Outlook Money

EMBRACE THE OLD THIS NEW YEAR

In India, one of the factors that sets the food journey apart is that it takes twists and turns with changing seasons. For instance, every winter my grandmother used to make laddoos—using til (sesame, both white and black), methi dana (fenugreek, the...

TRAIN YOUR TRAVEL BUG

Of the many myths about financial planning, one is that it forces you to compromise on your present lifestyle and desires for a future that’s uncertain. It’s easy to justify that belief: there are so many things that you can do only now and not when...

IS YOUR SAFETY NET SAFE?

Ask any advisor and they will tell you that a financial plan is incomplete without a safety net. every twine, loop and knot in this net has a role to play in how secure it is. a single loose end has the potential to push your hard-earned savings into...

THE RULES OF ELIMINATION

The festive season is usually a whirlwind of emotions, a minefield for marketers to explore and exploit, and entice consumers. We see it in those tear-jerker Diwali ads. Thankfully, some of them have moved beyond gender and societal stereotypes in...

AI Can Calculate, But Only Humans Really Care

AI in personal finance can be your on-demand explainer, number-cruncher, and budget tracker, freeing up time and mental space for the bigger picture. But when money decisions are tied to human behaviour, emotions, and longterm trade-offs, its role is...

WHO’S YOUR ANCHOR IN THE STORM?

My friend’s money coach has now become her years-long friend and advisor. He was the first person who explained to her how markets behave and how our behaviour sometimes gets dictated by it, he held her hand in times of need and even offered a loan...

Affordable Houses Not Affordable Anymore

AI EDGE: ‘REAL’ IMAGINATION

Alittle more than 25 years ago, my grandmother casually remarked that she wished she could see my aunts while talking to them on the telephone. For my grandmother, whose generation saw many impossibles turning into “possibles” and then into...

THE GENERATIONAL SHIFT

Many among the Gen X and millennials are completely flummoxed by the attitude and habits of the Gen Z, the oldest ones being around 27-28 years. They are often seen as too casual about life and their choices, not as hardworking as the earlier...

Beware of Bank RMs

relationship managers usually have sales targets in mind and not your interest, leading them to mis-sell products. Don’t fall for the spiel

INITIATIVE TO INDEPENDENCE

In India, the majority of women of marriageable age are married, so when we talk about financial freedom for women, this category needs to top the list. The society often ignores them, takes their work for granted, and trivialises and laughs off any...

The EPF Transfer Tantrums

Transferring EPF often becomes a long-term exercise or rather an ordeal. We tell you how to resolve a few common issues

MY NEW YEAR ASKS

New year is typically the time to make financial resolutions. When you make resolutions, the ask is from yourself. This time, again, I have some asks—not from myself, but from technology practitioners and creators, and you dear reader. Artificial...

Europe Calling:

If you think you can't afford to travel to Europe, consider our list of budget-friendly and attractive destinations

Saving, Sustainability, Style: How Minimalist Weddings Are Flaunting Them All

CELEBRATE, WITH CAUTION

Celebrations are in the air. The festive season has officially started in India and the stock market seems to be going hand-in-hand with the festive fervour. The benchmark Sensex index touched the 85,000-mark as September was coming to a close, and has...

CHOOSE WITH CARE

One of the people we spoke to while doing our 26th anniversary cover story said she was duped by a “financial advisor”. While the capital markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and various investor awareness platforms, including...

What Budget 2024 Means For You

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

The good news is that the uptake of health insurance has increased in India. According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, households with “any usual member covered under a health insurance or financing scheme” has increased from 28.7 per cent in 2015-16...