This article aims at discussing 2 easy and simple ways of adding a good amount of money to your packet each month even if you don't get a raise. I have seen that most of us are not well aware of how we can use various the components of a CTC to our advantage and hence are paying higher tax. Higher tax obviously means lower take home pay.

So, the idea is to lower the tax as much as you can and increase the money at your disposal. [More]

Credit history checks for a job in brokerage institutions and financial institutions is a normal trend in USA. Do not expect a favorable response if you have been struggling with bad ratings lately.

It has been argued that this trend makes life difficult for an already burnt person. It throws him in a vicious circle.

He cannot pay back his credit and improve his ratings unless he gets a good job.
And he cannot get a good job unless he has good credit history. [More]

If your credit card has been rejected due to varied reasons and you are desperately in need of one, you can certainly help the bank with some cash and change their mind towards your application!!

Nooooo...I am not talking about bribing the bank executives. It is a new option that banks have recently rolled out to meet your plastic money needs.

It is called 'Secured Credit Card' in financial terms :). Well, the concept is simple. You deposit some amount of cash as a fixed deposit with the bank and they will return a favor by issuing a credit card. [More]

The simplest and to-the-point answer is Yes.
Supplemental credit card details are mentioned on your own credit history (CIBIL) report and are available for any bank or lender to view the details.

Read on the basics if you are not well versed with the supplementary credit card concept. [More]

Applied for a credit card and the application got rejected? If yes, then you must be wondering about what went wrong in the whole process. Has the bank explained you the reason?

If not, then here is what could have played a spoil sport in your case. See if you can find a
reason for yourself and correct it before re-applying. [More]

Store credit cards like BIG Bazaar card, LifeStyle credit card etc. are good and easy to procure.
Thanks to their easy application and approval process. You can get one easily even when you just made a casual visit to the nearby store and had no proof papers whatsoever with you.

But, beware, they normally charge much higher rate of interest on late payments than the normal credit cards (Ones which can be used at any store). We are going to talk about what to look for in these cards and when to avoid them completely. [More]

We all use credit cards these days and most of them usually do NOT carry any annual fees. This off course is taking a hit on the bank's earning potential with each issued credit card. Since, India has seen a vast economical growth in past decade, most banks capitalized on this growth and had issued cards with no annual fees to maximum number of people.

But banks are changing the terms and conditions slowly and adding the clause of annual fees to keep and use the cards. The benefits and discounts from NO annual fees cards are slowly vanishing.

We are going to talk about the comparative benefits and situations in which you should opt for paid (annual fees) credit cards. [More]

I have seen this as a major point of confusion with most of the salaried people and hence I am
going to talk about the difference between the three today. You would have certainly noticed a PF amount mentioned on your CTC (Cost to company) letter. The PF amount is this letter is shown as an earning. But the confusion starts creeping in you mind the day your receive your first pay slip. Here you would find the PF amount written on the deductions side!! [More]

We always wonder about what could be the difference between taking a loan from a public sector bank and a private bank. The young generation always prefers private banks whereas our parents would always guide us to get it from a public sector bank.

We are listing down certain important points and the terms and conditions which can make a huge difference to your decision here. [More]

You have just finalized your dream home and are now looking to get it financed with Home loan. So, the next step is that you log on to internet and search for best home loan deals. Your search leads you to various loan deal sites which have come up in last couple of years and claim to help you find the best loan deal.
I also did a quick search and tried to find out if their claims of best deals are worth spending time or just claims. Read on to find the truth. [More]

This article is meant to throw light on what all charges and fees you may be required to pay in case you want to take a home loan to finance your dream home. It is always better to plan for even small expenses which may come as a surprise to you in the process from applying till you actually sign the final loan sanction papers. [More]

The full form of CTC is Cost To Company. It is a term which signifies the cost that a company would incur on you as an employee. The salary and other perquisites that your company pays you is actually cost for them and hence the term.

Your pay package defines what the company would pay you and it is normally defined in terms of yearly pay. The break up of various elements in CTC would talk about the basic salary, HRA (House rent allowance) and other such allowances.

Take home pay is what you actually receive at the end of month or salary period. The in-hand figure is calculated after deducting income tax (TDS) and other deductions as per company policies. [More]

Owing a home is a dream come true for most of us and I am no different. This is my personal story that I want to share so that other people who are also in the same boat can benefit from my experience. [More]

Have you travelled on a short term assignment abroad from your company? If yes, then you must have received some amount as living and housing allowances to take care of your daily expenses. Generally, your company pays you a lump sum amount on daily basis to meet your housing, living and travel needs overseas when you are travelling for short term period of about 1 - 3 months.
For example, you might receive $100 per day as a lump sum amount when you travel to USA.

When you travel on short term assignments, your company keeps paying you your Indian salary in India and pays the daily allowances (called per diem) abroad in the native currency i.e. USD in our example. [More]

Have you been looking around for a personal loan for some immediate requirement? If yes, then I would suggest you to go for Gold loan instead of personal loan.

Personal loan is a loan given by banks and private lenders to meet any kind of personal need like marriage, buying an electronic item or anything else.
Gold loan also has he same intention of meeting any of your expenses.
The difference between the two is that in case of personal loan, you do not have to give any kind of collateral whereas Gold loan is backed up by your Gold. [More]