Private banks and finance companies are the new moneylenders, lending to the poor at interest rates as high as 50%

Mutual funds are all offering ‘capital protection’ (CP) schemes. Is it such a sophisticated product that an investor has necessarily to go through the fund route? Or is it simple enough for an investor to replicate it himself without any difficulty? Let’s look at CP funds...

Sonya Wadhwani describes Shanti Avedna,  a unique hospice that allows the terminally ill to be cared for and die with dignity

My teacher was suffering from pancreatic cancer and I remember wondering why she had to die so miserably. When I heard that she was going to be admitted to a hospice for terminally ill cancer patients, many more questions came to mind. What kind of place is it? Can...

Udit Chaudhuri, an occasional writer for this magazine, describes what it means to be a mutual fund investor

So you made a smart investment -- picked a mutual fund of your choice. Reassured by everyone, you relax or enjoy life, while fund managers toil and sweat to rake it all into your pockets. Wait till the year’s end and it’s a different story. You may wonder if the nicest part of your...