Cover Story

Are you ready to retire?
It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you haven’t planned for your sunset years, it’s time to start now. Insure your retirement Living it up in retirement Evaluating the options

Is it worth the experiment?
Investors are not flocking to the New Pension Scheme as the low cost doesn't compensate for the scheme's drawbacks.
Evaluating the options
Despite several new products, retirement planning is not as popular as it should be. Will the NPS change things? Are people ignorant or just disinterested in retirement-oriented investment?
The easy path to planning
Life after hanging up your boots can be bliss or a bane, depending on the state of your finances. Here’s a lowdown on retirement planning.
Living it up in retirement
It is no longer a dreaded life stage. If you remain a disciplined investor, retirement can turn out to be better than your dreams.

2009-09-01

Digital

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Travel

Designed to make a difference

India’s travel service providers are waking up to the plight of the differently-abled as they become more user-friendly and offer better facilities.

At your service

To cash in on the popularity of serviced apartments, hotels have come up with their own version woo business travellers, writes Sushmita Choudhury.

Technology

Filming on the move

Whether you want to record memories or star in your own whacky movie, a camcorder is your best option. Here are the features you should consider before buying one.

Stocks

Gainful returns

In the first in a new series on financial concepts, we explain one of the most important profitability ratios — return on equity — its usefulness and constraints.

'The worst is behind us, but we may have run ahead of the basics'

Ambareesh Baliga, Vice-President, Karvy Stock Broking, talks about how investors should not be swayed by market movements and have clear objectives.

Trade terms

Being well-versed in elementary phrases and values is essential for facilitating an entry in options trading. Here are some key concepts.

How to find the right stock price

Make sure that you are not overpaying for your purchases.

Insight

How big is your emergency fund?

In case of uncertainty in the job market, falling incomes and volatile asset prices, one should have a thicker buffer of 9-12 months’ living expenses to help tide over any financial emergency.

Real Estate

Beware of the siren song

It would be very unfortunate if developers were to increase home prices at this juncture.

Homing in on low rents

The focus on affordable housing and a glut in supply is likely to bring down rents, especially in certain residential localities.

Query Corner

Is a car provided by my company a taxable perk?

A car provided by an employer to an employee is a taxable perk if the latter’s salary is more than Rs 50,000 a month.

Smart Spending

Thinking out of the idiot box

TV may be ready to discard the ‘idiot’ tag as it turns intelligent, offering ticket booking and pizza delivery besides the regular serials.

To buy or not to buy

In the first of a new series, we review some of the latest products and services to help you sort the best buys from the worst.

Portfolio Doctor

Discreet beginnings

In a revamped format, Portfolio Doctor will examine more patients in every issue.We start with three who like to play safe — even though they shouldn’t.

Perspective

Mood of the nation: Cautious optimism

The buzz on the street is not caused by market experts alone talking about signs of revival in the economy. It’s also created by all of us—consumers, investors, employees and employers.

For The Record

The price of retirement

Asset allocation in interest-earning instruments, coupled with smart annuity options, can help you live comfortably through your sunset years.

Mutual Fund

Rewards sans risk

In a new series on mutual funds, we look at Reliance Growth, the largest and one of the oldest diversified equity funds.

Should you exit debt funds

Debt funds, popular during the downturn, might begin to lose their sheen.

How not to invest

Please guide me as to which funds I should retain and the ones that I should exit.

Talk Back

I've learnt important lessons from the magazine...

...such as the advantage of keeping insurance and investment separate, and that term plans are the cheapest form of life insurance. I look forward to more informative stories.

Editor's Note

Welcome to the new and improved Money Today

While many of our regular features still find a place in the fresh format, others have been revamped and new ones introduced. The idea is to give you articles with greater depth and insight.

Last Word

I own 2 bricks in this house. The rest is common area.

Common area refers to spaces in apartments that are set apart for use by all the residents.

Markets

'The financial crisis is behind us, but China is ahead of us'

Shankar Sharma, Director, First Global, is known for his bearish view of the markets, but is uncharacteristically optimistic about the economy.

Just a bubble?

The first in a series that looks at the flip side of promising trends — or the silver lining when the skies are grey.

Investment

Enter, a load of queries

Will the abolition of entry load deprive a large number of people from investing in mutual funds?

Investing is for all seasons

Investing is as much a passion and hobby as it is a career or profession. The afficionados eat, live, sleep and breathe investing mantras.

'Small investors can use class action suits to get justice'

Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Salman Khurshid speaks about the new Companies Bill and other investor-related issues.

Consumer Rights

'Consumer courts are to write the verdict within 15 days of a hearing'

Justice Ashok Bhan, President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, talks about facilitating proceedings for the consumers.

Questioning the law

When D.K. Gandhi took his advocate to court, he raised an important issue—can lawyers be proceeded against under the Consumer Protection Act?

Tax

Many unhappy returns

In a bid to curb tax evasion, the government has proposed to tax certain gifts other than cash. Here’s how the changes will affect you.

Expert View

Need to jazz up the NPS

Making the NPS mandatory and more attractive should be a high priority for the government.

Insure your retirement

The challenge is to design products for the payout phase so that people don't run out of income before they die.

Mistakes to avoid while planning retirement

The most common errors while planning for retirement include neglect, omission or panic.

Banking

Repair your credit score

By reducing the impact of past financial mistakes, you can improve your credit worthiness. However, there are no quick fixes.

'You can directly access your credit report by March'

Arun Thukral, Managing Director, Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited, talks about the importance and limitations of credit information reports.

Careers

Rewards of the retail boom

The growth in the retail industry is not only creating massive job opportunities at all levels, but has also launched a wave of entrepreneurs.

A good job of hiring

The long winter of retrenchment and pay cuts might be drawing to a close.

Books

The cost of conduct

Read this book if you want to balance your financial and emotional quotients, not if you are looking to double your money in a hurry.

Shoppers' stop: Wisdom on sale

Confessions of a Shopaholic is teeming with sinful antics and spiked remorselessly with humour.

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