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Venice Florida real estate Sarasota FL real estate - Christy Middleton Your Venice Florida real estate expert serving real estate in Venice Osprey Nokomis sarasota and Siesta Key Each Office Independently Owned & Operated 1314 East Venice Avenue Venice, Florida 34285 Office: Christy: Angie: Home Ofc: Fax: (941) 954-5454 (941) 468-2296 (941) 650-2883 (941) 966-7808 (941) 918-0631 middleton-team@venicefl-realestate.com Introducing Our Team Search for Homes Visitor's Guide Our Buyer Services Our Seller Services ABC's of Real Estate Request Free Info Site Map TEAM Middleton is the RE / MAX Properties professional real estate team in the Sarasota real estate and Venice real estate markets including Siesta Key, Lido Key, Casey Key, Longboat Key & St Armands Key. We list and sell golf course and waterfront homes and condos for families, seniors and retirees in the Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice Florida area including Longboat Key Siesta Key & Casey Key. We spend a great deal of time showing and selling Venice real estate; both resale and new-construction homes in the many new planned communities throughout Sarasota County, FL. Information provided here is believed to be accurate & timely but is not warranted. This Venice Florida real estate website best viewed at 800 x 600 screen resolution. © 2003 - 2005 All names & logos are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. Website design & hosting by Steel Toed Other Real Estate Resources: Real Estate Resource Directory Real Estate Resources AL - AR Real Estate Resources - CA Real Estate Resources CO - DE Real Estate Resources FL - GA Real Estate Resources HI - MO Real Estate Resources MN - SC Real Estate Resources SD - WY Mortgage and Int'l Real Estate Resources Other Real Estate Resources Florida Realtors Reals.com LinkPartners.com National REALTOR Directory RealEstate4.com - The Largest Real Estate Directory Real-Estate-Agents.com InternetRealtyNetwork.com We participate in the World City Pages Siesta Key Florida Program We Buy Ugly houses for cash Click below to vote for this as a "Hot Site." Indexed by State

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Australian real estate prices and accurate property valuations Forgot password? FAQ Site Map Contact Us -- PropertyValue provides the most in-depth, up-to-date and independent property reports of house prices and market trends in Australia. Whether you are buying, selling, investing or simply want to find more about a suburb , we provide the very latest real estate prices . Individual Property Report: Accurate Price Estimate for Houses and Units Thinking about selling your home or buying a new house? Do you know what your home is worth? Use our accurate and reliable online property valuation service to get your home value estimate and compare the most recent and neighbouring real estate prices. It takes just 60 seconds. Postcode Sales History: Official and Complete List of Property Sales in your Area. Find out which property was sold and for how much. Access millions of real estate prices instantly! Finally the official and complete list of property sales is available to you. Directly sourced from the Valuer General's Office, this comparable sales data helps you follow the real estate market activity in your area or your street. Results include sale price, sale date, full property address, dwelling type and property description. Investor Report: Buyer's Guide to Australia's Top 100 Suburbs Where to invest in 2005? Compare and contrast the top 100 suburbs in your state using easy-scan charts and exclusive heat-maps ; Pick the suburb right for you and find out which area is making money and which one is underperforming the market. Includes expected capital growth for the next 12 months, rental values and rental returns. Free Postcode Profile: Detailed Information on Demographics and Housing Market Moving or relocating? Hundreds of suburbs, but which one offers the best conditions? Access almost 100 pieces of data on every postcode in Australia (Crime rates included) for FREE . Download now this exclusive report and get the most recent house and unit median prices and population demographics. Got questions? Need service? Contact: Customer Service service@PropertyValue.com.au View Cart & Checkout Your cart is empty. Enter Promo Code: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Server Error in '/' Application. Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code. Exception Details: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Source Error: Line 65: <td bgcolor="#DCDCE1">Line 66: <pv:ShoppingCart id="ctlCart" Runat="Server" /> Line 67: <pv:VIP id="ctlVIP" Runat="Server" /> Line 68: <pv:SMS id="ctlSMS" Runat="Server" />Line 69: <pv:Discounts id="ctlDiscounts" Runat="Server" /> Source File: C:\websites.net\skin-bottom.aspx Line: 67 Stack Trace: [NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.] PV.UControls.YourVIP.GetFieldSize() +18 ASP.your_vip_ascx.__Render__control1(HtmlTextWriter __output, Control parameterContainer) +440 System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +27 System.Web.UI.Control.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +7 System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +243 ASP.skin_bottom_aspx.__Render__control1(HtmlTextWriter __output, Control parameterContainer) in C:\websites.net\skin-bottom.aspx:67 System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +27 System.Web.UI.Control.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +7 System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +243 System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain() +1926 Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:1.1.4322.2032; ASP.NET Version:1.1.4322.2032

