business and finance

5 lesser known facts about tax benefits of health insurance

Premium paid towards health insurance for self, family and parents not only provides financial help in case of medical emergencies but also reduces tax liability.




business and finance

Why you need to supplement 'indemnity' health covers with 'defined-benefit' health insurance plans

For complete protection from rising medical costs, one needs both indemnity as well as defined-benefit type of health plans.




business and finance

Growth or Re-investment or Payout? Clear the confusion

Take a marathon for instance; while one runner may have a calculative approach, another might count on his unmatched stamina to run for miles together without stopping - but both could be champions in the same sport, just that their approach is different.




business and finance

Understanding a mutual fund factsheet

Each scheme has a specific investment objective that tells investors what the scheme aims to achieve - it can be capital appreciation, regular income, liquidity etc.




business and finance

Can football help you build your portfolio?

To talk about investments in parlance with football; an investment without a goal is like a game of football with one - it'll basically have no meaning.




business and finance

Can you invest like a marathoner?

Olympic Games typically end with the marathon run. It is considered to be a very important event that tests the resolve of the athletes.




business and finance

The "Dont's in equities?

Whatever level of an investor you fall under, knowing what 'not' to do, could help you figure your route to investing in equities.




business and finance

Chasing trends? May not be a good idea

Trampoline competitors go through stringent training to attempt complex maneuvers which, if not done with a strategy in place, could lead to accidents and falls.




business and finance

Gauge your mutual fund performance

The two primary forms of growth of a mutual fund scheme is either the growth of the Net Asset Value (NAV) or if the fund regularly declares dividends.




business and finance

Do you want to own a Multi-cap football team?

A multi-cap mutual fund scheme or a diversified equity mutual fund scheme typically invests in stocks across market capitalizations, sectors and styles of investment.




business and finance

Play the balancing act of gymnastics in your investments!

Gymnastics is a great combination of strength, balance, flexibility and grace.




business and finance

Cyclical mutual funds: Running the relay of business cycles profitably

If you're wondering what could be common between a game of relay and a cyclical mutual fund, there are quite a few to state.




business and finance

Equity Funds - your runner in the long term race!

Equities are true blue wealth creators in the long term - this is probably the most preached mantra, but seldom practiced!




business and finance

Can mutual funds help you save tax?

An alternate option, in this case are Equity Linked Saving Schemes (ELSS) or tax-planning mutual funds as they are popularly known.




business and finance

Over 13,000 complaints received from Indians working abroad: MEA

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan gave data according to which as many as 13,665 complaints were received in 2019 (till October 31), while 17,379 complaints were received in 2018.




business and finance

The Great Escape: 9 exploited in Yemen steal boat, set sail for India

Nine Indian fishermen who were allegedly harassed and not paid by their employer in Yemen for nearly a year have escaped that country by stealing their employer's boat and sailing for Kochi, a peril-filled voyage of than 3,000 km of open sea, according to the families of two of the fishermen.




business and finance

Kuwait processing applications from Indians under amnesty scheme: MEA

Kuwait has announced an amnesty till April 30 for those who do not have valid residency permits in the country. The initiative allows such people to leave the country without paying any fines.




business and finance

No last goodbye for Gulf migrant workers lost to pandemic

Millions of foreigners work in the United Arab Emirates and across the other wealthy Gulf nations, providing the backbone of the workforce in hospitals and banks, as well as on construction sites and in factories.




business and finance

COVID-19: Indian missions in UAE open online registration for its citizens who wish to fly home

"It is informed that the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India, Dubai, have started a database to register Indians wishing to travel back to India under COVID-19 situation. The details can be entered through the website of the Embassy by following the link 'Register in Database of Indians to Travel Back to India under COVID-19 situation'," India in Dubai tweeted.




