Blog

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.

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 [...]

Sujay bought a flat in January 2005 and sold it in August 2009. Since he held the property for more than three years, the asset became a long-term asset and the gain, a long-term capital gain. Now, Sujay is worried about the capital gains tax that he has to pay on the gain. He is [...]