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Land and lots for sale in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico HOME ADVERTISE CONTACT ESPAOL san miguel de allende lodging schools real estate - agencies - houses for sale - vacation rentals - land and lots for sale - commercial listings - rental agents services restaurants tourist guide shopping Real Estate in San Miguel de Allende Real Estate Agencies | Houses For Sale Vacation Rentals | Land and Lots For Sale Commercial Listings | Rental Agents | Businesses For Sale 5000 sq. meters (1.2 acres) for sale. Build the Shangri-La of your dreams in this optimum location, just 15 minutes to San Miguel. Surrounded by trees and located just paces away from the "La Cieneguita" church, hot springs, and other houses, this tranquil country setting has direct road access, electricity, and water. $20 USD per sqr. meter (click on images to enlarge ) for more information contact: Edward Test or Luz Camarena email: luzcamarena@hotmail.com tel: + 52 (415) 152-6926 BEAUTIFUL LOTS FOR SALE NEXT TO "BOTANICAL GARDENS" Great views, and gorgeous sunsets, overlooking San Miguel and the mountains of Guanajuato. Large sized lots, in keeping with the location, just a stones throw from the "Botanical Garden". Tranquil setting, "close to town" The "Botanical Gardens is one of the enduring attractions of San Miguel. A home here will only improve with time! (click on images to enlarge ) Contact: email: hogargt@yahoo.com Telephone in San Miguel: +52 415 152 5546 San Miguel de Allende, GTO Mexico Recommended Books from Amazon.com How to Buy Real Estate in Mexico How to Do Businesses in Mexico Live Well in Mexico Search: All Products Books Popular Music Classical Music Video DVD Keywords: © 2000 - 2005 internetsanmiguel.com - san miguel de allende, gto. This site has had visitors since May 1st 2000

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Real estate horror stories - Dec. 2, 2002 Enter Ticker Symbol Search CNN/Money Autos Real Estate Money's Best Home Markets & Stocks News Jobs & Economy World Biz Technology Commentary Personal Finance College Credit and Debt Insurance Interest Rates Retirement Tax Center Ask the Expert Five Tips The Good Life Millionaire in the Making Money 101 Moneyville Retirement Planner Savings Calculator Asset Allocator Mutual Funds Money Magazine Video CNN TV Fortune 500 Best Employers Money 101 Portfolio Calculators Real-time Quotes Last 5 Quotes SPONSORED BY include virtual="/fn_adspaces/markets-stocks/last_five_quotes/sponsor.88x31.ad" -- CNN/Money Email newsletters RSS Mobile news Money archives Buy story reprints Find a Mortgage SPECIAL OFFER Personal Finance Your Home Real estate horror stories There's never been a national bust but keep an eye on your backyard. December 2, 2002: 11:57 AM EST By Leslie Haggin Geary, CNN/Money Staff Writer New York (CNN/Money) - During the past three years, real estate has been a shelter in the storm. Since 2001, home prices have gained about 6.3 percent annually, according to the National Association of Realtors . And in dozens of hot markets , from San Francisco to Providence, RI to Topeka, KS, homeowners have seen double-digit price increases over the past year. Next to the seeming flimsiness of stocks, real estate looks rock solid. For the past 40 years, home sales prices have outpaced inflation by one or two percentage points per year, and there has never been a national decline in real estate values. But that's just part of the picture. When you drill down to local markets, instead of steady rises, you may find vertiginous spikes followed by stomach-churching drops. What's more, when busts hit, it can take years -- maybe even a decade -- for individuals who bought at the top of the market to recoup their investment. To see how grim it can get, we looked at annual sales figures for 138 metro areas across the country during the past three decades to spot where local bubbles burst, what drove prices into the cellar and how long it took for property owners to recoup their money. Here are some of the factors that can kill a real estate boom. Population shifts It's obvious. Jobs equal workers. Without work, residents leave, and home sales dry up. Consider the case of southern California. Once home to a thriving defense industry, military cutbacks hit the region especially hard in the early 1990s. Some 1 million individuals left the area, according to Ingo Winzer, president of The Local Market Monitor , a real estate consulting firm that tracks housing prices nationwide. In Los Angeles, home prices shed 21 percent of their value between 