Page 714 - Personal Finance

General Insurance: Rakesh Jain

Strong demand for residential property from IT professionals

Hot Spot: MG Road, Thiruvananthapuram

This New Year's Eve, change your life forever!

40 years ago...And now: SBI and the big bank theory

Despite taking the initiative in several areas, the country's biggest bank does not meet the aspirational needs of the younger generation. Work is on to change this

Don't rely on colour codes for full picture

The system could be used as a starting point to understand the risks associated with mutual funds but should not be used in isolation

Make time your ally in wealth creation

Don't make the mistake of investing long-term money into shorter duration buckets

Home loans: Fixed rate better for short term

With the cyclical nature of interest rates, floating rates are good for long-term borrowers

Limit your exposure to dollar-linked instruments

While rupee has weakened against the dollar, outlook on instruments such as gold is not strong

EPFO mulls social security agents to improve service delivery

The agents will be trained to cater to employers as well as employees who could be educated or uneducated

Limited use of whole-life plans

While there are two sum-assured payments, one on survival and another on death, the costs are prohibitive

Long duration bond funds not for everyone

The top performer in the debt category in 2014, they are expected to do well due to expected rate cuts

HDFC offers fixed-rate home loans for 10 years

Cuts deposit rates up to 15 bps across maturities

A good time to buy a car

Unless the model is being phased out or is expected to get a facelift, buying in December makes sense

Tap year-end offers if planning to buy a new car

With companies planning to increase prices next year, deals are a good opportunity for potential car buyers

Case study

Realty check

Taxation: Kuldip Kumar

Readers' Corner

Consumer protection: What's in a name?

The govt needs to intervene

A govt with reformist intentions and friendly govts in major states can do a lot to encourage investments

Book some profit and wait

Investment advisors say taking 20% of money off the table won't be a bad idea. However, continue with SIPs