Cover Story
- Nine rules to build a stock portfolio that will survive and thrive under all market conditions.

Changes on home front
Room capacity needs to double in the next five years to cope for inflow of travellers. The fortunes of the macro economy are increasingly linked with the fortunes of the micro households. In 1976, 33% of Mumbai lived in unauthorised housing. Today with twice the population, 66% of the city lives in slums. Many are worried about valuations but the best is yet to come. Only a tiny portion of FII investment has come in.The best of times for start-ups
My advice to budding enrepreneurs is that you need to be doing something 'different' or 'differently'.
Too close for comfort
Know Your Customer guidelines have been used to harass customers by way of cross selling. And also to design customised products to delight them. Consumers now seek to fulfill their aspirations at a younger age, taking a mix of debt and equity to fund their needs.
From the Editor-in-Chief
MONEY TODAY will offer down-to-earth advice on stock markets, mutual funds, insurance, banking, taxation, real estate and retirement planning.
How much do you need?
If your life cover is too small, it won't be of any help. If it is too large , you may be paying for something you don't need. Find out how much insurance you require and rightsize your cover.First among all forms of savings
In future, insurers and financial services providers will work in tandem to offer solutions to customers based on their career. life plan and risk appetite. Customers will now be able to buy policies on the phone, through SMS and on the Net.
The book that made Buffett
Prithvi Haldea, managing director of Prime Database, says that Benjamin Graham’s rules of value investing remain relevant more than half a century later.
Solid assets, weak protection
The Mumbai-based Menons have already created substantial assets. Now it’s time to protect these and to diversify as well.
Golden opportunity
The Indian obsession with jewellery continues unabated. But people have also started looking at other forms of gold as an investment.
Turning junk to gems
Here's the story of how Arun Verma, a 'junkie', turned his hobby into a business.
Reducing tax outgo in home loans
From the tax saving point of view, there is no ideal period for maintaining a home loan account.
What's behind the premium tag
The luxury frills offered along with your dream home may sound good but think hard if you really need them.
Hire and Higher
When his IIM batchmates were racing up the corporate ladder, Sanjeev Bikhchandani was slogging it out to keep his small business a float.
Your net worth
In times to come your net worth will decide how much credit you get and at what cost.
Wealth of a nation
The stock market, the most visible and audible symbol of wealth creation, has made up to 10 million Indians richer through the four-fold rise in the valuation of shares in less than four years. With the PAN allottment in a disarray, it seems unlikely that the problems that came in the way now will be ironed out by December 31. The real winner would be the small investor whose transaction costs will come down with the introduction of the flat brokerage structure.How inflation erodes your wealth?
We want returns from our investments to be higher than the rate of inflation. But by how much? A lot depends on the future of crude prices. If the coming winter is severe, the demand for heating could again push up the demand for petroleum products.
Recommendations from investment houses
Here we focus on how select stocks are performing and how it can benefit you.
Build a successful career
When parting ways, make sure you don't go to a place where the pay is higher but the work is less challenging.
Small Fortunes
Is your money going up in smoke? If a 35-year-old quits smoking, he can save up to Rs 12 lakh by the time he retires. The Sensex heavyweights have outperformed smaller stocks in six months and one year.But in the last quarter, the smaller stock indices have outperformed the Sensex.