1989 and 1996, with the typical house selling for $172,900. (The peak was $214,800 in 1989 following a five year, 77-percent jump.) An exodus can hit smaller communities, too. Syracuse, NY once boasted 250,000 residents back in the 1950s, when it was a thriving industrial city. No longer. Many of those jobs are gone and Syracuse lost a full 10 percent of those inhabitants from 1990 to 2000, when its population dropped to 147,000 residents. Home prices, not surprisingly, fell too. Half of all property owners in the county who sold homes in 1997, for example, sold at a loss. Vacant buildings were not uncommon. (At one point, there were more than 1,000 empty dwellings.) Local recessions Ask housing experts about local busts and one of the first places they'll mention is Houston, TX. When the oil market was kicked in the teeth back in the mid-1980s, home prices in this city tumbled fast. In just three years, from 1985 to 1988, the typical home price dropped by 21 percent -- or from $78,600 to $61,800. Related Stories • Did you pay too much for your house? • Real estate or stocks? • Milking the bubble • Rev up your resale value "Prices fell so much that people owed more on than their mortgages than their homes were worth," said David Weil, an economics professor at Brown University. " They'd drive to the bank and drop off their keys to their homes and just leave." Houston isn't the only city where home prices have fallen when the local economy languishes badly. Take the stock market crash of 1987, which hit New York City's financial industry hard. Prices peaked at $183,000 in 1988, and anyone who bought then had to wait until after 1997 to get to even money. Another victim? Hartford, CT. From 1984 to 1988, the typical home price soared 92 percent to $167,600 from $87,400. Then the insurance industry started laying off or moving out. Hartford's population growth slowed to zero. And home prices starting falling. In fact it wasn't until last year that someone who bought at the 1988 price would have made their money back. Fast run-ups in housing values Are markets that have soared quickly especially prone to a bust? That's a question no doubt troubling many homeowners. But the answer isn't simple. Certainly, there have been plenty of hot markets that suddenly turned sour. Consider Honolulu, Hawaii, for example. Back in 1995, the average tab for a house in this community hit a record $360,000 -- a whopping 122 percent increase from the decade before. Then suddenly, prices began to drop. By 1999, a $360,000 island retreat was being unloaded for $290,000, a 19 percent discount, according to NAR. Prices started to finally rise in 2000, but anyone who bought at the island's real estate peak didn't recoup their money until this year. Hawaii's housing woes were tipped off by several factors, not the least of which was the decline in the Japanese economy, which squelched real-estate investment in Hawaii. Honolulu was also in trouble in part because few fundamentals, other than investment dollars -- were pushing the market. In fact, during the boom years, the island's population was climbing at a 1 percent rate, too low to justify the massive run-up in housing values. Bottom line: it's important to look at what drives housing spikes before you assume there will be a catastrophe, said Winzer. Rising interest rates "People tell you that housing never goes down, but that's just not true -- you try to sell a house when interest rates have gone up," said Stephen Cauley, associate director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate, Anderson School at UCLA . To illustrate his point, Cauley points to the early 1980's, when double-digit interest rates were being used to fight inflation. That made the cost of borrowing money for a home almost prohibitively expensive. "It was horrendous for the housing market," said Cauley. "There were no transactions." By 1982, the number of existing home sales had slid to 1.92 million, the lowest number on record, according to NAR. Many markets -- notably Detroit, Providence, Chicago and Philadelphia -- saw home prices stay flat or fall between 1979 and 1982. These days, of course, high interest rates seem a distant threat, though they are beginning to creep up. Current mortgage rates are hovering just above 6 percent for a fixed, 30-year loan. But even if rates go up a full percentage point, rates are still low, said Cauley. How will all this play out? If history is any guide, there won't be one big pop, the kind that usually come with stock-market crashes. But that doesn't make it any less painful. --* Disclaimer Selling? Buying? Click to compare top local real estate agents More on YOUR HOME • Your Home: Bracing for higher rates • Refinancing demand lags again • A rose is (not) a rose TODAY'S TOP STORIES • Most overvalued housing markets • Risks to the economy in 2006 • Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? CNN Money contact us | subscribe to Money magazine advertising -- | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business 2.0 | Time © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms under which this service is provided to you. privacy policy Reprints of site stories are available.

