When friends introduce me as someone in the market for the last two decades, I often wonder: Does mere tenure imply proficiency? In the initial years, I oscillated between trading in stocks based on technical and fundamental analysis, before giving it up in 2002 &mdash; after losing a lot of money.

Investing: Experience versus temperament

Business Standard

The date of purchasing, and not physical ownership, will be considered.

Take help of inflation index

Don&rsquo;t get worried about market volatility and jump to debt.

When should you change asset allocation?

Equity markets have been volatile with a downward bias for some time. Obviously, Jayant Kothari is unwilling to commit more into equities, despite being bullish on them. The reason: Though he is interested in equities, there is little clarity if things will get better or worse from here. &quot;There is no reason for me to take more exposure to equities till the market bottoms out,&quot; he explains. For such investors, financial planners are advising monthly income plans (MIPs).

MIPs to the rescue of investors

I had given post-dated cheques for my car loan. For the last two months, the equated monthly instalments are not getting deducted.

Debt counselling: Sanjay Agarwal

For over a year, fund managers have been advising investors to stay put in funds with ultra short-term and short-term durations. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) continuing its hawkish stance, it was necessary for investors not to commit money for a longer term.

Opt for mid- and long-term funds

The directive assumes significance, given banks&rsquo; reluctance to implement advisory on the same.

Home loans' pre-payment penalty scrapped 

Futures and options, gold, debt, and even index funds can act as good hedges for investors.

Hedge your portfolio to contain losses

Irda to create a database that will help insurers tap into the claim history of drivers.

Soon, safe driving will pay

I opened a savings account with a public sector bank about two years back. I haven&rsquo;t used it for any transactions for almost six-eight months now. Recently, the bank debited Rs 160 from that account, saying it had been inoperative for six months. According to the bank&rsquo;s website, there were no charges for an inoperative account for a year.

Banking: Prashant Joshi

Reserve Bank of India&rsquo;s decision to free deposit rate will impact banks&rsquo; policy diversely.

SBI, IDBI may raise savings bank rates

Instruments, which work for your long-term goals, can be used to meet the child&rsquo;s needs as well.

Why you shouldn't bother about child-friendly plans

During high inflation times, calculate real returns to maximise wealth.

Say no to some investments

With investments down, adding more debt would only hurt your interests.

Spend less this festive season

Conventional wisdom: If you are buying your first house, don&rsquo;t try to time the market. The argument: Even if you are entering in a high interest rate scenario, over a 15-20 year period, there will be cycles when rates will come down.

Buying a home: Wait and watch is the mantra

EPS of a company can fall due to pressure on profitability or rise in the number of shares. The latter shouldn&rsquo;t worry you too much.

When profitability is under strain

I am servicing an auto loan, a personal loan and a home loan and my equated monthly instalments (EMI) are Rs 15,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000, respectively. I earn Rs 52,000 a month. I make regular payments, but occasionally slip up. Now, I want to reduce payments to a more manageable amount, so that I can start saving monthly.

Under a mediclaim policy, the insurance company is required to reimburse the cost of hospitalization and treatment. What happens when the follow-up treatment after discharge requires use of expensive medical equipment? Is the insurance company liable to reimburse the cost of the equipment? Yes, says a significant ruling of the Delhi State Commission.

Insurers liable to pay for life-saving equipment

Want to calculate your equated monthly instalment when the interest rates go up, say, 50 basis points? Go the online way. There are a number of websites, offering help and services, both paid and free, to individuals. There are also blogs and sites, offering views, tips, product analysis and market overviews.

Need money advice? Go online

Creating a strong corpus through equity will reduce later need for debt to make big purchases.

Still Single? Set short-term goals for yourself

Your car maker could also offer a service for free, provided your vehicle is within warranty period.

Stranded on road? SOS your insurer 

Personal Finance: Read about the smart strategies for Personal Finance Planning, Investing, Insurance, banking, budgeting, loans Tax Planning, retirement and insurance. Browse Business Standard to learn more on Personal Finance.

Personal Finance: Investing, Planning, Retirement, Loans, & Insurance | Business Standard

Read about the smart strategies for Personal Finance Planning, Investing, Insurance, banking, budgeting, loans Tax Planning, retirement and insurance. Browse Business Standard to learn more on Personal Finance.

Page 892 - Personal Finance