Pay off your loans first, invest later
Maintain a tab on your expenses, keeping them low while starting out. Want to know about 'switches' in Ulips? Read on...
Switches are options given to policyholders of unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips) to move their investments from one fund to another, within one plan. Please buy insurance cover for your loans
Most people taking a loan are not aware about what they would do in case they are unable to make the monthly payments towards the loan. Your savings account likely to earn more
At a time when rising prices are fast depleting the value of money, there may be some good news for millions of savers. Looking for a personal loan? A checklist!
By virtue of it being an unsecured loan, personal loans have a very high rate of interest attached to them. Investing in stocks? Luck alone won't help
For your wealth to grow and take care of you, use the right strategy. Here's why your food bill will continue to go up
There are some fundamental reasons which will ensure that prices of vegetables and other food stuff will continue to go up in the near future, despite the politicians saying otherwise. Credit score? Loans' sanctions don't depend on it
Lenders use these scores only as a preliminary filter. All you wanted to know about LTA and tax
Defining Leave Travel Allowance: Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) is granted by the employers to the employees as part of the remuneration to provide for travel expenses incurred during the year. How to build personal assets beyond your business
With the business environment subject to rapid innovation, it has become necessary for owners to maintain their own balance sheets, in addition to their business one. Growth in personal net worth is equally important to growth in business. Can higher taxes mean higher earnings?
Every portfolio, irrespective of how aggressive the investor is, should contain a fixed income portion. It is possible to optimally operate this fixed income allocation in one's portfolio. Shopping for insurance? Contact your bank
Banks are increasingly offering a range of tailor-made financial products; however, there are some downsides. Now, quote PAN to buy gold in cash
PAN may also be required for cash payment of Rs 100,000 or more as life insurance premium, amid concerns that insurgents may be parking funds in high-value insurance policies. How to calculate mutual funds' costs
Mutual funds entails several costs, payable at different stages. How to plan your investments to be rich
Construction on non-agricultural land is legal and works as an investment strategy. 5 great investing lessons from Warren Buffett
Legendary investor Warren Buffett's recent letter to the shareholders of his company contains five home truths that you can use to secure your investments.. What to do when a fund house merges schemes
"Fund houses look at merging schemes where there is a duplicity of content or if the scheme has been underperforming historically," says Aashish Somaiya, head (retail business), ICICI Prudential AMC. All about the new income tax return form
Income Tax Return forms in India are like the Golmaal series of movies. Every two years there is a new one. SBI withdraws teaser home loan scheme
Amid concerns expressed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country's largest lender State Bank of India on Wednesday announced withdrawal of special home loan schemes, or teaser rates, with effect from May 1. Why diamonds are NOT a girl's best friend
But are diamonds really worth the price they are made out to be for? Or for that matter does it really make sense to buy diamonds at all? What is it that makes them so expensive? Here's how to use your credit card effectively
Credit cards that tell you "buy now, pay later" are a great convenience when your cash is stretched for purchases. However wise use of credit cards is very important for your financial health. Why PF is the safest form of investment
For professionals, new pension scheme gives an equity booster but does not guarantee returns, comes at a cost. Here's how to secure your child's future
A child turning major is a big event in her/his financial life. Some golden investment tips
In an hour-long chat on rediff.com, financial planning expert Sailesh Multani offered some valuable tips. How to plan investments that go beyond tax savings
Aurangabad-based financial planner Anirudha Hatwalne laments that youngsters do not plan their finances. And, their only worry is about saving taxes at the end of the year. Here's how to profit from rising inflation!
Rising inflation might just provide investors the opportunity to earn some extra money! Check out how. . . Five mistakes to avoid this financial year
Ideally, tax-saving should not be looked at in isolation. It should be linked to a financial goal. Start saving early for downpayment
Savings for a home purchase can be started at any time. What is loan against property? Find out
Loan against property can be taken to tide over financial need. Here's how to invest wisely to be rich
In an hour-long chat on rediff.com financial planning expert Sailesh Multani offered some valuable tips. How to deal with the financial impact of a divorce
Divorce lawyer Mrunalini Deshmukh explains the need, "It would be practical to maintain a clear division of assets right from the start. But nobody marries with an intention to divorce. So, sorting out finances becomes a major issue." What are tax-saving infrastructure bonds?