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The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Business Monday , October 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS B U S I N E S S Y O U R M O N E Y A GUIDE TO PERSONAL FINANCE REAL ESTATE Buy house in the colony developed by a coloniser I t is a misconception that the group-housing concept to provide affordable housing accommodation to the public at no-profit no-loss basis has failed in this region. Marginal success to the scheme is mainly attributed to the faulty policies of the government. Tips for buyers A word of caution MARKET SCAN Low response to good results D uring this fortnight corporate results announced so far for the quarter ended September 2002 were good and encouraging but the market response was low and unencouraging. Local residents look at an Italian-made "Pagani Zonda C12S" car in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Saturday. The car will be displayed at an auto show which starts on October 22 in Guangzhou. The car has an approximate value of 4 million Hong Kong Dollars ($500,000). Reuters EARLIER STORIES Disinvestment programme has come to a halt: Shourie October 20, 2002 Wipro net profit inches up 2 pc October 19, 2002 Ranbaxy net profit rockets 79 pc October 18, 2002 Disinvestment of A-I, IA ruled out October 17, 2002 SBI and ICICI among top 100 Asian banks October 16, 2002 Cotton output falls October 15, 2002 Gold does not glitter any more October 14, 2002 Deadlines for polluting firms may be extended October 13, 2002 Hughes Soft clocks 32 pc growth in net October 12, 2002 CHECK-OUT Get expensive items insured before mailing S ending an expensive Divali gift to someone special through speed post? Well, here is a note of warning: if the gift gets lost or damaged during transit, all you are entitled to as compensation is twice the amount of money that you have paid towards speed post charges. PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT Sun Life provides umbrella R isks are an integral part of human life. Events that occur in our daily lives indicate time and again that we must prepare ourselves to deal with these risks in a well-planned manner. One of the important precautionary measures stems from an insurance cover. Aims at building wealth Value for money Retirement benefits Flexi Save Endowment Plan FIIs net buyers in equities Inflation falls REAL ESTATE Buy house in the colony developed by a coloniser R. P. Malhotra I t is a misconception that the group-housing concept to provide affordable housing accommodation to the public at no-profit no-loss basis has failed in this region. Marginal success to the scheme is mainly attributed to the faulty policies of the government. For want of a foolproof process to register only the genuinely deserving members (end consumers) in the housing societies, the most of the members of these societies happen to be the speculators who have invested in the schemes for resale. Even the planners have not taken pains to study the demand factor while planning these housing projects as majority of these flats are of HIG category which are out of reach of the low budget buyers falling in the Rs 5-10 lakh slab. In Chandigarh, too, in the series of amendments to the existing building byelaws recently notified by the administration nothing has been done to the stringent conditions applicable to the transfer of property falling under the low budget category keeping the housing board flats/houses, nor transferable properties allotted on concessional rates and group-housing societies flats still forbidden for resale. Tips for buyers For the buyers intending to have a plot/house in these colonies, it is suggested to opt for only approved colonies. As per provisions of the Punjab Apartment Act any land owner, who wish to sell his property in parts as a residential colony, shall have to get the scheme approved from the local authority i.e., Local town planning Office by giving sample provisions for roads, parks, sewerage and water supply. A set percentage of land up to 35 per cent shall have to be left for these public utility services under this act. A word of caution Apart from this certain unscrupulous developers also illegally sell the land on GFA basis without leaving the prescribed area of land for common utility services thus creating unhealthy and inhabitable conditions for the habitats later on. Whereas plots are available @ Rs 2200 to Rs 2500 per square yard on inner roads and Rs 2500/- to Rs 3000/- per square yard on wider roads in approved colonies as compared to corresponding rate of 500/- and 1800/- per square yard in unapproved colonies. In addition to the deteriorated quality of life in the unapproved /unauthorised colonies there is permanent risk of demolition in case of departmental action. For a better community life the intending purchasers are suggested to constitute small group housing societies having members (as small as a group of ten people even less) from their own working circle. By pooling funds they can bargain with the coloniser for a fixed number of plots in one go and by entrusting the project to a single contractor they can save themselves from the construction hassles besides saving money on wholesale purchases. Sanctioning of loan cases will also be an easy process and the things can be processed on a single table. The buyers interested in going for built up flats/houses are also suggested to form small groups. Besides