian Savings Account to NRE/NRO: What Actually Works

  I remember sitting in my ICICI Bank branch in Chennai in 2012, right after I got my H1B visa approved. The branch manager looked confused when I asked about converting my savings account. "Sir, you need to close this and open a new account," she said. That wasn't entirely accurat

• NRE vs NRO Accounts: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Moving Back

  When I was planning my return from the US in 2017, I spent hours on the phone with my bank in India. The representative kept throwing around terms like NRE and NRO. I had no idea what she was talking about. I ended up opening the wrong account first. Cost me some tax headaches la