In financial year 2010-11, the likes of Larsen & Toubro, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, Power Finance Corporation and IDFC issued these in tranches. Should you invest in SIPs? Read on to find out
Systematic investment plan is a scheme which allows investors to invest in a mutual fund a certain amount of money over a period. Are you eligible for a loan? Check it out
Credit Appraisal is the process followed by banks to determine the borrower's ability to repay his loan as well as his trust worthiness. Buying a house? 5 points you MUST note
The asset also has emotional value and therefore families should perform meticulous research before buying the same. Credit cards: How balance transfer is a BIG help
Banks provide incentive for customers who use balance transfer by providing a low interest or interest free period. The 4 best ways to invest in gold
You can do so through physical gold (coins and bars), gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), feeder funds and the e-series (popularly called, e-gold) launched by the National Spot Exchange. Provident Fund: An answer to a secure future
Fulfill the formalities before extending the term, else it is a dead investment. Last minute tax saving plan: Here are a few tips
In an hour-long chat on rediff.com, financial planning expert Sailesh Multani offered some valuable tips. How to lower your motor insurance premium
Use no-claim bonus, online discounts or negotiate hard to get it reduced. Advance tax: E-filing may come to your rescue
Advance tax needs to be paid by all - individuals, consultants, businessmen and salaried. Prepaying your loan? Remember this
Try prepaying annually as foreclosing your loan comes at a cost. Don't let inflation play havoc. Invest smartly
Invest in gold and realty that move in tandem with inflation. Are you a collector? Look out for the taxman
Precious metal coins may attract capital gains tax. How best to manage your money: 4 GOLDEN tips
The options, in terms of instruments, are many. The TRUE impact of Budget on your tax, money!
In the following analysis, RelaxwithTax has tried to squeeze out the useful information -- from the Budget Speech delivered by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee -- that is relevant to you in terms of personal taxation and finance. Budget: How good is it for senior citizens?
Bringing down the Income Tax slab is a boon for them, but anomalies regarding health insurance benefits remain. FM's 'return' gift to cover all taxpayers
The proposal was announced in the Union Budget on Monday. Onions may not be a good investment in 2011, if .
Oops, no, onions don't look tempting enough to be part of our investment portfolio for this year! Nor drumsticks! DON'T MISS! All about the new tax proposals
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's Budget had quite a few tax-related proposals, although initially they did not appear to be too significant. However, read on to find out what are the proposals related to Direct and Indirect taxes that he has made and how the two affect you! Here's how the govt earns and spends its rupee
In a good sign, the government will depend less on borrowing to finance budgetary proposals in 2011-12 than in the ongoing 2010-11 financial year. 12 Budget measures that affect you!
By far the most attractive thing in the Budget 2010 for individuals is the increase in the income tax slab limits. Though the entry level slab for income tax has not been changed from Rs 1.6 lakh (Rs 160,000), there is a considerable jump in the other slabs. No filing of tax returns if salary is only income
In a big relief from cumbersome tax filing process for the salaried class, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday proposed to exempt them from filing tax returns unless they have other sources of income. Budget 2011: What's cheaper, what's costlier!
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Union Budget 2011-12 in Parliament on Monday. While the finance minister made the tax payers slightly happy by raising the exemption limit to Rs 180,000, he made many others unhappy. Income-tax: What the finance minister has in store
In a relief to individual tax payers, the government on Friday changed the slabs cutting the rate to 10 per cent for income up to Rs five lakh, while leaving the threshold limit for tax-free income unchanged at Rs 1.6 lakh. Housing loans of Rs 15 lakh to get 1% interest sop
The government on Monday said low-cost housing loans of Rs 15 lakh (Rs 1.5 million) will be eligible for one per cent interest subsidy, which will help in increasing the demand for such housing. Personal tax: This is what the common man wants!
The Budget day is generally awaited by the aam aadmi in the hope that the amendments will mean more money for him. Will the Budget make you happy? Check this out
Can Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee save the day for his coalition government? Why next few days are vital for the stock market
Going by the trends in the past, the stock market has always been highly volatile during the budget season. This is primarily due to the fact that there are high positive/negative expectations prior to the Budget. Budget: What the govt promised and what it did
Budget 2010 gave a lot of hope to people in the country. There were many new schemes introduced by the government aiming at the growth and development of the country. Hurry! You can still claim more tax deductions
There is more to tax planning than just Section 80C and infrastructure bonds. How to choose the right mutual fund
A little time spent in choosing the right fund can go a long way in deciding the final corpus from the scheme. Have a short-term goal? Here's how to invest
Stick to debt instruments as the duration is short, and as you cannot take a punt on equities. If the market turns volatile and you make losses, there isn't sufficient time to recoup these. You may soon get 9.5% interest on your PF deposits
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will soon give the green signal to the payment of 9.5 per cent interest rate on provident fund deposits during 2010-11, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Home loan pre-payment penalty may be slashed
RBI in talks with banks to fix charges at 0.5-1%. Buying property in small city? Beware of taxman!
