Many of us know that there are rules of Investing. We also know that Rules are meant to be BROKEN. However whether you want to follow them or break them, there is no escaping knowing them! Here the aim is to warn YOU that  it is a complex world, and rules are not enough…… If […]

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Here is the uncensored, unedited view of Aviva India…..my views you have already read right? well read on…. Union Budget – Reaction from TR Ramachandran, CEO & MD, Aviva India Mr. Finance Minister, through this budget, has tried to give a big push to infrastructure, incentivise savings through financial instruments and property particularly at the […]

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I do not know much about the other industries, but the financial services industry has a lot of interesting behaviour… The life insurance industry had a product called Classic Endowment Policy. This was a compulsory saving and risk cover product where the returns were a function of how well the fund was managed, how the […]

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Not sure how many of you even remember the big printed (8-9 pages) airline tickets (not too long ago – 2002 it was still in vogue)…the travel agent (without whom you could not book the tickets), the discounts of 8% that the agents gave (to people who asked!!), or the free ticket for the wife […]

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If you were a big businessman would you create COMPETITION for yourself? Kind of a stupid question right? Let us see what the Government of India does! In the life insurance business it already OWNS India’s most valuable player viz LIC. However it creates SBI, Star Union Daichi, Canara Hsbc Insurance, Idbi Fortis, ….and I […]

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Frankly I have no clue about what to expect. However I know what people will say: 1. The FM should raise the taxable exemption limit by at least Rs. 50,000 2. The exemption limit for women should be raised by Rs. 75,000. 3. There should be a separate limit (like 80 C) for repayment of […]

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  Buying any financial product is not easy. Let us look at a product like life or even general insurance. Fact is, you are buying a ‘security’ – you want to be reasonably sure you are dealing with a good company, right. What do people look for: 1. Can I buy it online: Ease of […]

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