Cover Story

Your financial rights
MONEY TODAY presents the first ever charter of your financial rights. Know what they are and how to get redressal for your investor grievances.

'Force can't be used to recover dues'
Rakesh Rai speaks to NCDRC President Justice MB Shah about the issues faced by consumers and how well the redressal mechanism is geared to handle complaints.
Axe that tax
Say income tax and you’ll see people shudder. That’s thanks to the incredibly complex and cumbersome tax system that exists in the country.
I will...
A lot has been said so far about your rights as a consumer and the steps taken to protect those rights. The power of the consumer is steadily rising. But to exercise that power, we must show some signs of responsibility.
Fooling the shareholders
One company did not mail the copy for shareholders at all; a deluxe version was privately circulated among FIIs instead. Another insisted on a print run that was a quarter of the number of shareholders. Reason: "We can always say that it was misplaced in transit".

2007-11-01

Digital

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Mutual Fund

Equity funds ride on soaring Sensex, outperform

Here we do an analysis of how mutual funds are performing across the segments and bring to you the report card to help you make the right choice.

High on energy

MONEY TODAY-Plexus Management evaluate the UTI Energy Fund.

Small Fortune

Make four changes, earn Rs 40 lakh

Here’s a selection of just four of the 26 ideas through the year that can make you richer by, hold your breath, Rs 38.79 lakh.

Stocks

Jindal Steel soars

Jindal Steel has soared along with rising global metal prices, while Adani Enterprise and Reliance Energy continue to do well.

Booking profits

Expecting a correction, our cautious advisor decides to selectively sell from both the portfolios with the hope to buy the same stocks at cheaper rates.

Spotting good management

Shareholders who contribute to equity are putting in risk capital, while a banker who lends money to a company secures it with a lien on some of the company’s assets. Yet it is the bankers who get updates from management.

Market watch

Money Today scans through dozens of research reports from investment houses every fortnight to present you the six most relevant stock recommendations and a sector analysis.

Real Estate

Ludhiana: More than Punjab's industrial capital

The city is gradually reinventing itself from being the industrial capital of Punjab to a preferred investment destination for residential and commercial real estate.

BASICS

Moneypoly: Test your fiscal fitness

So you think you know all about saving and investment? Here's a quiz for you. Inside you'll find some basic questions related to financial planning. So go ahead, and learn as you enjoy!

Financial Planning

Wealth outlook

We asked veterans in six different areas of personal finance to gaze deep into their spreadsheets or crystal balls to see what the coming year holds. Take a look...

My Story

Big screen success

Here's the story of how 39-year-old Rensil D'Silva makes money out of storytelling.

Technology

Be your own publisher

Self-publishing has taken on a whole new meaning in the virtual world, with dozens of websites offering free design and desktop publishing utilities.

Books

Exhaustive yet entertaining

Simple and comprehensive, this finance primer has successfully used several interactive tools to engage the reader. Its innovative presentation gives it a distinct edge over other guides.

New Business

Five steps to a new business

MONEY TODAY dips into the experience of 26 first-generation businessmen it profiled in these pages in the past one year to shortlist five milestones each aspiring entrepreneur has to cross before claiming success.

Expert View

It's your right; fight for it

The Right to Information Act empowers every citizen to get justice if it is being denied. Though you may not get an answer to the RTI application, the grievance is usually addressed.

Understand your card

The RBI has stipulated that a copy of the most important terms and conditions be sent with every credit card statement.

Complaint central

Most complaints (almost 20%) that the National Consumer Helpline gets are related to the banking and financial services sector—loans, fixed deposits or credit cards. One of the main reasons for this is that people fail to do their homework before making a financial commitment.

'Investor awareness has increased'

Investor grievances, especially those related to listed companies, arise due to inherent weaknesses in the system.

From what to how

How much money you have at retirement is a function of how well you managed your money, not how much you earned.

How to choose your first fund

Picking the right mutual fund is becoming more and more complex. A first-time investor in equity mutual funds should not look beyond a handful of categories and then choose which type of fund is suitable.

Query Corner

I work as a consultant. How much tax do I have to pay?

Consultants are required to pay service tax in addition to income tax. In some cases, they are exempt from service tax.

Tax

Tax breaks on home loans

Home loan is not only the biggest and longest loan most people take, it is also the most tax efficient. We tell you how to make the most of it.

Portfolio Doctor

Second opinion

Twenty six case studies and hundreds of e-mail queries later, we decided to take a break. And assess if our advice through the year has been any good at all.

EMIs to SIPs

The Thomases reduced debt and restructured their insurance kitty to squeeze out funds for higher equity exposure.

Still too many funds

Over-diversification in equities may dilute the benefits of an equity-focused portfolio.

Good getting better

Sumant Sarkar is reaping rewards of a good diversification strategy.

Bold & bright

An aggressive approach to equities promises to boost Saptarshi Bhose’s long-term returns.

Balancing act

Diversifying investments is the biggest challenge for Shabbir Patel.

Work in progress

Increasing overall investments is essential for Hemant Chauhan to build a sizeable nest egg.