Investors are willing to punt on rumours but not expose themselves aggressively to industries they understand

Grass is greener on the other side

Business Standard

These are less likely to lose further ground and more likely to see a quick comeback

Go for the tested consumer stocks

Stick to your allocation ratio and don't go overboard on a single asset

Don't get carried away by asset price swings

It makes sense to go for a cashback card only if you are a big spender, otherwise the benefits are almost equal

Choosing between cashback offers and reward points

Every Monday, Business Standardanalyses one family's finances and suggests a suitable way forward

Case study

Business Standard brings to you a snapshot of average current rates and unit sizes in localities that offer property in a price range of Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 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

If your salary structure is heavy on reimbursements, this will increase your net salary and reduce the tax burden

Check the tax efficiency of your salary

For retirement solutions, financial advisors prefer sticking to a combination of EPF/PPF and equity mutual funds

EPF scores over NPS

Are smokers always charged extra for life insurance?No, there are chances life insurers may not charge an extra premium to smokers. That depends on how frequently one smokes. For instance, if you smoke less than three cigarettes a week, you may not be charged extra premium. Most life insurers have separate premium rates for smokers, which are 20-30 per cent more than the non-smokers.What happens if one does not smoke for a few days before the medical test? You will be made to undergo a test to identify the amount of nicotine intake over the past four-five days. You may stop smoking for a week and may pass the medical test as a non-smoker, get a good premium. However, if you die and smoking is anywhere linked to it, the insurer will not pay the claim against your policy. Hence, extra premium shouldn't be a reason to not disclose your smoking habit.

Tipping point

I can't afford a health insurance policy. But I want to save for medical emergencies. I am married and stay with my parents (aged more than 60). Which instrument should I look at?I think it would take less money to buy health insurance than save for medical emergencies for you and your wife (though you have not mentioned your and your wife's age). Since you stay with parents, not vice versa, I am assuming they are financially independent. Today, any medical emergency could set you back by a lakh or so, while a floater health policy for a 40-something couple such as you and your wife (assuming you are in that age bracket) wouldn't cost more than a few thousand a year. Therefore, you should definitely opt for a suitable medical insurance policy for you and your wife and, thereafter, think of creating a fund for medical emergencies.Why should I necessarily invest in a financial instrument, considering banks, too, pay more than five per cent interest on a savings account balance? I don't l

Investing:  Rishi Nathany

Account holders cannot be made to suffer for an act of omission by agents

Company responsible for fraud by agent

In an overall bearish market conditions, the upside in sugar stocks is quite tempting

Decontrol sweetener for sugar stocks

Judgment offers continuity rather than changing things for Indian pharma whose PE discounts are anyway high

Limited impact of Glivec decision

Just as you wouldn't sell property when prices fall, wait for sentiments to improve in equities

Don't shun equity for real estate now

Delhi High Court has issued directives to help tax payers with refunds

Court makes life less taxing

Potential buyers appreciate basic furniture fixtures in the kitchen and living room and are likely to pay a premium for such ready-to-use servicesMumbai-based Salil Joshi, 30, is worried. His society had received a letter from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation saying it planned to build a crematorium in that area, just a few hundred metres from the building premises. Joshi's relatives suggest he, with his wife and a three-year-old daughter, shift before the area loses its value.While some face hurdles in getting good resale value for their flats, some struggle to merely sell the property. Real estate experts say a flat might not have good resale value if there is a public toilet or a crematorium in the vicinity or if the building has a bad approach road.Bharat Dhuppar, chief marketing officer of Omkar Realtors & Developers, says while nothing can be done about the location and structure of the building, for good resale value, one could definitely work on the home interiors.Get

How to ensure your flat has good resale value

Relaxing the cap on loan tenure and removing the tax on annuity could make it more popular, say experts

Reverse mortgage doesn't make sense

Steps like depositing entire PPF amount before April 5 or preparing a household budget will ensure this fiscal goes well

Financial plan for 2013-14

Every Monday, Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a suitable way forward

We had applied for a health insurance floater cover for my father-in-law and mother-in-law from a standalone insurer.

Page 63 - Investment