 "Harsh Roongta")
Harsh Roongta
Harsh Roongta
Harsh Roongta is the founder of Fee Only Investment Advisers LLP, a Sebi-registered Investment advisory firm. A chartered accountant by training and a personal finance expert, he writes a fortnightly column 'Truth be told' for Business Standard.
Harsh Roongta is the founder of Fee Only Investment Advisers LLP, a Sebi-registered Investment advisory firm. A chartered accountant by training and a personal finance expert, he writes a fortnightly column 'Truth be told' for Business Standard.
Page 10 - Harsh Roongta
Jaitley shows the path to acche din for the middle class
The focus on financial asset investment, with a number of practical measures set in motion, makes this Budget special
![Jaitley shows the path to ,[object Object], for the middle class](https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2015-02/17/full/1424183728-6093.jpg?im=FeatureCrop,size=(328,185) "Jaitley shows the path to ,[object Object], for the middle class")
Please don't tax arbitrage funds retrospectively
It is widely believed that the coming Budget will change the view on arbitrage funds and classify them as debt funds
 "Please don't tax arbitrage funds retrospectively")
 "Is life insurance penetration low in India?")
40 Years Ago...And now: The rise, fall and rise of credit cards
This business got off to a shaky start but the advent of credit bureaus de-risked it
 "40 Years Ago...And now: The rise, fall and rise of credit cards")
Fixed-rate home loans are back - should you take them?
The last time we had long tenure fixed-rate home loans at interest rates that were so close to the floating rate loan was way back in 2003-04
 "Fixed-rate home loans are back - should you take them?")
Tax law penalises buyers for construction delay by builders
At that time, nobody would have thought a construction period of three to four years would be grossly inadequate
 "Tax law penalises buyers for construction delay by builders")
Stable, predictable tax regime to help investor confidence
Unlike investors who can perhaps be jacketed as retail or corporate, investor confidence is a single unit that swings together
Why the retrospective amendment, Mr FM?
About 159 FMPs were redeemed in April-May 2014. Since exact numbers were not available, assuming each scheme at Rs 50 crore and assuming all of them were for less than three years, the total figure is
Allow firms to choose the TDS rate
The move will make sense as it will benefit the govt, save money and enormously improve the ease of doing business
Prepayment penalty on floating rate loans may come back
Making the transfer process painless will go a long way in ensuring the interest rates charged are fair, even if the regulations themselves do not provide a transparent basis for calculating the bench
Zero prepayment fee not enough to ensure fair deal for borrowers
This is a welcome step, since Indian borrowers have been charged high interest rates through a unique form of floating rates by all lenders