I am planning to do a series of articles on how clients get ripped off, this is the first part. The manufacturer – distributor – client is a very funny relationship. It is a tussle where everyone wants to win (as usual) and who ultimately wins is difficult to know except over a long period […]

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Continuing the state of the Life insurance Industry… One very important part of this industry are the agents. Now the agents are of 3 types a. National Level Distributors (non banks), b. National Level Distributors (banks) and c. Individuals (largely local level). The N L D as they are called seem to be making money, […]

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You got educated, got married, started investing and quickly you were convinced you should pay for your kids college expenses. So you invest more for your kid’s education and less for your own retirement. No I am not arguing against that. That is for another post! Some big chunk of business that the financial services […]

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The average American saves/ invests much lesser than his Chinese or Indian counterpart. Why does this happen? Simply because the American is sure of his ‘Social Security’ – and that his ‘rich’ country will take care of him. Whereas the average Indian or Chinese provides for his own retirement. A good environment, stability, growing income […]

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Why is it that in the case of Satyam and in the world wide mess it is largely the equity shareholder who is losing? Welcome to the world of moral hazard. When you lend money to a bank (which may be insolvent even as you are lending) or to a country (which technically cannot become […]

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Does Citi have a capital crisis? Some analysts think Citigroup needs to take strong medicine – like a dividend cut – or risk further stock erosion. Fortune’s Peter Eavis looks at the books. By Peter Eavis, Fortune senior writer November 7 2007: 2:16 PM EST http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/07/magazines/fortune/eavis_citicapital.fortune/index.htm do read this article, if you are in doubt! […]

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