Edition: June 2013

Cover Story

Dipak Mondal & Tanvi Varma

And the most efficient wealth creators of FY13 are...

Mutual funds have changed the way Indians invest. Money Today looks at how they performed in 2012-13.

'Positive on domestic demand, consumption' Harshendu Bindal, President, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India), talks about the mutual fund industry and how it has changed in the past 20 years.
How fund managers balance returns with objectives As part of its special package on India's Best Mutual Funds, Money Today asked the top fund managers of 2012-13 how they balanced investors' expectations with the schemes' objectives.
Best mutual funds: The rankings Here is a brief guide to help you interpret data that we have compiled with the help of our knowledge partner, Value Research.

Stocks

Combined strength of asset classes

Kotak Mutual Fund CEO Sandesh Kirkire says the idea behind employing asset allocation as an investment strategy through mutual funds, evolves from the fact that various asset classes behave differently, and have disparate influencing factors at any given point of time.

Tata Coffee among top gainers in 6 months Tata Coffee is among the top gainers in the past six months with return of over 45%.

Investment

Rahul Oberoi/Money Today

If chosen wisely, chit funds are good investment

The savings tool continue to find favour with financial advisors. The catch: A lot depends on promoters following the strict rules that have been laid down for them.

'Chit funds help in financial inclusion' All India Association of Chit Funds General Secretary TS Sivaramakrishnan says registered chit funds are safe to invest in.

Editors Note

From the Executive Editor: June 2013

The mutual fund industry has witnessed a sea change over the past two decades. The regulatory framework under which the industry operates has been upgraded and tightened, writes Executive Editor Sarbajeet K Sen.

Talk Back

Letters to the Editor

Money Today readers give their feedback on the magazine's personal finance coverage -

Smart Spending

Nidhi Singal

Top buys for a tablet under Rs 15,000

Slowly, but surely, the tablet is becoming the primary personal computing device for millions of people the world over. Here are a few affordable options.

The hot & the not so happening gadgets Sam Abraham introduces new products and services to help you zero in on those that offer value for money.
Looking to buy a used car? Here are a few tips For some, buying a used car makes more sense than splurging on a new vehicle. But buying in the second-hand market is far trickier than choosing a new vehicle. Make sure that you know how to make a smart purchase.

Perspective

Team Money Today

Inflation bonds may only partially protect your savings

Though the instrument is aimed at preventing inflation from eating into the returns from investments, the protection may be partial.

Gilt funds likely to outperform debt instruments If the central bank cuts interest rates in the coming years, gilt and income funds are likely to outperform other debt funds instruments.
RBI curbs loans against gold coins Banks are allowed to offer loan against gold ornaments and other jewellery and specially-minted gold coins sold by banks. However, they cannot lend for purchase of gold in any form.
Why you should prepay your home loan Pre-payment charges for home loan will be deductible under the head 'income from house property'. This means taxpayers can set them off against other heads of income such as salary.
EPF deposits to earn a little more for FY13 Salaried employees contributing towards the employee provident fund (EPF) will earn a tad more on their mandatory savings.
Recent rulings that can affect your portfolio A look at recent rulings in banking, insurance, commodities and capital market sectors which can affect you -