If RBI continues to cut rates, banks and other financial firms'out-performance is likely to continue

RBI might wait till Budget for more cuts

Business Standard

Don't forget to plan for distribution phase and put money to work while your child is still studying

How to manage education expenses

The decision will depend on the tax bracket you fall in

Should you roll over your 1-year FMP?

Bibhu Kumar

Do you have a new idea? Is the back-end of the app in place? Are you willing to spend on marketing? Success in the app world is no cakewalk

Making money@apps.com

Avoid concentrated bets and don't invest more than 25 per cent of your equity corpus in these stocks

Navigating mid-cap minefield

Till the late 1980s, it was the standard middle class dream to be able to somehow cobble enough money to buy one's home. You scrimped and saved for many years, sold some family jewels and borrowed from friends and family. Overtime, you somehow paid back friends and family.The script changed in the 1980s with the arrival of home loan companies, pioneered by HDFC. Now, instead of borrowing from friends and family, you could take a home loan. The only difference is you have to begin repayment immediately and pay back on a regular basis till eternity (or so it feels). Given the easy availability of home loans, the number of people who can buy their own home has multiplied exponentially. This has resulted in the rent-versus-buy debate arriving on Indian shores as well, as has been agitating financial literates in the West.Does it make sense to buy your own home or to stay on rent? There are quite a few calculators (ranging from the basic ones to fairly sophisticated ones that include increa

Should you stay on rent or buy a house?

If poorly implemented, it will cause misallocation; otherwise, it will create more infrastructural capacity

Tap the potential of Make in India

The concept of built-up area was introduced in the early 70s

40 years ago...And now: Home buyers - From the late 50s to the early 20s

life Insurance

An unwieldy insurance portfolio can play havoc with your investment portfolio and impact life goals

Reassess your life cover needs periodically

With the global economy expected to perform under par, a cracking Budget will help motivate investors

All eyes on the Budget

Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a way forward

Case study

Business Standard brings you a snapshot of average current rates and unit sizes in localities that offer property in a price range of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore. If you are looking at buying real estate and your budget falls within this range, an idea about prevailing rates would come in handy

Realty check

In a significant judgment, the South Mumbai Consumer Forum has held that a flat owner legally occupying the flat would be a consumer, even if his title to the flat might be in dispute before a competent court.Thurlow owned a flat in a co-operative society. Appuswami was residing with him. In 1976, Appuswami got married in the same flat, and his wife started residing in the same flat. They had three children, born and brought up in the same flat.After Thurlow expired in 2004, Appuswami approached the High Court for inheritance to Thurlow's estate but expired while the matter was pending. His wife and children were brought on record. Subsequently, the society intervened, contending Appuswami did not have any right to the flat and it should be handed over to the Society.The Appuswami family continued to reside in the flat, and even pay the society's outgoings and maintenance charges. Later, the society stopped collecting maintenance charges from all members, as it earned enough income fro

Flat owner without legal title has consumer rights

Seven fundamental questions to ask before entrusting your money to an advisor

How to pick the right financial planner

Insurance ordinance gives a thrust to transparency and brings more clarity for policyholders

Power to the consumer

2015 should be a happy year for investors. But don't be terribly surprised if it is not

Market behaviour rarely conforms to consensus for long

If gains are reinvested in another property or in specified bonds, tax can be avoided

Manage your tax outgo when selling property

For the first time in five years, real returns for both debt and equity have turned positive - a lesson for investors that they should be prepared for positive surprises

Year of real returns

My senior citizen parents are covered under a group health insurance scheme from a public sector bank for Rs 5 lakh. I want to add them to my family floater plan. Is this possible? You can get your parents included, subject to fulfilment of the entry age criteria set for the product by the company. However, evaluate whether to make them part of your family floater or take a separate cover for them.In a single policy, you may opt for increasing your sum insured, as there is generally a higher incidence of claims in the senior age band, which could consume your present floater sum insured and no/limited coverage might be available for the remaining members of family.Floater premium is calculated on the age of the senior-most member (will move to eldest parent in your case), which will impact your own premium as well.I am going on a holiday for five days. While booking the air tickets, I was given an option to buy travel insurance but I did not, as I thought it was only an added expense.

General Insurance: Rakesh Jain

Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala, popularly known as 'God's own country', and is rated one of the greenest cities of India. Apart from being a famous tourist destination in southern India, the city is known for housing some globally-recognised software companies, making Thiruvananthapuram the IT (information technology) hub of the state. Kerala is known for its 100 per cent literacy rate and Thiruvananthapuram contributes significantly in maintaining this ranking, with leading quality educational institutes. With a host of positives, Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as one of the most upbeat realty hotspots. The property market here has been showing an upward trend of late, with many successful residential and commercial projects being launched. The arrival of numerous IT giants has resulted in fast growth of commercial and office spaces. Due to the rising job opportunities, there has been an influx of working population, giving rise to an expansion in demand for residential p

Strong demand for residential property from IT professionals

It's that time of the year when one reflects on the year gone by. In a 'moment of clarity' on New Year's Eve, one intends to keep fit, eat healthier food, etc, in the New Year. By mid-January, the resolve weakens, till one reverts to the previous routine. That is, till the next New Year's Eve.Behavioural economists have some advice on how to make New Year resolutions work. My favourite behavioural economist, Dan Ariely (along with Kristen Bermen), writes, "One simple answer is to take advantage of these moments of clarity at the start of the New Year and take action that commits us to making good decisions in the future. Much like Ulysses and the sirens, this way, even if we are tempted to stray, we will not be able to act on our temptations." In other words, take some irrevocable step that will commit you to follow the good path, by making the cost of stepping off high. You could read their advice on resolutions for a healthier lifestyle on the link http://danariely.com/2013/12/30/5-n

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