having a competitive bargain they can ask the developer/builder for their particular requirement for a block of houses/flats. Besides all this the intending buyers are advised to enquire from the promoter of the colony about the arrangements made for the supply of drinking water, provision for sewerage outlet, electric supply, width of roads and size of parks before going for a bargain. While selecting for the location of colony, care should be taken not to go for a location just on the main road, near the railway line and near the sewerage drain to avoid noise and pollution. Preference should be given to a colony having close proximity to the main road a school and a dispensary. Before going for a builders house/flat one must thoroughly study the technical blue prints and brochures of the builder. It is most important to ascertain what the builder is going to offer you in turn of your money. Various fittings, fixtures, facilities and services listed in the brochure may not turn out to be value-added services/items later while taking over the possession of the unit. One must also get conversant about the deceptive terminologies, such as of carpet area, covered area, plinth area and super area, being normally used by the builders. For example carpet area i.e. exact usable area is about 35-40% less than the supper area. Major details such as quality of material to be used type of flooring, type of joinery and quality of timber to be used and kind and variety of paint polish etc must also be ascertained and taken into writing before going for to bargain. Proper and effective arrangements of future maintenance of the area such as is roads sewerage water supply electricity and other civic services of the colony after the same is handed over to the occupiers should also be ensured before striking a deaf. Usually such bargains are struck on self-financing basis i.e., the buyers pay the builder in installments as the construction of the project progress through various stages. It becomes the foremost duty of the buyer to visit and supervise the construction activity of the entire project at different stages so as to ensure proper quality and workmanship. Notwithstanding anything contained in the one-sided agreement to purchase, executed between the buyer and the builder, the buyer is protected under the consumer protection act. Still the purchasers are advised to have an expert opinion before signing any of such agreements. cr MARKET SCAN Low response to good results J.C. Anand D uring this fortnight corporate results announced so far for the quarter ended September 2002 were good and encouraging but the market response was low and unencouraging. According to an analysis made by Business Standard, so far 116 companies have announced their results which indicate a growth of 15.06 per cent in sales and 34.42 per cent rise in net profits. The growth profit margin of these 116 companies has increased from 17.03 per cent to 19.86 per cent during the quarter, yet the Sensex has moved only by 2.41 per cent (71 points) during this quarter. Infosys Technologys second quarter results were higher than the markets expectations. It reported 16.1 per cent rise in software revenue with a net profit higher by 12.01 per cent. EPS is estimated at Rs 141 Rs 144, almost the same as in the first quarter. The company expects to have good growth rate in revenues for the third quarter. HDFC announced a bonus issue of one equity share for every share held and reported 21 per cent rise in net profit for the send quarter. FIIs also increased their holdings in software stock comprising Infosys, Mestak, Digital, Global Profit. Ranbaxys third quarter net profit was higher by 79 per cent. A large part of its sales and profitability came from exports. Hero Honda also reported excellent results for this quarter. Jai Bharat Marutis second quarter results indicate that its net profit has gone up to Rs 65.60 lakhs as against Rs 18.42 lakh for the corresponding period last year. Another good news was the AV Birla Groups announcement to buy Larson & Tubros share at Rs 190 per share from the open market, even though the open offer price was much lower than the market expectation. It is unlikely that the Birla Group will be able to collect the share at this price to push up their stake in the company from 14.9 per cent to about 35 per cent as it had announced its intention at the time of the open up. The UTI and financial institutions are unlikely to accept this offer as it is far lower than the price at which Birla Group had purchased Larson and Tubro shares from Reliance. I am of the view that those investors who hold Larson and Tubro shares should not sell it in the market at the open offer rate for the very fact that Birla Group is interested in acquiring management control of this company pushes up the market rating of this share. Even otherwise, Larson & Tubro is Indias top engineering and cement company in the private sector and its construction business is doing extremely well with a lot of fresh orders from India as well as from foreign countries. Another good news is that the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) indicates a growth rate of 5.7 per cent in the general index, though the growth rate in manufacturing is at 5.9 per cent and in capital goods at 10 per cent. India has also recorded a surplus in its current account for the first time in 24 years. The market response to the good corporate results and other