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Endowment plans were the darling of insurance companies, before ULIPs came into the picture. Over the years they might have lost their top slot but are not out of demand; conservative investors still prefer them for their survival benefits, which are missing in term plans. ‘LIC Jeevan Anand’ is one such popular endowment assurance plan which also comes with whole life benefits.

Bonanza year 2009 ended on a happy note and would be remembered for many reasons. Indian stock markets recovered remarkably from their March 2009 lows and went on to register the best year-to-date (YTD) performance in the history of Indian stock market since 1991, with more than 80 per cent return in 2009 and above [...]

Mutual funds are an ideal product for the retail investors who do not have the required knowledge or time to invest in stocks. They have become an effective means to create wealth by maximising returns and minimising risks.

Being a disciplined investor pays off in the long run. For example, those investing in equity mutual funds through Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) or debt instruments such as post office or bank deposits through recurring plans reap richer benefits in the form of higher growth and returns. However, maturity benefits in these plans remain limited to the returns assumed and to the total instalments paid in case of the unfortunate event of death. ‘LIC Jeevan Saral’ – an innovative offering by Life Insurance Corporation of India – takes care of this point. The endowment assurance plan provides not only financial protection in terms of death benefit throughout the term but also long-term capital growth. One of the unique features of the scheme is it provides risk coverage to the extent of 250 times the monthly premium. No wonder, it helped LIC win the Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Service Award 2009.

It’s showdown time for the two biggies in the housing finance sector: SBI and HDFC. After the economic meltdown, most banks switched their attention from not-so-profitable commercial lending to retail lending, which have formed a sizeable part of their credit portfolio in the recent past. State Bank of India (SBI) was the frontrunner with its [...]