Don't miss the tax returns deadline!
After the first-year breather come penalties. That is, if returns for 2007-08 are filed after March 31, 2009, there will be a flat penalty of Rs 5,000. Importantly, there should not be any tax liability. The best time to plan your tax-saving investments
Is it ok to make tax planning investments at the end of the year? This article will address this question. Tax: You can claim HRA and home loan benefits
Let us evaluate various possible situations an individual can find himself in and understand what the Income Tax Act permits him to do. Tips for planning the perfect vacation
Summer vacations are fast approaching and tour operators are leaving no stones unturned to advertise attractive tour packages for various domestic and foreign destinations Factors to consider before buying Ulips
Irda's advertisement is silent about the High cost of Ulips that all Investors should know. Gold funds: Not so glittery
Gold fund of funds may not offer more than Exchange Traded ones Reap double benefits by investing in debt funds
Debt fund investors get double indexation benefits. This lowers their tax liability What to do when markets are going nowhere
The averaging down strategy works best, especially in a choppy market. Attain your financial goals via smart tax planning
Your financial plan will set objectives for you based on your aspirations, your lifestyle, your age group, size of family, etc. Tips to avoid retired life financial crisis
Planning a suitable income source for post retirement years is very essential Know your tax rules for a tension-free life
The rental income for a house and the capital gains from the possible sale of a house come under the "income from other sources" RBI move: How it affects your loan EMIs
So for the time being, consumers need not worry about their EMIs on home loans, auto loans etc. going up. However, as April progresses the scenario could change. Get your tax facts right!
When errors crop up due to lack of awareness you could end up evading tax unknowingly. That could turn out to be a costly mistake somewhere down the road. So be wise, get your tax facts right. Last-minute tax planning? Here is a quick guide!
Tax incentives are given to encourage savings / investments. Savings form part of your overall financial plan which in effect means tax planning is a subset of financial planning. Your financial plan will set objectives for you based on your aspirations, your life style, your age group, size of family, et cetera. EPF Vs PPF: A foolproof guide
A provident fund is created with a purpose of providing financial security and stability to elderly people Tips to make your MF investments a better bet
If you save regularly and you buy funds that fit your asset-allocation mix, you will do as well as, or better than, most professionals in the financial world. Declare tax benefits to new employer
Otherwise, while filing returns, you may have to pay additional tax. Step-up home loans: The pros and cons
If you decide to go for a step-up loan, select fixed rate option instead of floating rate option, as it will let you control your EMIs. Besides avoid over-borrowing on this kind of a loan, to prevent financial problems later on. Selling your property? Know your rights!
Familiarise yourself with Transfer of Property Act. The rights and duties you have are outlined in the Transfer of Property Act. Great mantras to unlock stock market riches
Formula plans can unlock the door to stock market riches -- by helping you, automatically, buying low and selling high. Check out how. Budget: Promises kept and not. . .
As a follow on to all the articles written about Budget 2009-10, here's a review of what took place, what is still taking place and what has not taken place. Tax: Should you invest in Infrastructure Bonds?
r the people in the Rs 5-8 lakh bracket, it would be advisable to invest in infrastructure bonds if the period of investment is 3 years, but not for five years and for those in the Rs 1.6-5 lakh bracket, it would be an absolute no-no to invest in Infrastructure Bonds for tax-saving purpose. Budget: Just who saves how much tax!
A back of the napkin calculation will tell us that people having a taxable income of Rs 500,000 will be paying a tax of Rs 34,000 in 2010-11 as against Rs 54,000 in 2009-2010. A saving of 37.04%! Bankers to meet RBI on base rate tomorrow
Bankers are worried the new model will affect their business of giving short-term loans to corporate clients at cheaper rates (sub-PLR loans) as lending rates on such loans will go up at least by 2 per cent in the base rate system. Health insurance plans: New kind of tax benefits
With the tax planning and investment season coming to an end this month, many are running around to get the best of the plans available in the market. Most of the limit available under Section 80C would have been over by now. Are there other ways to get tax benefits from taking up useful investments/expenses? Yes, there is always the health insurance plans. Money lessons for your children
Children need to learn to handle money first, before they spend. Financial advisors shun MFs
Though it has been more than six months since the ban on entry load on mutual funds (MFs) came into force, independent financial advisors (IFAs) are still shying away from selling MFs. How to boost your savings kitty
The Union Budget, despite being constrained by a high fiscal deficit, gave some relief to the Rs 3-8 lakh income group. Railway Budget, a commendable effort
The Railway Budget 2010 presented to Parliament on Wednesday by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been received with glee by most people. Budget 2010: What IT, auto, telecom firms want!
With Budget announcements coming up this week, more industries have come up with their wish list. We expect the government to continue its focus on nation building areas like infrastructure, agriculture and social sectors. We present the wish list of companies across sectors. Budget rants of a young Indian!
Rahul, a 23-something youngster from Chennai, voices his thoughts on the Budget and its implications for him. Given here is a light-hearted narrative of his thoughts. . . RBI to ramp up credit monitoring
Now, RBI is taking it to the next level by introducing more credit information bureaus into the credit monitoring system. As the first step, it has now made official the in-principle approval it had provided Experian, a popular credit agency which has global operations. Investing? Engineering cos are promising
This sector is a promising pick in a growing economy, but look at working capital, technology and clients. Is it worth buying IT stocks now?
