Cover Story
- The final aim of any investor is rather simple — buy low and sell high. However, in a sector as cyclical as real estate, investment decisions may become rather complex.
- Investing here can yield good returns as property is affordable and interest rates may stay stable. Interview with M. Ramachandran Opinion by Renu Sud Karnad
How much should you allocate to stocks?
Subtract your age from 80. The difference is the percentage of your corpus that should be invested in stocks. Can I forward losses in I-T returns?
According to the Income Tax Act, losses under ‘house property’ can be carried forward even if the return is not filed on time. The loss can be carried forward for the next eight years and can be set off against income under the head ‘Income from house property’. Costly cruise
You may have the money to buy a car, but what does it cost to own it over five years? We tell you how to calculate the expenses you are likely to incur. In this section we review new products to help you sort the best buys from the worst. This time we look at mobile phones and their tariff plans. Can you afford to buy a house?
Whether you plan to buy a modest studio apartment or a four-bedroom penthouse, affordability depends on two things: the amount you pay as down payment and the size of the loan you can service. Back on track
The second fund in this new series on mutual funds is the HDFC Top 200, one of the oldest diversified equity funds. Here are eight winners that can help you reduce your tax outgo under Section 80C. Start SIPs in the ones that match your risk appetite.Should you buy sectoral funds?
The sharp focus and concentrated portfolios of sectoral funds have the potential to give high returns. But they also carry a higher risk. The time is now
The real estate market is definitely set to rise, making this a good time to consider investing in it. Hills, beach resorts and temple towns are not just vacation spots of choice, they can also provide healthy returns to savvy real estate investors. Investing in property within city limits could prove prohibitively expensive. Here are some suburbs where real estate is still affordable and the returns are promising, so you can bank on both long-term price appreciation and steady rental returns.'There is a focused effort to handle realty grievances'
M. Ramachandran, Secretary, Urban Development Ministry, tells why the government has a vital role in making investment in property hassle-free. The new hot spots
If the countries listed here are on your travel itinerary, swap the popular tourist lures for the new entrants that share a rare commonality — affordable lodging. Break the cardinal rule and travel during peak season—only during festivals. You can savour the best of local culture at discounted rates. Packing a punch
They have been around for years, but ultralight Notebooks have suddenly taken the Indian market by storm. Dear Finance Minister...
Here are a few changes that we would like to see in the new Direct Taxes Code 2009. Earn more than the Sensex
Size doesn’t matter. While blue-chip companies have performed dismally, small- and mid-caps are showing how profitable they are. For the market to move up further, the oil and gas sector has to contribute significantly. Continuing the series on financial concepts, we explain why beta could be a useful tool to measure the market risk of a stock.'Base investing on long-term fundamentals and it will pay rich dividends'
Lalit Thakkar, Director, Research, Angel Broking tells how investors can profit by sticking to market basics and the reasons for his confidence in India’s growth story. Buying a call option, a simple trading strategy, can offer vast gains if the market is expected to be bullish in a short period. Bottom-up strategy pays
In the infrastructure sector, it appears that public-private partnerships are here to stay. Before you rush into a big-ticket purchase, here’s a simple investment strategy to help you find out whether you can really afford it. Investors may not be drawn to silver as they are to gold, but the former has proved more profitable in the past few months. The trend is likely to continue. Hitting sixes in slog overs
By taking risk in their pre-retirement years, our three patients have turned conventional financial wisdom on its head. Surprisingly, it works for them. 'Retiring early is the latest mindset'
These days, the mindset of young professionals is changing drastically. They want to lead a semi-retired life in their late forties or fifties by pursuing a hobby instead of a regular job. Optimism in the air
The stock market indices are climbing up steadily, precious metals are seeing an increased demand and companies are beginning to hire once more. 'Preservation of capital is fundamental to investing'
Parag Parikh, Chairman, Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services, talks about his investment style and ways to identify value stocks. 'Realty prices, not interest rates, impact the decision to invest in property'
There has been a pick-up in retail credit, says Renu Sud Karnad, Joint Managing Director, HDFC. With an obvious rise in demand, I’m sure the realty market has bottomed out and the depression is over. Any management that has a long-term view of its business and wants to raise further capital should prefer to err on the ‘cheaper’ side while pricing its IPO. Invest in mid-caps when they are in the early stages of growth after recovering from a downturn. Errors of commission
Insurers have the chance to provide services that clients will buy willingly, instead of being trapped into doing it. Chinese whispers
Is the Asian dragon’s enviable economic ascent as plausible as it sounds or are these the figures of its government’s imagination? A fortune from fun
Entertainment is one of the fastest growing industries, churning out new career opportunities and ventures every year. 
