Cover Story

Lessons on credit
Ensure your child can fulfill his ambitions, even if you don't have adequate funds, by availing of an education loan.

Taking the fund route
Mutual fund houses are wooing parents with niche offerings that promise to help them build a corpus for their children.
Handle with care
If you want to ensure that your children's future is secure, opt for insurance plans that are specially designed to fulfill this need.

2011-02-01

Digital

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Tax

Though infrastructure bonds help save tax, they don't suit all investors

Infrastructure bonds are the latest investment option for saving tax, but these may not be a good choice for all investors.

Last Word

Banker's checks

Is it time for a know-your-banker (KYB) norm? Perhaps it is, given the recent scam, wherein the relationship manager of a premier foreign bank duped his high net worth clients.

Insight

Core performer

DSP BlackRock Top 100 Equity has outperformed its benchmark index in five of the past six years.

IPO juggernaut rolls on

The public issue market, still relishing the gains from the Coal India IPO, remains upbeat with about 100 issues expected in 2011.

Company Stock

Best performing stocks

Metal companies have done well in the past five years, with four among the top 10.

Invest in markets after following the pattern

An analysis of returns by major indices during the past decade reveals that the market follows a pattern, one which can be used to position investments.

Mutual Funds

Top-ranked funds

Tax-saving equity funds have given an average return of 14.15 per cent over the past five years, making them the best savings option under Section 80C.

Smart Spending

The Hot & the not so Happening: February report

Sam Abraham introduces new products and services to help you zero in on those that offer value for money.

3G in the fast lane

Despite the initial flurry of activity, third generation bandwidth services are taking their time to launch. Here are some data plans to get you started.

Cash in on your car

Selling a car yourself may take effort and time but it will be worth the price you get.

Careers

Look Ma, No clock

More firms are adopting flexible work hours to secure talent and improve productivity.

20 ideas to make money online

A cash cow for the enterprising, the Internet is littered with opportunities to make a fast buck. While it rarely qualifies as a solitary source of income, the Net can easily help you supplement it. However, the amount you earn depends on the time and effort invested. Go through these 20 options and find out which ones work for you.

On your own terms

To ease and improve your functionality as an employee, it's important to be clear about your company's HR policies and terms of engagement, says Devashish Chakravarty.

Mutual Fund

Reasonable Growth

Systematic investment in better performing sectors has helped the MONEY TODAY-Value Research Lifestage Portfolios perform well despite the prevailing instability in the market.

'The need to beat inflation will revive retail interest in MFs'

Rajiv Bajaj, Vice-chairman and managing director, Bajaj Capital, talks to Dipak Mondal on why retail investors shy away from investing in mutual funds.

Mutual fund industry struggling to woo retail investors

The mutual fund industry is witnessing a mass exodus of investors, but it has not been able to come up with a definite plan to stop the outflow.

Investment

Erroneous assumption

Find out how your 'biased reasoning' may lead to financial blunders and how to save yourself from falling prey to it.

Betting on the money game

High-leverage currency derivatives can help you benefit from forex volatility, but a wrong decision can wipe out your investment.

Insurance

Focus of health insurance has shifted: IFFCO-Tokio CEO

S. Narayanan, MD & CEO, IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance, tells Chandralekha Mukerji that the accessibility of health insurance will increase in the coming years.

Designed for unique needs

To cover specific needs, insurance companies are formulating innovative policies for specific requirements. Here are a few you can pick to customise your cover.

Talk Back

Letters talk back

Is it possible to link multiple bank accounts to a single mobile number or single account to multiple mobile numbers for transactions using the Inter-bank Mobile Payment Service?

Perspective

Regulator Watch

A look at the recent rulings that can affect you:

Sharia Index

The BSE and Mumbai-based Taqwaa Advisory and Shariah Investment Solutions (Tasis) has launched India's first equity index of companies that comply with Sharia, the Islamic law.

Talk more, pay zilch

Launched by a social marketing start-up firm, Aryan Global Networks, this is a unique free calling facility for both prepaid and postpaid mobile phone users and is accessible from all major mobile service networks.

Housing Concerns

Majority of homebuyers expect property prices to correct by up to 20% this year, according to a survey by Makaan.com.

Secure transaction

Following a mandate by the Reserve Bank of India, banks have added an extra security layer to phone banking transactions.