House Rent

Housing - Ownership and Renting Resource Renting header Navigation TOPIC AREAS About The House HomeWorks News Rent Smart Publicaciones en Español Download a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print information provided as PDF files. RENT SMART Background Rental property managers are often faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, they want to keep their units full, they want to meet their fair housing obligations and, as good citizens, they want to provide housing to people who need it. On the other hand, in order to stay in business they need to rent to people who are likely to pay their rent and maintain the property. One way to address this dilemma is with a community program that provides high-risk tenants with practical training to help them succeed as tenants. Rent Smart is a teaching guide designed to be the core of a community tenant education program. It was developed by staff from the University of Wisconsin-Extension in consultation with the Wisconsin Apartment Association, the Wisconsin Trade and Consumer Protection Division, the Tenant Resource Center, the Apartment Association of Southeast Wisconsin and other housing and tenant support groups. It was field tested in several locations before publication. What's Included? Rent Smart stresses information that can help participants succeed as tenants and avoid confrontations and legal hassles. The publication is intended for trainers and includes reproducible fact sheets and worksheets for participants as well as masters for overhead transparencies. A model certificate, designed to be awarded to participants who successfully complete the training, is also included. A key feature of Rent Smart is that it stresses learner participation. Each of the lessons is organized around a series of activities so that participants are actively involved in the learning. Materials are provided to help the instructor use the activities successfully. Local Partnership Needed In addition to the curriculum, a successful tenant education program requires a local partnership. Involvement of local rental housing providers in design and delivery of the local program is essential. When this is the case they may be willing to take greater risks with applicants who have completed the program and may even provide financial incentives such as a reduced security deposit. Involvement of local housing authorities and other tenant service providers is also essential. They have contacts with households who would benefit from the program, may be able to help design the program so it meets specific client needs and may have incentives they can provide participants. In one county an agency obtained a grant to provide a partial rent payment to participants who completed the program. In many communities, extension staff members have been available to assist in developing this partnership, developing the initial tenant education program and offering some of the instruction. The Lessons 1. Where Does the Money Go? - Determining monthly income and tracking expenses 2. Developing an Spending Plan - Planning spending and reducing expenses 3. Making the Most of Your Credit Report - Understanding credit reports and ways to improve credit. 4. Finding a Place to Live - Determining apartment needs and understanding search strategies. 5. Checking Out the Landlord and the Place - interviewing and checking up on landlords 6. The Rental Application Process - Completing a rental application and knowing what landlords look for. 7. Understanding Rental Agreements - Reading and understanding rental agreements. 8. Home Care: Who Is Responsible for What? Understanding when tenants are responsible for maintenance. 9. Home Care: Keeping It Clean and Safe - Understanding why cleaning is important and ways to do it more efficiently 10. Communicating With Your Landlord and Neighbors - Saying what you mean and resolving conflicts. 11. Moving On: Giving Notice, Security Deposits and Evictions - Ending a tenancy properly and understanding why it is important to do so. Ordering Information This sample contains the Table of contents and the first Chapter. To order a CD containing the complete text plus files to make transparencies, please contact: Extension Publications 877-WIS-PUBS cecommerce.uwex.edu footer 2002-2004 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, doing business as the Division of Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. If you have any questions regarding this site's contents, trouble accessing any information on this site, require this information in an alternative format or would like to request a reasonable accommodation because of a disability email: flp@uwex.edu

Home Equity Loan Home

Home Equity and Line of Credit- home-equity.Interest.com. Compare current home equity interest rates for home loans Compare Equity Rates | Equity Trends | Loan Calculators Begin by selecting your state and type of program. Select a State Alaska Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Select Loan Type Home Equity Loan Home Equity Line of Credit Improving Your Financial Literacy Source: Bank News - Dec 29, 03:08 AM As part of a nationwide survey of more than 1,300 homeowners conducted in August and released recently by Wells Fargo, respondents were questioned about their financial behaviors and attitudes regarding interest-only loans, the housing market and retirement planning.The WeUs Fargo second Annual Survey of American Homeowners found that of the 8 percent of homeowners with interest-only real estate- secured accounts, a 73-percent majority pay both the principal and interest at least some of the time. Read More... New-Home Sales Took Tumble in November Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution - Dec 27, 02:13 PM Dec. 24--Sales of new houses took an unexpected dive in November, falling to the slowest pace in a year and adding to evidence that the six-year real estate boom is ending. Home sales were down 11.3 percent from October, median and average prices were not much changed from a year ago, and the pool of unsold homes continued to swell, reaching a record 512,000. Read More... Warning on Interest-Only Mortgages Source: Buffalo News - Dec 23, 07:32 AM The Federal Reserve and other bank regulators said interest-only and other nontraditional mortgages pose a threat to the financial system and urged the nation's banks to tighten lending standards.Lenders are also letting home buyers fund down-payments with home-equity loans in what the industry dubs "piggyback" financing. Read More... Reverse Mortgage Could Help Senior's Finances Source: Cincinnati Post - Dec 21, 05:11 AM If anything defies the adage "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," something called a reverse mortgage might be it -- especially for older homeowners who find themselves struggling financially while sitting on a big pile of home equity.If you own your home and are at least 62, a reverse mortgage might allow you to get your hands on that equity and continue to live in the home with no requirement to repay the loan as long as you stay there. Read More... How to Be an Armchair Economist Source: The Seattle Times - Dec 20, 02:01 PM Dec. 20--The housing market is likely to cool, but not collapse. And though continued high energy prices may depress consumer spending, sustained business investment should counterbalance that. Read More... Options on Taxes Invest in Income Source: Augusta Chronicle, The - Dec 20, 01:38 AM WASHINGTON - In presenting President Bush with two options to streamline the tax code, his handpicked advisory panel promises that most taxpayers can expect to pay Uncle Sam about what they pay today. Even though Mr. Bush and Congress will change the panel's plans, it's worth looking at the winners and losers the two options would create. Read More... View More Home Equity Headlines Home Equity Basics · What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit · See where the Prime Rate is and where it has been historically · Using a Home Equity Loan To Your Advantage · A Home Equity Loan May Be Tailor-Made To Meet Your Needs · Government Helps Buyers Fix Up Their Dream Home With the 203(k) · Deducting Mortgage, HELOC and Home Equity Loan Interest Home Equity Basics See where the Prime Rate is and where it has been historically Using a Home Equity Loan To Your Advantage A Home Equity Loan May Be Tailor-Made To Meet Your Needs Government Helps Buyers Fix Up Their Dream Home With the 203(k) Loan More Investing Basics Advertisement Mortgage Today's Rates Find Local Lenders Mortgage Calculators Mortgage Trends Lender List by State Reverse Mortgage Lenders Interest Only Mortgages Refinance Mortgages Mortgage Forms Real Estate Forms Legal Forms Real Estate Articles Auto Loans Auto Lenders Auto Trends Auto Calculators Credit Cards Credit Cards Credit Card Trends Calculators Home Equity Equity Rates Equity Trends Loan Calculator Bad Credit Find Lenders Loan Calculators Deposits Products and Rates Charts and Trends Calculators Subscribe for Free Mortgage Updates E-mail Newsletters Wireless/PDA Interest.com, as mobile as you are . - Free Latest News Feeds Mortgage Talk Forum-financial knowledge is a click away . 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Investment property - Select

