For overseas Indians, India offers a tremendous opportunity for investment and wealth building as India is slated to grow at the rate of 8%-10% for the next few decades.
Options available for NRIs:
As per the Government of India, NRIs are given the following facilities as far as investment is concerned.
1. Bank accounts in India 2. Investment in securities and debts 3. Investment in immovable properties such as real estate
Types of Accounts
NRE Account:This is rupee denominated account. The interest earned is tax free. The amount in the account is repatriable.
NRO Account:This is also a rupee denominated account. The interest earned is taxable. The repatriation limit is 1 million USD in a year.
NRNR Account:This is a term deposit account with 6 months to 3 years term which can be extended. Only the interest can be repatriated. The interest is not taxable.
FCNR Account: This is a term deposit account for maximum of 3 years in foreign currency denominated form. The foreign currencies allowed are US, Australian, Canadian dollar, Euro, Pound, and Japanese Yen.
Investment in securities and debt
Indian market has been a darling for foreign investors for quite a few years. The market will keep its speedy momentum as India is expected to grow with a respectable rate. NRIs can invest in securities and debt instruments to exploit the opportunities presented by Indian stock market. NRIs can invest in stocks and debt funds directly or in mutual funds.
Government of India has allowed NRIs to invest in Indian market directly or through portfolio investment scheme. It has allowed the following types of investment.
Investment in stocks (especially secondary market) through portfolio investment scheme (PIS)
This allows NRIs to invest in Indian security market without obtaining any permission from the RBI or the Government. In some cases, however, they need permission from FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) in case of investment in agriculture or planation activities. Investing in securities is done through portfolio investment scheme. As per this scheme, NRIs can select one branch designated by RBI for transaction related to investment. The transaction then can happen through the specified branch for stocks and convertible debentures. This can be repatriable or non-repatriable depending upon the situation.
Investment with Repatriation clause:
Investment in domestic mutual fund, bonds, term deposit with companies for at least 3 years, and Government securities are allowed with repatriation benefits.
Investment without repatriation benefit:
Investment in the form of capital contribution in any proprietary or partnership firm is allowed but it is not repatriable. NRIs can also invest in new issues through this route.
Other investment:
Other investment such as money market mutual funds, deposit, non-convertible debentures, and commercial paper are allowed but without any repatriation benefit.
Investment in immovable assets:
NRIs can invest in real estate. They do not need any permission to invest in real estate except in cases where they want to acquire farm land, plantation, and agriculture land. The repatriation clause needs to be looked at in individual cases. The Government allows up to 100% investment in real estate development (including housing societies and commercial space) as well as financing of housing and commercial development.
There are facilities available returning NRIs so that their investment in foreign countries are not disturbed. They can also open resident foreign currency account to freely move money between NRE/FCNR accounts.
Important points to Remember
NRIs can invest in stocks by directly buying stocks of specific company/ies or through mutual funds. Indian market offers variety of mutual funds such as sectoral fund that invests in a specific sector, mid-cap fund that invests in mid cap firms, growth fund that invests in emerging companies, value fund that invests in stable and old companies that give consistent results. There are India specific funds available for investment.
It is important to ascertain the credentials of advisor for any investment requirement. NRIs are considered easy source of money and there is no dearth of quakes to exploit the situation.
You should apply for a PAN card and then open demat and trading account linked to your NRE/NRO account which can be used for trading purposes.
If you are concerned about repatriation clauses, make sure you understand the types of accounts and policies where repatriation is allowed. Open the appropriate account and invest in right instruments to avail repatriation benefits. In most of the cases, repatriation is allowed after a lock in period of 3 years.
However you need to take precautions like seeking guidance from the genuine organisations.
* * * * *
Tennis Elbow
"Tennis Elbow" is a common term for a condition caused by overuse of arm and forearm muscles that result in elbow pain. You don't have to play tennis to get this, but the term came into use because it can be a significant problem for some tennis players.
