Fabled British economist John Maynard Keynes had famously said once “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” To paraphrase him a bit, we ought to be asking ourselves a similar question “When the economic climate changes, I change my investment strategy. What do you do, sir?” - By Swapnil Pawar

Of all taxable incomes, perhaps tax on rental income is most complicated as this is the only income that the Income Tax Act (ITA) taxes on a notional basis. In other words, the incidence of tax is based not only on the income earned from the property but also where no income is being earned, on the inherent potential of the property to earn income. Also, the exemptions and deductions differ as per the number of properties a person owns. Going by the number of emails we receive in the form of queries on this topic, this week we thought we should re-examine the subject in greater detail. - AN Shanbhag and Sandeep Shanbhag

Quantitative easing in US and other developed countries has led to many global markets running ahead of its valuations and fundamentals. India being one of the favourite emerging economy among foreign portfolio investors, is no exception. We are currently a few notches below our all time highs, liquidity continues to pour in our economy, our interest rates have already peaked and globally the economic powerhouse is about to hike rates in the coming three quarters. What does this hold for Indian investors? - Rakesh Goyal

If you’re a student looking for the education loan to fund your higher studies, don’t just compare the interest rates banks are offering but repayment options, collateral and a host of other factors as well By Sunil Kumar Singh

India has always been a land of ideas— be it in the field of inner sciences such as yoga or outer sciences such as physics, chemistry, medicine, shipping and metallurgy. Indian researchers have made significant contributions in numerous fields, ensuring that India remained an unchallenged global economic superpower- an exporter of technologyfor nearly 1500 years, well documented in Angus Madison ‘Economic History of the World: A Millennium’s Account. The very idea of zero and infinity emerged from the domain of inner sciences which is today the basis of mathematics.

As important as it is to earn money, it is also important to ensure your money works for you. Money should be available and be able to meet your needs. To ensure such a thing, it is necessary to manage money efficiently, save and invest. Investing your money, rather than keeping it idle generates substantial returns and help meet your various goals. Prudent investing is the way to reap benefits for the future days ahead. Here are some practical tips to help you invest right.

They say, life is full of uncertainties and no one knows when a disaster will strike. While we can’t control everything in our lives, there are some things we can help prepare for. Buying a life insurance policy is one of the risk mitigating steps most of us are aware of. But have you ever wished to buy a life insurance plan that would not only take care of your family’s financial needs when you are not around but would also provide greater risk cover at a much lower cost? If your reply is yes, you could go for opting rider benefits.

The stock market is in mayhem with bearish sentiment ruling the roost. A tumbling rupee, slowdown in economy and companies reporting tepid quarterly results in the ongoing earnings season has made it further difficult to project the future course of the market. The National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) benchmark Nifty is down 6.4% year-to-date (as on April 15, 2013) while Bombay Stock Exchange’s bellwether S&P BSE Sensex is trading down 6.24% YTD.

Although in these times you can’t say this with any amount of certainty, the economy does seem to be getting better. And real estate has usually been a sector that has provided the economy some momentum. Current market conditions — lowering mortgage rates, stabilized or increasing home prices and the various attractive real estate offerings in select geographies − favor a stronger housing sector in times to come.

With the Indian economy showing signs of revival with a pro-active government at the centre, the economy is poised for growth again. Expectations are riding high, stock market is in good health and realty market too is expected to gain momentum soon. Keeping this in mind, is it a good time to buy residential property?