At 23 price-to-earning, the tech story is no longer compelling. What you must know about Shield Plus
On scrutiny, Shield Plus has no special advantage over a fixed deposit. How to save for your child's education
In this era of rapid change, the education of children has become a major component of financial planning. Teaser home loans: Here today, gone tomorrow!
Teaser home loans carry attractive interest rates and discount offers during the initial phase of the loan. After a specified time period, they relapse back to the then prevailing interest rates. Of risk, investment and getting rich!
The quantum of bank deposits in India is a whooping Rs 41 lakh crore (Rs 41 trillion). In comparison the quantum invested by Indians in equity oriented mutual funds is a mere Rs 2 lakh crore (Rs 2 trillion). Stopping your SIP now is bad strategy
One can equate SIPs to the recurring deposit. Investing in mutual funds? Choose SIPs
In an hour-long chat on rediff.com on Wednesday, financial planning expert Trideep Choudhary offered some valuable tips. Invested in stocks? Book profits regularly
In an hour-long chat on rediff.com, financial planning expert Sailesh Multani offered some valuable investment tips. From April 1, more clarity on loan rates
Base rate system set to replace BPLR system for loan rates. Direct Taxes Code: How you are affected!
The biggest impact of the new tax system is the significant widening of income slabs. According to this, people with annual income not exceeding 1.6 lakh (Rs 160,000) will not have to pay any tax. Tips for investing in aviation stocks
Given that debt is a major problem for most airlines, investors with a medium-term horizon should look at them. Filing tax returns? Read this
The salaried usually do not have any extra record and hence they need some special effort, otherwise they might end up paying interest for no payment of advance tax. Strategy to invest in debt instruments
Compare the post tax returns and tenure of debt instruments before investing. Stocks: How to get higher returns
A combination of quantitative and fundamental models can give higher returns with lower risks. Need money? Take a loan against property
In the past one year, banks have actively beefed up their loan against property portfolio. Post October 2008 credit crunch, bankers looked for products that were secured and Loan against property (Lap) was an obvious choice. How RBI move on base rate vs BPLR affects you
What is expected to change is the level of transparency in the retail and corporate lending market with banks expected to announce the rate changes as and when they happen and also display them at their respective websites. Earning a salary? Save tax the smart way!
Earning a salary? Looking to save tax the smart way? Then you have two options. First is salary restructuring and second is tax saving instruments. Here we take a look at both these options and how to use them effectively. Will TDS affect your tax returns?
TDS means tax deducted at Source. It is deducted by the banks if the interest earned on your fixed deposit exceeds Rs 10,000 in a financial year. How to choose the right credit card
Here's the lowdown on how to choose a credit card that best suits your wallet. Selling inherited gold? Pay tax!
Your mother gave you those ancestral bangles at the time of your marriage as streedhan. Now you want to sell it. Then be ready to shell out capital gains tax. Late in filing tax return? Here's what to do
Usually July 31 is the last date for filing tax returns. It is important to file the returns on time in order to avoid paying penalty. Is yours an Indian income? Here's what taxmen say
A look at what constitutes as Income on Indian soil and what is not from the viewpoint of the income tax department. All you wanted to know about a flexi bank account
As the name suggests these bank accounts are flexible in the sense they give you the higher interest of a fixed deposit and the liquidity of a savings account. SIP or VIP! How to decide?
Literally new to the market, VIP is available only with Benchmark MF. All you want to know about TDS
The TDS collections account for 40 per cent of the total taxes collected in the country. What is a flexi bank account?
Even the conventional banking industry is no exception to this new trend. Need to control rude recovery agents
Some incidents make one wonder whether banks deliberately flout RBI guidelines on recovery, says S Saroja. Divestment: Will the govt speed it up?
Divestment in India has been a painfully slow process. Will the government finally press the gas? Here's how to find the right tax-saving option!
How about analyzing the right tax saving product for you? Want to know how? Read on. Buying a dream house? Check these hidden costs!
Before you go for that dream house, know some hidden costs that can skew your budget. Of controlling inflation and the Budget
One needs to wait for Budget 2010 to see how the best brains in the country are planning to face the immense economic and budgetary issues facing them. Some interesting trivia on loans
Individuals who lent money on interest have played a major role in structuring our current banking system. Tax burden on salaried employees to rise
The New Year doesn't seem to be bringing good tidings for salaried employees. The tax burden of certain benefits that was being borne by the employer so far has been shifted to the employees now. Simple strategies for small investors
There are tools and methods to help ensure that you come out a winner. Tax bomb: Why it is better to use company car
The new rules on perks make it better to use the company car than to get usage reimbursed, says Arnav Pandya. Taxing P-Notes? Not just yet
This follows a renewed effort by CBDT to seek clarification on the issue. How to make your dividends tax-free
Many smart investors use this dividend to profit from their investment, by using dividend stripping. Let us understand what dividend stripping is all about. Gift Tax: The latest change in rules
The tightening of the rules related to gift tax will curb money laundering to a great extent. However it does protect genuine gifts from relatives and loved ones. Several guises used earlier to cover up transactions as gifts are now taxable. 12 per cent service tax likely to return
The government may take the first step towards fiscal consolidation in Budget 2010-11 by partially rolling back tax cuts given to the industry last year. The service tax rate may be restored to 12 per cent, while excise duty could be increased marginally.