Personal finance

When my kids were born, I only gave them my husband's last name. Years later I regretted it, and changed their names to include my last name, too.

For those of us who earn a salary, a job loss can come as a big shock. There are expenses to be met, EMIs to be paid and so on. Months without an income can seem like a nightmare. Getting a new job can also take considerable time. But job losses are a reality that many of us may have to face during an economic slowdown.

People can be judgmental about the fact my daughter is an only child. I wish they wouldn't make assumptions; we have reasons for our small family.

Whether it is health, relationships or finances, each of these plays a very important role in our lives. And, at times, it may feel that you are not in control of one or more of these.While the best way to navigate this is to seek help, let us share some common wisdom for your finances. Looking at the big picture in such instances may seem daunting, but there are small things you can do to feel more confident about your finances. Some of these may seem obvious, but it is important to keep reminding ourselves about them.

If you have opted for the old tax regime, you have several tax-saving options to choose from. If you are employed, you would need to make a declaration of your tax-saving investments to your company at the beginning of the financial year, so that the company can factor in your tax rebates while deducting at source. However, you have time till March 31 of 2025 to make those investments, or slightly earlier, when your employer asks for proof.

In a T20, in the first six overs, also known as power play, the fielding team is allowed to have only two players outside the 30-yard circle. This allows the batting team to strike the ball over the inner fielding circle and score more runs. So, taking risks and putting up a good score during the powerplay, can help you stay ahead throughout the game.

A nesting divorce, where our kids stay in the same house and my ex and I move in and out, allowed our kids to keep their routines and minimized chaos.

I always wanted to name my son after my great-grandfather, but when I married my husband, his stepson had almost the same name. We did it anyway.

I was a single mom before getting remarried. It was difficult, but I was proud to provide for my son, and we formed a close bond.

I wanted my kids to have my maiden name to preserve my family legacy. My husband is very traditional, but we found a solution in their middle names.

The initiative aims to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure towards universalisation and democratisation of insurance as well as empowering and safeguarding policyholders' interests and achieve the vision of "Insurance for all by 2047”, said IRDAI in a recent press note. This marketplace can serve as a one-stop solution for all insurance stakeholders, promoting transparency, efficiency, and collaboration across the entire insurance value chain.

One of the best debt payment strategies is known as the avalanche method. The process is simple. You may have various types of debt. Debts like home loans and car loans are secured debts and will thus have lower interest rates. On the other hand, debts like personal loans and credit card loans will have higher interest rates. While home loan interest rates can be as low as 8%, personal loan rates can be as high as 24% and credit card debt can go as high as 42% per annum.

March 31 is the end of the financial year and is often a busy time for accountants and bankers. Even if you are not one, don’t let yourself relax, for there are a few crucial things to complete before this upcoming deadline to keep your personal finances in order. We look at five such financial tasks you should complete before the financial year draws to a close.

A therapist shared the subtle signs your parents may have had a favorite child and encouraged sibling rivalry by stoking competition and jealousy.

Budget 2020 introduced the new tax regime for FY 2020-21 in addition to the old tax regime. FY 2020-21 onwards the taxpayer can choose the optimum tax regime based on the tax saving potential, practicality, and immediate needs.The new tax regimes have reduced tax rates and slabs, but many of the common tax deductions that were available under the old tax regime are not available under the new tax regime.

Owning real estate is not just a financial decision, in many cases, it’s a deep-rooted emotional one for many households. Buying commercial real estate, on the other hand, has always been touted as a wise economic decision.But how can one own such an asset if you can’t afford it given that the price of commercial properties is often too high for most individuals? You can still invest to avail a slice of real estate through fractional ownership!

Retirement is an entirely new phase of one’s life and conjures up happy images of travelling, reading books and playing with grandchildren. However, it is important to have enough funds during retirement to ensure that the phase remains stress-free.If you have only five years or less left to retire, you are near the end of the retirement planning phase. Here are 5 things you need to do right now:

Over the past two years, several mid- and smallcap schemes have been launched by asset management companies to capitalise on the bull run in broader markets. Retail investors have also been drawn towards these funds as some stocks have doubled wealth in a few months’ time. What also drew retail investors towards mid and smallcaps is that sectors such as defence, capital goods, railways etc, were well represented here rather than large caps

In a recent meeting led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a proposal was submitted for uniform know your customer (KYC). The new system could ensure a more efficient customer verification process and easier sharing of data between financial institutions.But, what is uniform KYC and how does it work? To understand this, we must decipher the challenges with the current system.

When in need of money, especially at short notice, a personal finance loan is one option. However, being an unsecured loan, personal loans come with high rates of interest. But if you own mutual funds, you can get a loan against mutual funds at a lower rate of interest. However, there are a few things one should consider.The concept of loan against mutual funds operates by leveraging your mutual fund portfolio. For instance, if you hold a portfolio valued at approximately ₹1 crore, you have the option to obtain a short or long-term loan of around ₹50-80 lakhs against it. These loans typically have a duration of one year but can be renewed annually.

I was placed in foster care due to a violent home environment. It gave me safety, but I lacked closeness. Foster care influenced how I parented.

When we hear the word term insurance, what comes to mind is a pure insurance policy which covers the policyholder for a certain term and offers benefits only in case of the demise of the policyholder during that term.In the case of pure term insurance, the policyholder does not receive any monetary payout if he survives the policy term. However, there is a type of term insurance known as the return of premium term insurance that offers to return your premiums.