Cyprus Property for sale, best investment property abroad Home | About us | About Cyprus | Paphos | Pissouri | Limassol | Contact Us Cyprus Property Search District: All Paphos Limassol Larnaca Ayia Napa Polis Pissouri From: £ All 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 110,000 120,000 130,000 140,000 150,000 160,000 170,000 180,000 190,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 750,000 To: £ All 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 110,000 120,000 130,000 140,000 150,000 160,000 170,000 180,000 190,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 750,000 Millions Type: Select Apartment Villa Semi Detached Maisonette Inspection Trips Click Here Free Phone UK: 0800 949 6036 Click here for info on our GUARANTEED MORTGAGES! Cyprus Geography Government Population Entry to Cyprus Climate Health and Safety Education Banking and Currency Telecommunications Business/Shopping Legal Information Residential Permit Property Ownership Mortgage Finance The Title Deed Real Estate Transfer Property Taxes, Fees, Rates VAT & Tax Advantages Double Taxation Duty Free Privileges Selling Your Property Cyprus Villas Cyprus Golf Property Cyprus Weather Cyprus Holidays View All Listings Welcome to Cyprus Online IPB We are one of the most dynamic innovative overseas property consultants based in Cyprus and Greece. We have developed a stong reputation within the overseas property industry by offering a wide range of beautifully designed projects, excellent after sales service, property management and easy payment facilities. We have received numerous awards incuding the prestigious International Online Realtor Award - bronze medal. We pride ourselves in customer service and offer our clientelle a complete hassle free aproach to purchasing property abroad in Cyprus and Greece. We are proud to be affiliated with only ISO Approved Cyprus Property Developments and insure all real estate projects are built to the highest quality with a 10 Year Guarantee. Our services include: Inpection Trips - Arranging accommodation, airport transfers and flights. (Completely Refundable) Real Estate Investment property - Select an investment property abroad from our comprehensive portfolio. Mortgages - Benifit from our contacts and obtain guaranteed mortgages at preferential rates. Real Estate Sales - Our consultants will be happy to provide you with complete and accurate information. Overseas Property Management Services - Make sure your investment property abroad is earning its maximum potential. Cyprus Villas - We have a large selection of holiday villas available for those wanting to spend their holidays in Cyprus Villas. visit http://www.villa-holiday-cyprus.co.uk Architectual Services - As a service, our team of architects will be happy to design your dream home. Furnishings - We are able to purchase all household items at preferential rates Landscaping - We provide sevral options of landscaping including our famous mediteranean garden. Garden - Garden and swimming pool maintenance We currently have a large portfolio of overseas investment property developments with over 7000 properties for sale in cyprus . Should you require further information or would like a consultant to get in touch with you, feel free to email us: info@cyprusonline.co.uk Golf Properties Purchase Prestigious Golf Villas from only CY£ 75,000 of your own funds and have your mortgage covered with rental income 2/3 Bed Apartments Apartment Chlorakas Paphos Completed 3 Bed Apartment- Communal swimming pool 137 m² Price CY£ 84,600 Beach front Villas Townhouse Chlorakas Paphos Completed 3 Bed Townhopuse with basement - Communal swimming pool 187 m² Price CY£ 108,100 cyprus properties | cyprus property | cyprus real estate | houses for sale in cyprus | investment property for sale in cyprus | properties to buy in cyprus | cyprus property for sale | cyprus villas | ayia napa properties | buy investment property in cyprus | cyprus apartment | cyprus villas in paphos | cyprus property abroad | paphos property | paphos inestment property | rent cyprus villas in paphos | buying investment property abroad in cyprus | apartment sale in cyprus | cyprus holiday apartments | apartments for sale in paphos | buy cyprus property in paphos | cyprus estate agents | cyprus overseas property developers | cyprus property website | overseas property management | real estate limassol | limassol property | investment property wanted in cyprus | cyprus villa for sale | estate agents in cyprus | golf properties in cyprus | paphos ivestment property for sale | buy villas in paphos | resale properties for sale in cyprus | cyprus golf property abroad | cyprus holidays - Flights | directory | Travel and investment property Guide | Weather Designed by SCM Communications

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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

Buy house in the

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 |