The finance minister has increased the service tax burden on life insurance policies. In ULIP, where service tax was earlier charged only on mortality and fund management charges, it will now be charged on a portion of the premium other than what is allocated for investment. In case of traditional endowment plans, the service tax rate has been increased from 1.03 per cent to 1.545 per cent.

Comment: Rajesh Sud

Business Standard

For homebuyers with a budget of Rs 15-20 lakh, the finance minister&rsquo;s Budget speech would have been music to their ears.

Cheaper loans for affordable houses

The rupee gained the most in three months as economic reports bolstered confidence in the global economic recovery and crude oil prices retreated, helping lower the nation&rsquo;s import bill.The rupee rose 0.7 per cent to 44.9450 per dollar as of the 5 pm close in Mumbai, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Rupee gains

The bank&rsquo;s focus on corporate clients has helped it maintain margins of over three per cent.

Yes Bank: Banking on growth

The 11-year bond held near this year's lowest level on speculation demand for the securities will improve as the government reduces debt sales.

11-year bond yields hold near this year's lowest level

The original PE musketeers get ready for their second innings - either doing something different in the same field on their own or charting new careers.

The march of the bootstrappers

The news of Chrys Capital Founder &amp; CEO Ashish Dhawan quitting private equity after 2012 came as a &lsquo;shock&rsquo; to many. The poster boy of Indian private equity, who started his firm in 1999, when India Inc was unaware of private equity investments, has seen the entire cycle of PE-fundraising, investment and exit through the last decade.

BS People: Ashish Dhawan

Rajan Mehta (46), executive director, Benchmark AMC, must be a happy man to see the fund house bagging a good deal from Goldman Sachs. Valued at around 4 per cent of the assets under management, this is much better than the recent deals in the Indian asset management space &mdash; all concluded in the range of 1.25 to 2.5 per cent.

BS People: Rajan Mehta

Eleven-year bonds were little changed after halting gains as a surge in money-market rates made it costlier for investors to buy debt with borrowed funds.

Bonds halt gains as jump in overnight rate slows demand

With another monetary policy review approaching, inflation is again likely to dominate the Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s mindspace. In the recent past, inflation has been a mirage of sorts&ndash; every time one hopes it is coming to grips, it slips away. For a record 14 consecutive months, it has been higher than eight per cent. Inflationary expectations are likely to be undergoing structural shifts.

Comment: Samiran Chakraborty

More than a political obligation, extending financial services to the vast unbanked population could be a large opportunity for the sector.

Banking on financial inclusion

The rupee declined by 12 paise to 53.94 against the dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market in early trade today on fresh demand for the American currency from banks

Rupee down 12 paise against dollar in early trade

The rupee strengthened from its lowest level in almost four weeks, after provisional data showed exports increased in January for the first time in nine months.It rose 0.1 per cent to 53.82 a dollar here after falling as much as 0.1 per cent earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It touched 54.11 yesterday, the lowest level since January 18. The currency will drop to 54 in 12 months, Barclays predicts. One-month implied volatility, a gauge of expected moves in the exchange rate used to price options, fell one basis point, or 0.01 percentage point, to 9.27 per cent.The rise in exports was the â€œsilver lining,â€ analysts at Barclays Plc, including Singapore-based Nick Verdi, wrote in a research report on Wednesday.Bonds rise to over two-week highGovernment bond prices rose to their highest in over two weeks on Wednesday after the central bank said it would buy debt through open market operations, although caution remained ahea

Re rises from 4-week low as exports rise

Agencies

The rupee today rose by seven paise to 53.78 against the dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on selling of the US currency amid increased capital inflows

Rupee up 7 paise vs dollar in early trade

The currency recovers from the fall to end flat at 53.85 a dollar

After a three-week low, rupee ends flat

National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) allow individuals, companies and firms to transfer funds from one bank to another. You can check the RBI website for a list of NEFT and RTGS-enabled branches of your bank. These facilities can only be used for transferring money within the country. To opt for these, you need to fill a form providing your or the beneficiaryâ€™s details â€” name, bank branch where the account is held, the Indian Financial System Code, a unique code for identifying the branch, and the account number and type. You have to submit a cheque while opting for this facility. You can also transfer funds through net banking. These are third-party transfers and the option is available under the same header on your net banking home page.

What are NEFT and RTGS?

The rupee today fell by 12 paise to 53.97 against the dollar in early trade, extending losses for the fifth straight session at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market due to sustained demand for the US currency from importers.

Rupee down 12 paise at 53.97/dollar

Press Trust of India

The rupee dropped the most in about a month on speculation that capital inflows had slowed after Indiaâ€™s biggest equity offering in a year. It declined 0.7 per cent to 53.86 a dollar here, the biggest drop since January 4.Bonds react downwardGovernment bonds reacted downwards on selling pressure from banks and companies.The 8.15 per cent government security maturing in 2022 dropped to Rs 101.89 from Rs 101.99 last Friday, while its yield moved up at 7.86 per cent from 7.84 per cent.Call rates end higherOvernight money rates ended higher here on Monday on good demand from borrowing banks. It finished higher at 7.85 per cent from 7.50 per cent previously. It moved in a range of 7.85 per cent and 7.70 per cent.

Re at month's low on inflow speculation

Prepaid cards are used for making payments while you are travelling abroad. These are pre-loaded and enable you to access money in the required regional currency. You can also top it up depending on your requirement. The card allows you to withdraw cash in foreign currency, check your balance and shop. Banks such as ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India, Standard Chartered and Axis Bank offer prepaid forex cards.

What are prepaid forex cards?

The rupee weakened to a two-week low on Monday, dropping for a fourth straight session, as dollar demand from oil firms and other importers weighed

Rupee weakens to near 2-week low

It is a saving avenue which works like the systematic investment plan of a mutual fund, wherein a particular amount of money is deducted from your account every month. You have to apply for a recurring deposit account and ask the bank to deduct the stipulated amount from your savings or current account every month. Your deposit can also be paid through internet banking. Almost all banks offer this scheme and you can invest as little as Rs 5 with public sector banks or, Rs 500 with private banks. The investment tenure ranges from a minimum of six months to a maximum of 10 years. The date of monthly instalments will depend on the date on which you open your account. If you started on June 1, 2011, your installments will be deducted on 1st of every month, thereafter. You will get a passbook which will contain a record of all the transactions. You can either have an individual account or apply jointly with any family member, even a minor.

What is a recurring deposit?

Financial Analysis: Find the Latest Financial News Analysis & Research Updates from all top sources for the Indian Finance industry on Business Standard.

Finance News Analysis, Financial Analysis and Research | Business Standard

Find the Latest Financial News Analysis & Research Updates from all top sources for the Indian Finance industry on Business Standard.

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