Bank loans to the &lsquo;sensitive sectors&rsquo; of real estate and capital markets rose in 2009-10 at the slowest pace in at least four years, as some lenders such as ICICI, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Jammu &amp; Kashmir Bank reduced lending to these.

ICICI cut lending to realty in 2009-10, but many didn't

Business Standard

First, there was outrage. Then, there were outflows. A year after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) decided to ban entry load, the mutual fund industry's equity assets are down by Rs 8,000 crore (net outflows), according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi).

Fund houses lose Rs 8,000 cr in equity assets; survival of many in danger

Reading any statement &ndash; whether of a bank, a mutual fund or a unit-linked insurance plan (Ulip) &ndash; can be a nightmare. Often, the jargon can stump a customer, Nitin Desai discovered.

Understanding the jargon

I need advice for my sister. She is physically challenged due to spinal muscular atrophy. This has slowed down her leg and hand movement to 25 per cent, but the rest of her activities are normal. Currently, she takes help of a wheelchair. She has a job and travels to office daily. She is not sure if the employer&rsquo;s group insurance/hospitalisation plan will cover her medical/physiotherapy expenses. She wants to have a life/medical cover for herself from her income.

General insurance: Ajay Bimbhet

Sebi panel had suggested a rise in the threshold.

MF minimum net worth may not rise to Rs 50 cr

Don&rsquo;t use it at all. Some facts about credit cards that you should know.

If you can't use it wisely

While it is easy to quote investment experts, their advice seldom works for retail investors.

Be your own investing guru

Investing in the stock market and deciding to buy a particular stock are two different decisions. The latter requires proper analysis.

Keys to wealth creation

Despite Irda&rsquo;s good moves, insurance policies should be bought for cover, and not for investment.

Only for the risk-averse

The growing trend of taking loans for higher studies has its pitfalls. Bankers say many students take these loans lightly and default on initial payments.

Don't default at start of career

Most of us seldom read them properly, but understanding the details can come in handy.

Deciphering mutual fund statements

I got into stock trading a few years ago. Most of buying was based on tips from friends and colleagues. I have ended up with a portfolio laden with B-group stocks and have booked losses on their sale. Now, I have devised a strategy wherein I purchase stocks of the leader in a particular sector. Since these stocks are very expensive, my purchasing capacity is restricted.

Investing: Paras Adenwala

Insurers are pushing riders with term plans. You may not need most of these.

Choose riders on cover carefully

Citi Venture Capital International (CVCI), a large private equity (PE) player in India, is restructuring its focus to chase big-ticket deals.

Citi Venture Cap to go upmarket on Indian deals

Leading corporate hospitals, which are out of the preferred provider network (PPN) of public sector health insurance firms, will offer standardised treatment packages for nearly 250 procedures to see their PPN status restored soon.

Private hospitals meet insurance firms today

Plan early if you want to live in a retirement home. Here&rsquo;s how...

Retired, not dependent

Corporate hospitals may restore cashless treatment to policyholders of the four public sector health insurance firms in a week.

Cashless hospital cover may return in a week

Auto loan rates are set to rise following the decision of HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Prime to raise interest rates.

Auto loans to become dearer

If you have not taken notice of a slew of feeder funds in the market, it is time you did. They've clocked impressive returns during the current uptrend and provided diversification.Feeder funds became popular lately, with many international funds making a debut here.

Add feeder funds for diversification

To tame inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised two of its key policy rates - repo and reverse repo - twice last month. Repo is the rate at which it lends short-term funds to banks. If this rate rises, the cost of RBI funds for banks goes up. The current repo rate, post the RBI hikes, is 5.75 per cent. Reverse repo is the rate at which RBI borrows funds from banks. An increase can reduce liquidity from the system, as banks find it lucrative to get high risk-free returns. The current reverse repo rate, post the hikes, is 4.5 per cent.

Deal with debt carefully

When you are given challenges in life, God wants you to meet these and rise higher. We all understand the philosophy but that does not make taking care of a disabled dependant and planning for their future any easier.

Keep the smile going

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.

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