business and finance

Coronavirus: Over 32,000 Indians in UAE register to return home

Within minutes, the site faced technical issues, prompting the missions to delete the tweet about it and repost it hours later. In a tweet posted in the wee hours of Thursday, the Indian Consulate asked applicants "to bear with it if it takes time for the page to load due to high traffic.




business and finance

Asymptomatic Indians cleared by UAE health authorities only to fly back home from Thursday: Embassy

The Indian nationals cleared by the UAE health authorities and found to be asymptomatic will only be allowed to fly back home in one of India's biggest ever repatriation exercises, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has said ahead of the first set of flights on Thursday.




business and finance

Force majeure clause won't apply to coronavirus death claims in life insurance policies

The Council also confirmed that the clause of ‘Force Majeure’ will not apply in case of COVID-19 death claims. This step was taken to reassure customers who had reached out to individual life insurance companies seeking clarity on this clause.




business and finance

Acko General Insurance offers one month free auto insurance amid COVID-19 lockdown

"To support customers during this time where their car/bike will not be in use, Acko General Insurance has decided to not charge insurance for one month and has announced an industry-first initiative that gives a one-month insurance extension to car and bike owners," Acko General said.




business and finance

Ulip holders may get option to stagger maturity payments to cushion current stock market impact

Where unit-linked policies mature and fund value is to be paid in lumpsum, Life Insurers may offer staggered settlement option to policyholders. This onetime option is regardless of whether such option exists or not in the specific product.




business and finance

How PhonePe's coronavirus insurance policy works

This coronavirus insurance policy is priced at just Rs 156 with an insurance cover of Rs 50,000 for a person aged under 55 years and the cover is applicable at any hospital offering Coronavirus treatment.




business and finance

Health insurance online sale spurts up to 30%, offline sales fall due to coronavirus impact

Generally, every year in March the health insurance industry witnesses a higher growth in the sale of health insurance policies. This is because people normally rush to buy policies before the end of the financial year to save tax.




business and finance

Should you buy a coronavirus-specific insurance policy? Here's a comparison of those available

Spurred by the insurance regulator to come up with Covid-specific products, several such plans have flooded the market in the past month or so from players such as Star Health & Allied Insurance, Bharti AXA Health Insurance, etc.




business and finance

Renewal date for health insurance policies extended but will you be insured in this period?

The policy does not stay in force unless renewed. This means any claim filed during the grace period is not considered by the insurer for the settlement. It is advisable to renew the policy before the renewal date is missed or the grace period starts




business and finance

Health insurers must decide coronavirus treatment requests within 2 hours: IRDAI

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued norms for general and health insurers for quick settlement of claims filed by policyholders for coronavirus (COVID-19) disease/infection.




business and finance

Family floater or individual insurance: Things to consider while choosing a health cover

An individual looking to buy health insurance cover has to make two decisions. The first is whether the entire family needs insurance and the second is about the type of health policy to buy.




business and finance

Post lockdown employers must mandatorily provide medical insurance to employees

Medical insurance should be typically taken for at least one year to cater to any health issue which could commence during the lockdown but extend beyond. However, insurers can also tailor health policies to suit the budgets of small enterprises.




business and finance

You may be allowed to pay health insurance premium in instalments amid coronavirus outbreak

You may now get the option from your insurer to pay your health insurance premiums on a monthly, quarterly or half-yearly basis in addition to the current option of paying premiums on an annual basis amid coronavirus outbreak.




business and finance

Insurers to soon offer e-KYC to make buying life insurance policies easier in lockdown

The latest circular by the regulator will help enable the policy purchase and KYC fulfillment process in a distance mode where customers can do it from the comfort of their houses just with the click of a button.




business and finance

Scope of health insurance coverage to get wider soon but policies may become dearer

Due to the prevailing COVID 19 outbreak, the need for prolonged hospitalisation of almost 2 weeks pushes the claims costs. These factors are likely to influence the pricing of health insurance in the coming years.




