Real estate is in the doldrums again, thanks to rising interest rates, tighter lending norms and a volatile market.

The current stock market volatility has changed nothing for those who believe in the maxim that the bulls prevail over the bears in the long run.

The equity fund for the batch of 2009-11 has contributed an impressive 17.96 per cent return, while the derivatives fund gave a huge return of 25.84 per cent.

Of the nine brokerages that responded to queries on best and worstsectors for 2011, four picked information technology, banking andhealthcare sectors as the best bets.

Quantum Long Term Equity has delivered steady returns, beating the category and benchmark in the past three years.

Why pay a high fee and try to outperform the index when tracking it is much cheaper?

This year, the mutual fund space will witness tougher regulations, some new players and investor-centric plans.

The Indian Cabinet has finally given the nod to the proposal to hike the foreign direct investment cap in insurance from 26% to 49%.

The monthly investment required to meet the goals of Raipur-based Thakur is higher than his current monthly income. So he must maximise the earning potential of his surplus.

The second Money Today-Value Research annual guide to help you review and revise your fund portfolio.All you Want to Know about mutual fundsFunds to weather the bear marketsArchive: First mutual fund guideSmall towns, big investments

The stock market may be an unpredictable place, but this is one reversal of fortune that is too sudden even for those who did not blink at Dalal Street’s crazy plunge.

As the inflation rate moves up, key market indices are spiralling downward. Is there a way of making sure that your portfolio is not affected by this rising rate?

Finding the right mutual fund is not the easiest thing to do. But with some basic facts in place and sufficient knowledge of the markets, you could end up with a winner.

Corporate results are worse than before but better than expected. Best of all, despite the definitive slowdown, stocks remain the best investment.

Sector equity funds allow investors to take a calculated gamble. But while the returns are higher than in a diversified fund, so are the risks.

Should retail investors invest in index funds or ETFs? Yes. What are your chances of finding managers who can keep beating the index? Slim to none.

Nine rules to build a stock portfolio that will survive and thrive under all market conditions.

BT speaks to 11 of the brightest minds on Dalal Street and gets them to identify their favourite long-term value picks in 2009. These stocks are only for long-term investors.

Export-dependent IT, biotech and pharma firms have their backs to the wall with the rupee gyrating and their overseas markets in turmoil. When will the markets look up again? T.V. Mahalingam goes into the details.