Prajna Capital - An Investment Guide

The vacation season is drawing closer and you’ve made a perfect plan for that much needed break. All nitty gritties have been taken care of and you are sure nothing is amiss. Just one fear remains: What if things don’t go according to plans? One goes on a holiday to unwind, but this fear can play spoilsport. So what’s the solution? You can either keep your fingers crossed and pray that you have a smooth trip or opt for travel insurance. An increasing number of travelers today are realizing the significance of travel insurance. It is your ticket to a tension-free holiday. Why travel insurance? Consider this: You are faced with a medical emergency in a foreign land with no one for help and limited cash — an ideal recipe for a disastrous holiday. Add to this, the fact that the cost of medical treatment in the US and European countries is very steep and you know why travel insurance needs to be a critical part of your travel plans. If you have such a policy, you effectively transfer the h...

A professor of mechanical engineering has been a regular investor in traditional investment products for the last 30 years. His investment portfolio includes instruments like LIC, public provident fund ( PPF ), national savings certificates ( NSC ), fixed deposits ( FDs ) and infrastructure bonds. For him, investment in equities was never a priority. He thought they were risky. More recently, he ran into a wealth m a n a g e r who told him that investments in traditional products are important but it shouldn’t occupy a major chunk of his portfolio. Now he is beginning to invest a little in mutual funds and equities. Everyone hates losing money. But by playing too safe, you could also lose money by earning negative real returns (after taxes and inflation). Traditional investments were hugely popular 20 years ago. They were safe, gave decent returns and were easy to invest in. However, they have not borne the onslaught of private investment options very well. Today, most of Sunder’s c...