Cover Story

Untapped funds
Mutual funds have existed for more than two decades and are considered a safe way to invest in the stock markets. Yet, most people are reluctant to opt for them. Here are some other findings of the Mutual Fund Investments Report by Boston Analytics, which surveyed over 9,000 respondents across 15 Indian cities.

Beyond agents
As agents discontinue their services due to lack of incentives, we list alternative ways to invest in mutual funds.
Why we should celebrate the tortoises
These funds may not have churned out scintillating returns or made it to the list of best equity funds this year, but slowly and steadily they are building wealth for investors.
A leaf from the book of the masters
We explore the minds of four top fund managers to unravel their investment strategies and discover the rules that help them deliver consistently.
Investing for a lifetime
We, at Money Today, have always believed that actions speak louder than words. Whether we are recommending a stock or giving advice on an insurance policy, choosing a mutual fund or charting a financial plan, it is our endeavour to give you actionable advice with specific takeaways.
Best mutual funds
A comprehensive guide to the most promising mutual fund schemes across six major categories.
Decoding the tables
It is a comprehensive listing of 774 mutual funds across three broad categories and 17 sub-categories. The funds have been evaluated on various parameters, including returns, relative performance and the risks they carry.
Are you aware of your fund's risks?
Mutual funds invest in a range of securities, each having its own risk profile. The fund manager's skills play an important role in balancing these risks. However, there are certain threats that are beyond his control.
Black holes that gobbled up Rs 7,000 crore
As many as 36 underperforming funds have earned less than a savings bank account in the past three years. If you own such lemons, it's time to get rid of them.
Ensuring corporate governance
Disapproval of a company's actions by institutional investors results in loss of investor confidence and, thereby, acts as a deterrent.
The fund route to assets
Through mutual funds, we can invest in equity, debt, bullion or in a combination of these. One can also get the benefit of expert advice.
ETFs: The best of both worlds
Exchange-traded funds combine the advantages of index funds and stocks. they are liquid and can be traded in any quantity, just like stocks.
Trumping bank deposits
Debt funds have some obvious advantages over bank deposits, the most important being higher tax efficiency.
Streamling fund selection
Unlike the markets in the developed nations, the Indian equity market offers opportunities for generating alpha and beating benchmarks.
Good times will roll on
Invest in multiple themes, such as consumption, asset creation, financial inclusion and technology.

2010-06-01

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Expert View

Homing in on a foreign deal

For Indians looking to invest in global real estate, the UK, USA and South Asia offer good opportunities.

"A policy should be comprehensible even to a 12-year-old"

Antony Jacob, CEO of Apollo Munich Health Insurance, talks about the need to uncomplicate medical insurance and make it more user-friendly.

Mis-selling or mis-buying?

Keep the adviser on your side by compensating him well for his time, but keeping the commisions he gets on sales.

Coping with change

The recent changes in the financial services sector have left investors confused about their long-term strategies. The fourth Money Today Round Table on mutual funds asked six experts about ways to restrategise. The panel included Vikramaaditya, Director and CEO, HSBC Asset Management (India); Vikaas M. Sachdeva, Country Head, Business Development, Bharti AXA Investment Managers; I.V. Subramaniam, Director and CIO, Quantum Advisors; Rajesh Krishnamoorthy, MD, iFAST Financial India; Yateesh Srivastava, CMO, Aegon Religare Life Insurance, and Kartik Jhaveri, Director, Transcend Consulting.

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.

Stocks

Growing faith

Corporate India is buoyant as the fourth quarter results surpass expectations. Here's a look at the sectors that are spearheading the growth.

Paving the way for wealth

An aggressive blueprint to improve infrastructure will boost the revenues of construction firms, making them an attractive pick for investors.

Correction: Window of opportunity

The Nifty's slide is no reason to worry. In fact, it's time to scout for stocks that are bound to yield good returns in the medium term.

Overlooking a bad show

Kamya Jaiswal considers if she should sell the three poor performers in her portfolio. Find out why she holds back two.

Investment

"The Sensex is fairly valued and could hit 25,000 in 2 years"

An engineer by qualification, Rajen Shah's foray into the stock market in 1989 had him hooked.

Perspective

Covering the claims process

In health insurance, most of the disputes between the insurer and insured arise at the time of settling claims.

Sectoral tax discounts

The Finance Bill has proposed some amendments in Budget 2010-11 to provide marginal tax concessions to some sectors.

Flying on cheap wings

50 per cent lower air fares are being offered by LCCs on international routes compared with fullservice carriers.

Regulator watch

A look at the recent rulings that can affect you.

Regulators squabble over jurisdiction

While the much-hyped tug of war over Ulips between market regulator Sebi and insurance regulator Irda has ended up at the Supreme Court, more tussles involving other regulators are coming to light.

On a high note

As the economy improves, investors are becoming more optimistic. Here are some findings of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management—ValueNotes Investor Confidence Index released in April.

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