business and finance

BHARTI AXA General Insurance to offer ‘pay as you drive’ motor insurance policy

Notably, Bharti AXA General Insurance’s proposal for a usage-based motor insurance product was shortlisted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India for its regulatory sandbox project.




business and finance

How to choose health insurance in times of coronavirus pandemic

Times may seem bleak, but this too shall pass, and when it does, we will need to get ready for life to return to normalcy. Part of this normalcy will be finances, and for life to move on, it's crucial to make sure savings have not been eaten away through avoidable medical expenses.




business and finance

Important that US continues to get access to talent critical to recovery phase: Nasscom

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pausing immigration for 60 days to protect the jobs of Americans laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ​​Nasscom noted that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided an excellent roadmap for any subsequent potential recommendation for non-immigrant and other visa categories.




business and finance

India studying Donald Trump's executive order on immigration

The temporary suspension of immigration will affect those who are legally seeking entry into the United States for employment but it will not impact the ones who are already living in the country, the order said.




business and finance

US to soon undertake review of non-immigrant visas including H-1Bs

Trump has sought a review of the non-immigrant programs, which includes the popular H-1Bs.




business and finance

Donald Trump's temporary Green Card ban aims to 'turn off the faucet' of new immigrant labour: Report

President Donald Trump's executive order to temporarily halt issuance of green cards aims to "turn off the faucet" of new immigrant labour and is the beginning of a broader strategy to reduce the flow of foreigners into the US.




business and finance

View: Trump’s anti-immigration order busts the model minority myth of desis

Trump’s move, a clear attempt to bolster his base ahead of the US election, shakes the very foundation of the image of America in the minds of many. This is a country where the immigrant story has had its fullest most Technicolor rendition, where politicians routinely boast about their immigrant roots.




business and finance

Over 2,00,000 H-1B workers could lose legal status by June

H-1B visa recipients can remain in the country legally for 60 days without being paid.




business and finance

Coronavirus: US announces relaxations for H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants

The US government has given a grace period of 60 days to H-1B visa holders and Green Card applicants.




business and finance

Government suspends all visas, bars travel by OCI card holders

The Home Ministry also said it has kept in abeyance multiple-entry life-long visas given to Overseas Citizens of India card holders till international travel remains suspended.




business and finance

Most H-1B employers use programme to pay migrant workers well below market wages: Report

"Among the top 30 H-1B employers are major US firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Google, Apple and Facebook. All of them take advantage of program rules in order to legally pay many of their H-1B workers below the local median wage for the jobs they fill," said the report released by the Economic Policy Institute.




business and finance

One lakh Indian families in the US get relief due to Trump admin's appeal against revoking H4 visas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued that the American technology workers, who had challenged the 2015 ruling on giving work permits to H-4 visa-holders, have not been irreparably harmed by such work authorisation.




business and finance

COVID-19: All visas, OCI cards for foreign nationals outside India remain suspended

All existing visas issued to nationals of any country who have not yet entered India, will remain suspended till prohibition on international air travel of passengers from/to India is lifted. Exceptions include Visa issued to diplomats, official passport holders, those in UN/international organisations, and those on Employment and Project visas.




business and finance

US senators ask Donald Trump to suspend H-1B for engineers; ease rules for doctors, nurses to fight coronavirus

They have also asked for the suspension of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme which lets foreign students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work in the United States for up to three years after graduating. In 2019, over 223,000 people had their OPTs approved or extended.




business and finance

H-1B visa denial rates at 30% for first quarter of FY20

IT service companies and consultancies, which normally place people at third-party locations, reported higher visa denial rates than US technology firms, as has been the case over the past few quarters. Cognizant (60 per cent), Infosys (59 per cent) and Deloitte (40 per cent) had the highest number of denials in the top 25 list.




business and finance

For Indians in the Gulf, Covid paints an uncertain future

Millions of Indian workers are staring at an uncertain future as Covid shuttered businesses and crashed oil.