Cover Story

How to get out of the squeeze
The current market crunch has seen you hurtling towards a bottomless financial pit and your wealth has eroded substantially. Find out how you can prevent it from declining further—even make it grow.Weapons of mass destructionICICI: Victim of perception10 commandments

How safe is your bank?
Despite the rumours, Indian banks are unlikely to suffer much in this shakedown, thanks to ruthless regulations, says R. Sree Ram.
ICICI: Victim of perception
Many banks had exposure to Lehman Brothers, so why was ICICI Bank singled out by the rumourmongers? Kamya Jaiswal explains.
Weapons of mass destruction
Dabble in the derivatives market without the lifebuoy of knowledge and you could be swept away, says Babar Zaidi.
Is it time to buy?
Mutual funds are far from dead. With prudent fund selection and a long-term horizon, you can’t lose, says Kamya Jaiswal.
Still a lot of sheen left
There’s renewed interest in gold and debt products as these are seen as safe vehicles. But some debt options carry an element of risk, says Tanvi Varma.
Insuring a safety net
The policyholders have nothing to worry. While LIC enjoys sovereign guarantee, the private players are governed by strict regulations, says Narayan Krishnamurthy.
When in doubt...
...ask the expert. Two financial planners answer readers’ queries about riding the current market volatility.
10 commandments
In the current economic environment, you need to make some modifications in your investment and saving strategy. Rakesh Rai lists out the new canons of prudent investing to maximise gains.
No one is panicking
Retail investors are still bullish. They want to invest in small- and mid-cap stocks. Most haven’t stopped their SIPs, but a majority have lost money on derivatives. Here are some results from an exclusive survey of 304 investors across five metros.

2008-11-13

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Insight

Your world: Currencies

A snapshot of the rupee’s performance to help you take decisions on travel and overseas investments.

Mutual Fund

Index funds see a steep rise

Contrary to the market sentiment, Index funds have seen a steep rise in their assets. This proves that investors expect the benchmark indices to recover sooner or later.

'Do not sell funds now'

Do not invest at one go; invest systematically every month. Keep a horizon of two to three years for all equity investments, says Swati Kulkarni.

Stretching too far

Money Today-Plexus Management evaluate UTI Wealth Builder Fund Series II: In these troubled times, it is better for investors to stick to proven fund schemes rather than invest in new ones.

Check your manager

A good fund manager is critical to assessing the risk-return potential of the fund.

Stocks

Worst performing stocks

Here’s what the value of Rs 10,000 would be on 22 Oct if invested at the beginning of these time periods.

10 blue chips you can now afford

There's a saying among savvy investors: Be greedy when others are fearful. Despite the stock market mayhem, this may be right time to buy.

The clock is ticking...

... as Dipen Sheth waits for the bad news to spread and weak investors to panic and sell. This is when valuable companies will be available at rock-bottom prices.

Now and Then

Bitter brew

The falling production and rising exports of tea have pushed up the prices in the domestic market.

BASICS

Understanding futures and options

Derivatives are products that are linked to the value of an underlying share or index.

Expert View

There is no crisis of confidence

Indian banks’ global exposure is relatively small, with international assets at about 6% of the total assets. Even banks with international operations have less than 11% of their total assets outside India.

This market has limited options

Of the 275 stocks in the derivatives segment, options can be traded for just 25 scrips. Traders prefer to buy and sell stock futures which give a higher leverage. To help revive the options market, sebi must abolish futures.

Books

Yet another crisis of capitalism

Every crash in America has been followed by obits on capitalism and the role that greed played during periods of speculative exuberance. The book brings to life America’s love-hate relationship with the Street’s aristrocrats, and its own economic ideals, says Alam Srinivas.

Technology

Screen smart

If you believe technology has made things simpler, you obviously haven’t uploaded a video on the Internet. Here is a glossary to help you understand the different video formats and how you can convert one to the other.

My Idea

Hands-on approach

Making a success of a unique concept came easy to this Mumbai-based marketing consultant. Bhavna Jasra, 36, helps people freeze their memories by framing sculpted hands and feet.

New Business

Waste not, want a lot

In a pile of electronic junk, Nitin and Rohan Gupta discovered an untapped business opportunity. Today, the brothers run an e-waste recycling unit.

Travel

Joint ventures

With air fares shooting up, frequent fliers are pooling in resources to travel privately. This not only helps them bypass the delays and hassles of a commercial airline, but they also end up saving more.

Portfolio Doctor

UnTying the financial knot

Despite a late start in financial planning, this doctor couple—planning to get married in November this year—can make up through disciplined investment in equities.

Tax

How to calculate the due gratuity amount?

Anyone who works with the same company for more than five years is eligible to receive gratuity.

Banking

5 FAQs about m-banking

The Reserve Bank of India has laid down the operating guidelines for mobile banking. Here’s what it entails.

Upfront

Mayday! Mayday!

Apart from the M&A activity, which saw the birth of JetLite and Kingfisher Red, many carriers are signing agreements with regional players, like the GoAir-MDLR Airlines pact.

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