Random Ramblings

How often have you heard that - Real estate prices never fall? Given the recent woes in the sector, this is no longer true for most of the markets in India. And the question of whether real estate sector is worth investing, especially for investing purpose, remains. Let's look at some arguments made by pro-real estate enthusiasts & sharing my comments on the same. 1. Tax savings on home loan - Yes it makes sense, and you can save a substantial amount if tax by investing in a house. These can fall under: Section 80C - Payment of principal of home loan can make you eligible for tax exemption under Section 80C. And so can PF/ PPF/ NSC/ ELSS etc, which may give better returns too. Current limit for this is Rs. 1.5L per year across all instruments. Section 80B - Payment of interest of home loan (up to Rs.2 Lac per annum). Does tax savings in this case offset the cost of borrowing? Probably by a little. But if you are hitting an interest of close to the maximum amount with

There are people who love splurging, thanks to credit card. There are people who avoid credit card like plague, due to fear of overspending or online frauds? There are people who love credit cards due to rewards they offer. Which category do you belong to? _____ Credit cards can be an amazing tool to manage your finances. Sure, the savings may not be huge if you don't spend much, but then, you can always enjoy those extra rewards that come along side. Few ways this is possible: 1. All credit cards have a rewards system associated with it. Regular use of credit cards can help you accumulate points and later on redeem it for anything ranging from a pen drive to shopping vouchers to flight tickets to vacations. 2. Most credit card usually offer up to 48-50 days of credit period. Assuming that you pay 3 days before the due date, for a purchase made in any monthly cycle you can usually get 15-45 days of time to pay it off. Averaging this over long term, this is interest