Expert Zone
Straight from the Specialists
No mad rush for life insurance IPOs
(The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent those of Reuters)
Last week, the regulator finally released the long-awaited draft for insurance companies to raise capital through an Initial Public Offer (IPO). As soon as this announcement was made, the entire industry was caught in a frenzy trying to decipher every word.
Judging by the reactions of some industry big guns, although they are relieved it is finally out in the open, it may be a while before we see them rushing to float their IPOs.
Here’s my extract of the guidelines of issuance of capital by life insurance companies:
Insurance industry players go online — reluctantly
(The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent those of Reuters)
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian insurance industry saw a number of private players entering through the gates thrown open by the government. Public sector player LIC had already gained an edge by being a pioneer in the life insurance space. With an army of agents, LIC was way ahead of these latecomers and found itself settled comfortably.
Five things to do before you turn 30 — financially
(The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not represent those of Reuters)
1) Start investing in Mutual Funds
There is a reason why I mention this as the first point in the article. Mutual funds are by far the best starting tool for any investor. And this holds true for any type of investor — extremely aggressive ones and those who do not know much about investments.
The tough part of managing the portfolio is best left to the experienced funds managers who have adequate resources and the knowledge to best maintain the returns on their funds portfolio and manage the associate risks. They are far better informed than an individual can expect to be in most cases.
