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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has opened a new window of opportunities for the Indian mutual fund industry by allowing online trading of MF units through stock exchanges. This move is intended to offer both investors and mutual fund houses a cost-effective and convenient way to trade in mutual funds. But this [...]

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.

Birla SunLife Dream Plan is a unit-linked insurance plan (ULIP) that provides the double benefit of higher sum assured and guaranteed maturity benefit at a cost lower than the traditional term plan. In addition, it does not carry any premium allocation charges (PAC), probably the only plan in the market with a no-load structure, albeit [...]

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.