welcome news has only been tepid. This is partially due to the fact that the date traders are anxious to book profit at the earliest. It is also possible that the market does not expect equally good results from those companies which have yet to report their second quarter results. Perhaps the more basic reason is that the market is worried about the state of our economy. Apart from S&Ps rating about the national currency, the drought caused by erratic and deficient monsoon rains this year are bound to depress our GDP growth rate this year. According to CMIEs analysis drought conditions are expected to lower overall agriculture production by 7 per cent. As a result, the real GDP is expected to grow only by 3.1 per cent. According to CMIE the real GDP growth rate has never reached 5 per cent in a year of agriculture decline in the past 30 years. Any long term investment should be made with a time scale of at least 2 to 3 years and this investment should be made only in a weak market. co CHECK-OUT by Pushpa Girimaji Get expensive items insured before mailing S ending an expensive Divali gift to someone special through speed post? Well, here is a note of warning: if the gift gets lost or damaged during transit, all you are entitled to as compensation is twice the amount of money that you have paid towards speed post charges. Even here, the maximum that you can get is Rs 1000! And if you think that you can approach the consumer court for relief , forget it. You will get no help there too. Recently, the apex consumer court examined in detail the liability of the post office in case of delay or non-delivery of postal articles sent by speed post. Its verdict was that the consumer courts cannot go beyond the statutory provisions and grant compensation in excess of what is statutorily fixed. And in case of speed post, since Rule 66B of the Indian Post Office Rules says that in case of loss or damage , the compensation shall be double the amount of the composite speed post charges or Rs 1000, whichever is less, the consumer courts cannot grant compensation beyond this amount, the court said. (In case of delay in delivery, whatever may be the consequence of such delay, you are entitled to only a refund of the Speed Post charge). In its order of September 18, 2002, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal commission examined three different petitions all pertaining to Speed Post service.. In the first petition Head Post Master, Post Office Railway Road, Kurukshetra, Haryana vs Vijay Rattan Aggarwal, the complaint pertained to two bank drafts for the sum of Rs 5 lakh sent by Speed Post on January 18, 1995. The post office, which undertook to deliver it within 24 hours, did not do so, forcing the complainant to obtain duplicate bank drafts on March 7, 1995. Claiming loss of interest and loss in business plus harassment, the complainant sought damages from the post office. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum awarded Rs 20,000 as compensation, besides interest of 18 per cent on the amount of Rs 5 lakh for one and a half months. When this was upheld by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the post office filed a revision petition before the National Commission. In the second case, Union India vs Brahm Dev Upadhyay, the complainant, having passed the preliminary examination for Uttar Pradesh administrative service, sent by Speed Post the necessary papers required for the final examination. They were not delivered on time, as a result of which the complainant could not appear for the final examination. The District Forum awarded Rs 10,000 as damages . When the State Commission affirmed this order, the post office filed a revision petition. In the third case, Varun Garg vs Assistant Post Master, Post Office, the complainant sent an application form for admission to LLB course in Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak by speed post on May 19, 2000. The last date for submission of the application was May 22, but the application was received by the university after this date and was therefore not entertained. The District Forum before which Varun Garg filed a complaint said he was only entitled to a refund of Rs 20 paid towards speed post charges. This was upheld by the State Commission, upon which the complainant filed a revision petition before the apex consumer court. After examining the Indian Post Office Act and the Rules framed therein pertaining to Speed Post, the National Commission said there was no justification for grant of any compensation to the complainants. Said the Commission: Under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, we cannot go beyond the statutory provisions and grant compensation more than what is statutorily fixed. A Consumer Forum is even bound by the terms of the contract howsoever oppressive these may be unless those terms are against public policy, illegal or void. In other words, consumers cannot get compensation commensurate with the loss suffered on account of delay in delivery or loss or damage to the article entrusted for delivery through Speed Post. So if you are sending expensive goods by Speed Post or through a private courier, get it insured. If you are sending important documents for which you cannot take an insurance policy, just keep your fingers crossed and hope that it reaches the addressee on time and in good condition. PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT Sun Life provides umbrella