Buying property valued considerably less than even Rs 30 lakh (Rs 3 million) in small cities may soon draw the attention of income-tax officials, if the transaction does not match payment of income tax. Budget may hike tax exemption to Rs 1.75 lakh
Tax incentives to software companies under Sections 10A and 10B are also set to continue next year, with a change in the basis of benefits from profit-linked to investment-linked. What housewives, farmers, students want in Budget
Come February and all eyes and ears are on the finance minister and his budget for the coming year. Want to ease your home loan burden? Here's help!
Pay EMI for the entire sum, even if it is disbursed in tranches. Understand the MF returns formula
When the gain or loss in a portfolio is expressed as a percentage of the invested capital, it is known as the absolute return. All you wanted to know about EPF and PPF
PPF is a typical savings tool but one has to invest for the long term. This means there is an asset-class mismatch. Want to save money? Make a financial plan now
A financial plan gives you a roadmap, which helps you take the right decisions and avoid expensive blunders. How to set up a healthcare fund
It is important to be prepared with a corpus to meet expenses that arise suddenly. Live in small cities? No need to travel to pay tax
The ministry, in its notification of January 31, has said a large number of taxpayers have told it that the existing limits of the Income Tax Officers -- the nodal officers and the first interface of the I-T department for I-T filing -- was causing hardship to the taxpayers. Taxpayers can adjust loss with less liability
One very important aspect of filing returns is the adjustment of losses. The Income Tax (I-T) Act allows taxpayers, under certain conditions, to set-off loss against income or gains, reducing the net tax liability. Plan budget, do not binge
You need not compromise on your lifestyle spends. Just avoid impulsive buys and plan for big-ticket purchases in advance Steps to keep cash flow
Rising interest rates can affect cash flows, especially long-tenure loan Stocks versus equity funds
Many get confused between investing in equities and equity mutual funds. They think equity funds are the same as equities or stocks Budget: Govt may hike tax exemption limit
Tax payers can expect some relief from high inflation in Budget 2011-12 as the government may raise the income tax exemption limit for individuals. PF war! This will decide interest on your savings
Labour secretary dismisses finance secretary's doubts, says there is enough in the account to pay 9.5%. Taxpayers may get refund within a month!
Delay in receiving income tax refunds has been a major complaint of taxpayers and the department is hoping to address the issue on priority basis. Five investment products to suit your needs
It is important to set your goals from your investment so that your investment can work accurately for you. For example, one must know the time and amount of money that he / she will need in the future. Do you overspend? Here's how to save!
Planning your budget has nothing to do with conforming to set patterns. It merely makes you aware of your financial situation and helps you create a contingency fund to tap into, when in need. Market falling: What investors must do
If 2011 is going to be a bearish year, traders could seek alternative investment and trading options. What are the rights of a loan defaulter?
Defaulting on a loan is an associated risk that comes from borrowing and sometimes circumstances beyond your control can cause you to be dragged into a spiral of debt. n Must read! How to manage credit card debt
Unfortunately not everyone is aware of the pitfalls of owning a credit card. How you can calculate your tax, plan investments
Here's a ready reckoner on how to calculate your tax dues so that you can plan your investments accordingly. Here's how you can avoid a double tax trap
The result is often sub-optimal, neither benefiting the taxpayer nor the chartered accountant preparing the tax returns - in fact, due to the sheer paucity of time, often one may end up underpaying or actually paying more tax than what was actually due. Here are some great tax-saving schemes!
Section 80c has plenty products for those wanting to invest and save taxes. A quick look. Resolution for 2011: Get rich
This is not about the merits of financial prudence and abstinence. Rather, this is about just simple tips, whereby you can end 2011 a bit richer than what you were at the end of 2010. August - December 2010 | April - July 2010 | February -March 2010