The idea of life-insurance will probably first come your way when you are planning your tax returns. That’s how it is for most Indians – insurance is a tax saving device. Well, there is a lot more to life insurance that it pays to know. Let’s begin by looking at every step of getting insurance. […]
Ask anyone about his financial goals and you will probably encounter a blank face and hear the wheels cranking noisily in his head. Most people have never given financial goal-setting a thought. Forget specifying actionable goals, they have not even seriously considered what things they desire. They may fantasize vaguely that a family vacation in […]
Planning for a secure financial future is a must! It can be done, and is not easy. Maybe you`re saving to buy your first home. Perhaps starting your own business is a dream. The costs of a college education have spiraled and you may wonder how you will pay for your child`s education. You will […]
Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Every mutual fund you own says something that in its literature. And yet, ignoring the past–in investing or in any other field–is rarely a wise move. What we should understand is that the past is only a proxy for the future. Peter Lynch says this very […]
The effect of Damodaran removing loads on mutual fund has been good for Life Insurance companies if the first cut or reaction is to be believed! Many planners who were avowedly against Unit Linked products are now recommending UL products whole heartedly – well almost! What the future holds one knows not, but watch this […]
I know this may sound sacrilegious, but the housing loan (mortgage) interest deduction is the most over-rated tax strategy in existence. I constantly hear happy “homeowners“ boasting about how much money they “saved“ with their mortgage interest deduction. Asking your boss to reduce your salary would perhaps have the same effect. If you are […]
“Does my family really need Rs. 4 crore on my death?” When I suggested Rs. 4 crore as sum assured for a customer, this was his immediate reaction. Typical of us, I thought. When a sales person gives us a product/scheme our first thought goes to the ‘commission’ he or she makes. I keep wondering […]