Naveen S. Garewal R isks are an integral part of human life. Events that occur in our daily lives indicate time and again that we must prepare ourselves to deal with these risks in a well-planned manner. One of the important precautionary measures stems from an insurance cover. A life cover cannot prevent any unfortunate happening, but at least it mitigates the financial loss arising out of an unfortunate happening. It provides strength to face the financial loss that may arise from the loss of a bread earner. Life Insurance addresses multiple needs such as protection against disabilities, preparing one to face the unexpected mishaps, besides providing a plan for a retired life. Aims at building wealth Birla Sun Life insurance, a recent entrant into the insurance sector aims at targeting the youth, providing them with a financial plan. The company says that it provides to the youth a right step to build wealth through a systematic process that offers economic security and provides what each of us craves for - peace of mind. Value for money The Birla Sun Life Insurance that offers five products boasts that its products offer investment options, market driven returns, guaranteed values, high surrender values no exit loads beyond five years, free look period, mix and match options, large protection cover, favourable premiums for female clients, tax benefits and automatic premium payment. Birla Sun Life also offers what it calls Riders. Riders are additional benefits that you may buy and add to your policy in a way that it customises the policy according to an individuals needs. These include the accidental death and dismemberment rider, term rider and critical illness rider. Retirement benefits What you get at retirement is directly proportional to what you save. The age when you start saving in an endowment plan can drastically alter the wealth you acquire at retirement. Take a simple case study where Mr. A, aged 30 years with an annual income of Rs 2 lakh (growing 15 per cent annually) started saving 15 per cent annually till retirement age of 60 years. Given a return of 12 per cent and an expected inflation of 6 per cent, he should have a retirement income of Rs 95,000 per month taking the inflation into count. But if he were to wait till age 40 before he started saving (from an income of Rs 3 lakh annual), he would get a pension of only Rs 24,000 per month. Flexi Save Endowment Plan The Flexi Save Plus Endowment Plan has been designed to offer insurance protection; while at the same time provide an opportunity for investment. Birla Sun Life aims at stressing the point that the premium paid over the years helps the savings to grow and thus helps meet expenses like childrens higher studies, their marriages, retirement funding etc The flexi save plus endowment plan is designed to accumulate the savings through regular premium payment for a fixed duration of time or in a single lump sum to realise the long-term goals and protect the family with insurance cover unique features of the Flexi Save Plus Endowment Plan include choice of duration plan, flexibility of premium payment, choice of investment options, automatic premium payment and access to your funds during the plan duration. The Flexi Save Plus Endowment Plan is available to all between age 1 to 65 years wherein the minimum face amount (Sum Assured) is Rs 50,000 for minors and Rs 75,000 for adults. The duration of the plan can be 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years as per the policy plan or as per maturity age of 60, 65,70 and 80 years. The premium-paying period varies from a single pay to 5,10, 15, 20 years with a paying option of premium payment frequency ranging from annually, semi-annually, quarterly or one-time payment. The policy offers a transparency in surrender values and lets you know the exact amount due in case of pre-mature plan termination. Also the policy tells you before hand the amount due on survival up to maturity, surrender value in the maturity year + the balance in additional holding account. Besides the amount due to nominee in event of death of the life insured is disclosed before hand. Riders on the policy that can be bought at an additional cost include accidental death and dismemberment, term and critical illness. The policy also offers a tax benefits under section 88 Sec 10 (10 D) of the Income Tax Act (To be concluded) FIIs net buyers in equities Mumbai, October 20 The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers in equities at Rs 56.1 crore ($ 11.5 million) during the trading week ended October 18. The FIIs, however, for the third straight trading week of the month stayed away from the debt market and did not transact a single deal, according to data available with the SEBI here. As per SEBI information, mutual funds netted sales of Rs 165.63 crore in equities and were net buyers to the tune of Rs 394.07 crore in debt instruments. PTI bb Inflation falls New Delhi, October 20 Notwithstanding the domestic oil price hike, inflation declined by another 0.32 per cent to 3.02 per cent for the week ended October 5 even as vegetables became costlier. The hike in vegetable prices was to a great extent contained by fall in the price of foodgrains and fruits, leading to point-to-point Wholesale Price Index (WPI) dip for the third consecutive week from 3.34 per cent in the previous week and the index was 3.18 per cent a year ago. PTI | Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail |