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

Business Standard

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.

Debt counselling: Sanjay Agarwal

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 

Gaurav Garg, CEO of Tata AIG General Insurance, remembers taking a certificate for no-claim bonus when he sold his car and transferred his motor cover before going abroad. It has been a very long time now and he says his motor insurer most probably did not honour the certificate for a discount on a new policy there.

Keep the no-claims bonus certificate handy when selling a car

Gold prices have been rising steadily over the last few months. Is it advisable to invest in the commodity right now? I have Rs 80,000 as surplus.

Investing: Rishi Nathany

Even after going through the headache of collating data, declaring expenses and so on, refunds may take time.

Early filing of I-T returns: More pain than gain

The dice is heavily loaded in favour of mutual funds, unless you are a great stock picker.

Direct stocks or mutual funds?

Keep your nerve and don&rsquo;t exit at once. For all you know, there could be a turnaround story.

Stuck with shares of a scam-hit company?

Besides an appointment letter, consulates seek letters from employers approving leave for travel dates.

Visa counselling: Start early

I, 26, am earning Rs 45,000 with an event management company. I pay Rs 20,000 as rent and send home Rs 10,000. The rest is consumed by monthly expenses, about Rs 7,000, and lifestyle expenses, Rs 5,000. My monthly saving is either negligible or nothing. Plus, to meet some of my expenses, I have been using my credit card for the past three months. My credit limit is Rs 35,000 and I have used Rs 25,000. I haven't been able to pay off my bill. I want to clear the debt and start investing. What should I do? I would be changing my job next month.

Financial Planning: Malhar Majumder

The penalty of Rs 630 crore on the country's largest property developer, DLF, by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has brought focus on the builder-buyer relationship. The buy/sale agreement between the two parties is back in focus.

A reality check on home buying agreements

Easier access, less time consumed and agency assistance at a small cost have helped online filing of income tax returns catch up in the past couple of years. Tax experts say about one in three returns are now filed online. Experts expect this to rise to 50 per cent.

Don't stop at e-filing

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 893 - Personal Finance