Travelling and studying will become more expensive. Even your stock portfolio is likely to suffer.

Weak rupee, slipping fortunes

Business Standard

Consider inflation, life expectancy and monthly expenses to calculate corpus needed.

Start early to make future perfect

Show Form 10E which gives the true picture of salary earned in the earlier years.

Reduce tax liability on arrears

Aiming to provide relief to stock market investors facing negative cues of late, the finance ministry is planning to reduce duties on transactions in equities and currency derivatives. It is considering a cut in the securities transaction tax (STT) as well as a reduction in stamp duty on &lsquo;futures and options&rsquo; and currency derivatives.

FinMin move to slim duty on stock trade

Wait for clarity to emerge, unless you are willing to book losses.

When stocks hit the lower circuit

Alternate investment guidelines protect investors against fraud, but the risks for HNIs have increased.

Good for retail, risk for HNIs

I, 36, have four endowment plans. I am planning to buy one more term plan, with an assured sum of Rs 50 lakh, to increase my risk coverage. My investments include a public provident fund (Rs 80,000) and mutual funds (two investments: Rs 80,000 and systematic investment plans (SIP) in four tax-saver and two large-cap funds). I am paying more than Rs 50,000 annually, as premium towards insurance policies.

Financial Planning: Malhar Majumder

Past returns lower than MIPs, but these funds provide an opportunity to lock in at higher rates.

Use capital protection funds to tackle volatile times

Credit card users are being lured with discounts on expenses, though conditions apply.

Getting rewarded for spending 

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority has allowed portability. However, these aren&rsquo;t portable, as they are long-term (3-15 years). They carry assured benefits which vary. The long-term nature of benefits requires the insurer to create a reserve for such payments, based on actuarial assumptions. The products vary from company to company, making portability benefits complex.

Life Insurance: Deepak Sood

Opt for upfront discounts rather than reduced interest rate offers.

Festive bait for car buyers  

Looking beyond the price could help you pick the right cover.

Shopping for life cover online?

The figures tell it all. Banks in Madhya Pradesh take education loan very lightly: the 47 of them operating in the central Indian state have so far disbursed merely Rs 40 crore in aid of those aspiring to study. This, when their network is a solid total of 5,613 branches (including private, regional, rural and cooperative banks) and their deposit base is an impressive Rs 156642.15 crore.

Dismal track record of education loans in MP irks govt

DSP BlackRock&rsquo;s new fund offer (NFO), the World Agriculture Fund, is a fund of funds (FoF) scheme. The scheme will invest in the BlackRock Global Fund-World Agriculture Fund (BGF-WAF), that invests in equities of agricultural companies globally.

Strong theme for the investor

If a scheme&rsquo;s performance is significantly hit after an exit, maybe it&rsquo;s time to change.

Following fund manager's trail?

Rebates will be considered income if the property is sold in less than five years.

Check your home loan benefits

I have paid two annual premiums of Rs 40,000 each for a unit-linked insurance plan (Ulip) which is currently in loss. I also recently came to know of the high charges levied, which weren&rsquo;t explained to me by my agent. I want to cancel the policy.

Life Insurance: V Philip

The finance ministry&rsquo;s guidelines allowing foreign individual investors to invest in Indian mutual fund schemes should be music to the ears of the industry. Fund-starved since the entry load ban, the industry would look to tap international investors aggressively.

Mutual funds may benefit from long-term money

Diversifying in gold through systematic investment has many advantages.

Have a golden SIP

Court rulings interpret &lsquo;retirement&rsquo; and &lsquo;resignation&rsquo; as similar events, thereby allowing tax exemption.

No tax blow for final leave encashment

In a major exercise to boost its profitability, the Department of Posts (DoP) plans to introduce core banking solution besides setting up India Post ATMs and debit cards for its customers.

Post offices to offer core banking solution by 2012

Press Trust of India

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 896 - Personal Finance