Cover Story

The new corporate lexicon
Forced to cut flab without seeming to be fascist, companies are deputing HR personnel. Here’s how they are couching bad news in benign terminology.

How to negotiate smartly
If a severed salary or a pink slip seems imminent, don’t despair. A bit of planning and a lot of savvy talking could help reduce the damage—or see you out on your terms.

2009-04-02

Digital

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Insight

How much do you need in retirement?

One needs to factor in many parameters while undertaking retirement planning. We show you what all you need to plan for...

Know your rupee's worth

A snapshot of the rupee’s performance to help you take decisions on travel and overseas investments.

Stocks

The brothers grim

The rift between the Ambani brothers and the possibility of a patch-up have affected the prices of the shares in the two Reliance groups.

Performance of stocks

Auto and auto component companies fared well in the past 3 months. And IT companies found ways to beat the slowdown.

The way to long-term wealth

Mid-sized companies can be had cheap during a downturn. When the markets go up, you could have a multi-bagger.

The first building blocks

After almost a three-month hiatus, Dipen Sheth decides to venture into the stock markets and buys 10 stocks for reconstructing the Safe Wealth portfolio.

Upfront

Tightening the screws

India’s insurance regulator now appears to be following the corporate sector’s credo—tough times are the right time to take difficult decisions.

Tax

What are the tax implication of donations?

Usually, money to charities is given from the post-tax income. Charitable contributions do not attract any tax.

Real Estate

The ground reality

Market has shown correction, so it's worth exploring options in small cities.

Query Corner

What is the best way to invest in gold?

Ashish Nagarkar of Nagpur wants to know which form of investment in gold can be the most profitable. Here are the pros and cons of investing in different forms of gold.

Portfolio Doctor

Fruits of perseverance

Kolkata-based Das is reaping the benefits of disciplined investment. Now, he must rein in the urge to play with stocks and continue to invest regularly to beat inflation.

In this MT Issue

Cut-price couture

Thanks to the recession, luxury retailers are offering unheard of discounts. If you are an aspirational buyer, designer labels may be within your reach.

Is Nano worth the ride?

It’s touted as the people’s car and its cost of ownership is also the lowest. But the Nano may not provide real value for money.

My Idea

Hide and chic

After sifting through a range of professions, 49-year-old Atul Aggarwal decided to dabble in leather.

Mutual Fund

Birla Sun Life: A safe player

Birla Sun Life is a 15-year-old fund house and is very strong on debt. The bulk of its debt assets is in cash funds.{mosimage}

Cover your Fund

At best, insurance-topped mutual funds are an addon to your existing insurance and not a replacement for pure insurance.

Economy

Is your job in peril?

Take this quiz to check whether you are secure in your profession or are likely to be fired.

Down slide

Here is a recap of the spillover effects of the ongoing economic imbroglio in the past fortnight, across the globe.

How to adjust to the downturn

Job loss, pay cuts and income freeze. These need not mean the end of life as you know it. Here's how you can manage your finances and weather this recession.Finding opportunity in loss The new corporate lexicon How to negotiate smartly Is your job in peril?

Finding opportunity in loss

A lay-off can be a blessing in disguise if you use the opportunity to do something new or different. Here are some options that are bound to raise your professional stock.

Talk Back

Can you provide information on shopping abroad?

We do not give information on seasonal sales abroad as the time period and nature of offers vary...

Editor's Note

From the Executive Editor

Money Today's cover package in this issue is close to my heart. Simply because I was there; I was out of a job for five months last year. But I survived.

Insurance

Saving trouble

The public liability policy is an important cover, especially for professionals, to protect against eventualities that can result in damage to third parties.

How to buy a plan

Women must identify their insurance needs and clarify their doubts when buying a policy as the onus of picking the right product lies with them.

New Business

Making a clean sweep

After 14 years of toil, Manohar Krishna is poised to unclog the closed Indian attitude with his mechanised drain cleaning system.

Expert View

Soft skills can make all the difference

Soft skills, as opposed to purely technical or job-related skills, are the only differentiators in times of crisis like these.

Failing fortunes

Meeting with the top brass of companies in two sectors that are widely perceived to be recession-proof - electronic media and retail- has left me confused.

Books