Cover Story

Attractive add-ons for the road
The plain vanilla cover for motor vehicles is becoming increasingly outdated as a plethora of add-ons are being rolled out by insurance companies.

A guide to health cover
What do you have in common with the President of the US? No, this is not a trick question. The answer is the rising cost of health care.
The need for a wall-to-wall cover
The key to buying a good home insurance policy is to pick the right combination of risks. Consider higher coverage only if you have specific needs.
Protect your assets
Insurance firms are offering a profusion of choice to cover your health and valuables. Here's how to pick a cover that suits your requirements. Attractive add-ons for the road A guide to health cover Just click for cover
Just click for cover
Apart from a growing number of user-friendly and content-rich websites by insurance companies, customers now have several aggregator sites at their disposal.
Customised to cover your special needs
De-tariffing has encouraged insurance companies, especially private ones, to design innovative products based on individual needs.

2010-03-01

Digital

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Last Word

Recent salary surveys suggest that most firms are looking at 'variable' pay as a major component of salary hikes this year.

E2E

As the increment season sets in, it's time to gauge the employee mood. Is he expecting a handsome hike or is he planning to switch jobs? Money Today, along with Naukri.com, conducted an online survey and found that though the term 'good hike' has been redefined due to the slowdown, most respondents are expecting to be compensated for last year's poor show.

Stocks

Growth is back

The third quarter results confirm a turnaround in economic activity.With information technology back on track, markets are eagerly waiting for the engineering and banking sectors to climb on to the growth bandwagon.

Betting on self-study

Market rookie Kamya Jaiswal realises that choosing right sectors is as vital as picking good stocks.

10 stocks to buy on correction

Analysts are hard put to dispute that markets will be volatile this year. And volatility means opportunities to buy at dips.

PSU sale: Paying proposition

Is the divestment of government stake in public sector undertakings (PSUs) the next big opportunity in the India equity story?

Travel

In the family way

Families, not business travellers, are the flavour of the season for the travel industry, which is offering inviting packages geared towards children.

Expert View

Domestic consumption to drive growth

After two years of no growth, we are entering a period of a strong earnings surge. Domestic demand will be the key driver for corporate earnings in the next couple of years.

De-tariffing is the way forward

In an evolving market, the quality of customer service and product innovation will be the key differentiators among insurers. However, this can be achieved only with complete de-tariffing.

The problems with health insurance

Do not make a false claim as you may not be able to make a second genuine claim in the same year if the limit has been exhausted. Also, the insurer could increase the amount of future premiums in case of an abnormal claim.

Widening the base

Deeper penetration in home segment is possible only with cost-effective distribution, customer education and products/services designed to meet individual needs.

Multi-tasking on the Internet

The Internet makes us multi-task. According to recent statistics from the Internet and Online Association of India, the leading search engines get six million requests for insurance every month.

"Mis-selling has largely to do with the awareness of the consumer"

Irda Chairman J. Hari Narayan tells what the regulator is doing to protect policyholders' interests and the root cause of disputes relating to insurance.

The winning numbers

After a year of re-rating, earnings expansion will remain the key driver for equities in 2010.

"The removal of entry load has made us more accountable for our advice"

Rajeev Deep Bajaj, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Bajaj Capital, talks about the changing investment scenario and suggests strategies for the coming year.

"New entrants in telecom will ensure that prices remain competitive"

J.S. Sarma, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, talks about concerns over low call rates, unpopularity of VAS and low accountability in television broadcasting.

Insight

A tax that reduces your liability

To avoid dividend distribution tax on payouts from debt-oriented funds, one should go for the growth option, not the dividend option.

Yielding profit

The earnings yield of a stock can help investors compare its performance with that of other asset classes, especially debt instruments like g-secs.

Query Corner

How should I pay tax on the profit earned from investments in India?

If you hold Indian citizenship, you do not need to declare your US citizenship to the bank. But if you are no longer an Indian citizen, then you should declare your altered status.

Perspective

Still a safety net?

According to Amar Singh, head of Commodities Research, Angel Broking, a fair amount of risk aversion is coming into play among global investors, which has led to a correction in markets across the world.

The assets to bet on in the long run

Given the volatility in returns across most asset classes, including gold, long-term investors may need to rejig their portfolios.

SMEs upbeat about future

The fact that the Indian economy is inching its way to recovery has been endorsed by the third quarter results.

Big tax sticks with small carrots

When it comes to deadlines, the one for filing taxes is possibly the most feared. In a rare recognition of this, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has presented a late New Year gift to taxpayers.

Are fixed rates on their way out?

The bad news is that experts expect interest rates to rise in the near future due to an increase in demand for credit.

Mutual Fund

Get a piece of the PSU pie

PSU equity funds can help you make the most of the divestment opportunity without running the risk of betting on individual stocks.

Smart Spending

What to buy and what not to

In this series we review recently launched products and services to help you sort the best buys from those that do not offer value for money.

Portfolio Doctor

Finding the perfect cover

Buying a life insurance policy to save income tax defeats the purpose of such a policy and leads one to make a suboptimal choice.

For The Record

Redress your grievance

While most of the grievances against insurance companies relate to claims, people have felt victimised for other reasons. If you have suffered unjustly at the hands of an insurance firm, here's how and where you can voice a complaint to find a satisfactory solution.

Insurance

From savings to protection

The life insurance sector has transformed since it was opened to private players. Here's what has changed— and what hasn't—in the past 10 years.

Talk Back

"The story on tax planning was very informative"

The story on tax planning (Choose the Right 80C Option, February 2010) was very informative, especially the matrix used to present the features of major products.

Editor's Note

From the Editor

Retail participation in IPOs or new fund offerings has been low in the recent past. However, retail involvement even in the secondary market seems to have dipped.

Careers

Time for cautious optimism

Companies are making variable pay a bigger component of salaries, a trend that is likely to catch on.

Economy

Triple whammy

The economic recovery may not be as sturdy or swift as you think. It's likely to be curtailed by inflation, fiscal squeeze and monetary tightening this year.

Books

I am 60, going on 16

If you think your career will end when you retire, read this book. It explores feasible job options and the right approach to land them.

Venturing for finance? No fear

Most aspiring entrepreneurs see venture capitalists as sharks with loads of money, waiting to snap up a good business if it turns profitable or steal the idea and kick them out.

Investment