Page 607 - Personal Finance

Insurance sector: A snapshot of growth, new products and grey areas

At 3.44%, the penetration figure is the second lowest since 2005-06

BS Insurance round table: 'Licences shouldn't be given for 2-3 years'

Heads of leading insurance companies came together to discuss the challenges facing the industry

EPFO defers decision to hike investments in ETFs from 10% to 15%

However, CBT agrees to cover 62 lakh volunteers under the EPFO's social security scheme

Avoid realty stocks despite sharp rise

Investing in indirect beneficiaries of govt policies such as HFCs may be more fruitful

Home loan interest too high for Indian buyers: Study

This is making buyers dig into savings to own a house

Regulatory arbitrage means more mis-selling

While Irdai recently raised commissions, Sebi has been aggressively cutting them for distributors

Realty check

Business Standard brings you a snapshot of average current rates

Readers' Corner: Taxation

Kuldip Kumar, partner and leader, personal tax, PwC India, answers your questions

Tipping Point

The PE ratio compares the price of the stock to its earnings per share

Receipt of cash is payment

As builder had not disputed payment of cash, amount can be treated as received, the Commission said

Asset transfer to family trusts non-taxable

Finance Bill 2017 had originally proposed taxing gifts made to trusts

Going the cashless route for health insurance isn't truly hassle free

The hassles: It's available only at network hospitals, and even there, all claims may not get paid

Tata AIA launches m-Insurance with Tata Teleservices

Pilot project rolled out in Andhar Pradesh and Telangana

Now, you can draw easily from GPF for education, housing. But should you?

Touch your pension fund only in case of dire need, not to fund consumption expenditure

Interest subsidy scheme makes more sense for smaller towns

The benefit in the scheme is a function of property price - lower the cost, higher the benefit

Majority of active funds lag benchmark returns in past one year

Designed to beat their benchmarks, they have lagged even over five- and ten-year horizons

Health, car, motorcycle insurance premium to go up from April 1

Change in premium after modification will be limited to +/- 5% of the existing rates

Health insurance to donations: Don't use cash for these transactions

The government has proposed to lower the cash transaction limit to Rs 2 lakh

Justice made affordable for the middle class

SC's initiative is laudable but it needs to be more stringent and make lawyers accountable

Markets driven by liquidity

A change in attitude of FPIs could change the market's fortunes