Tennis elbow is caused by either abrupt or subtle injury of the muscle and tendon area around the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow specifically involves the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the outside bony area (called the lateral epicondyle) of the elbow. Your doctor may call this condition lateral epicondylitis. Another common term, "golfer's elbow," refers to the same process occurring on the inside of the elbow -- what your doctor may call medial epicondylitis. Overuse injury can also affect the back or posterior part of the elbow as well.
Tennis elbow most commonly affects people in their dominant arm (that is, a right-handed person would experience pain in the right arm), but it can also occur in the nondominant arm or both arms.
What Are the Symptoms of Tennis Elbow?
Symptoms of tennis elbow include:
Pain slowly increasing around the outside of the elbow. Less often, pain may develop suddenly.
Pain is worse when shaking hands or squeezing objects.
Pain is made worse by stabilizing or moving the wrist with force. Examples include lifting, using tools, opening jars, or even handling simple utensils such as a toothbrush or knife and fork.
Who Gets Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow affects 1% to 3% of the population overall and as many as 50% of tennis players during their careers. Less than 5% of all tennis elbow diagnoses are related to actually playing tennis.
Tennis elbow affects men more than women. It most often affects people between the ages of 30 and 50, though people of any age can be affected.
Tennis elbow commonly affects tennis players, it also affects other athletes and people who participate in leisure or work activities that require repetitive arm, elbow, and wrist movement. Examples include Cricketers, golfers, baseball players, bowlers, gardeners or landscapers, house or office cleaners (because of vacuuming, sweeping, and scrubbing), carpenters, mechanics, and assembly-line workers.
How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?
Tennis elbow cannot be diagnosed from blood tests and rarely by X-rays. Rather, it is usually diagnosed by the description of pain you provide to your doctor and certain findings from a physical exam.
Since many other conditions can cause pain around the elbow, it is important that you see your doctor so the proper diagnosis can be made. Then your doctor can prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Tennis elbow usually is successfully treated by medical means -- such as cortisone injections -- and only rarely requires surgery.
The type of treatment prescribed for tennis elbow will depend on several factors, including age, type of other drugs being taken, overall health, medical history, and severity of pain. The goals of treatment are to reduce pain or inflammation, promote healing, and decrease stress and abuse on the injured elbow.
How Can I Promote Healing of My Tennis Elbow?
This step begins a couple of weeks after the pain of tennis elbow has been reduced or eliminated. It involves specific physical-therapy exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles and tendons around the injured elbow. Any activity that aggravates the pain must be avoided.
How Do I Decrease Stress and Abuse on Tennis Elbow?
To help lessen the continued stress and abuse on tennis elbow:
Use the proper equipment and technique in sports and on the job.
Use of a counter-force brace, an elastic band that wraps around the forearm just below the injured elbow (tendon) may help to relieve pain in some people.
What Is the Outlook for People With Tennis Elbow?
Sachin Tendulkar is the exemplary example who created record after record after undergoing a minor surgery for Tennis elbow in Australia.
Overall, 90% to 95% of people with tennis elbow will improve and recover with the treatment plan described. However, about 5% of people will not get better with conservative treatment and will need surgery to repair the injured muscle-tendon unit around the elbow. For 80% to 90% of people who have surgery, it results in pain relief and return of strength.
Do you want to live a happy life? If you say yes like most people do, then it’s important to learn to enjoy life. Some people may think that they can only enjoy life when they already have a lot of money or have a successful career. But that’s not true. You can enjoy your life where you arewith what you already have. You can enjoy your life now.
Here I will share with you how to enjoy life. But before that, I’d like to share two tips that are essential to live a happy life. The first one is to be grateful. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is. No matter how many pleasant things you do, if you don’t learn to be grateful you will always see things negatively.
The second one is to slow down. Life has a lot of simple things you can enjoy. But if you move too fast you will overlook most of them. So don’t be in a hurry. Don’t move too quickly. Slow down and pay attention to the world around you. Most of the ways I’m about to share will work well only if you slow down.
With those two tips in mind, here are 33 ways to enjoy life. Your spouse may add another 33
if you are a possessive partner.
Pick the ones that work for you.
Enjoy your meal. Don’t just eat. Taste it and appreciate its richness.
Learn to cook.
Feelmusic and not just listen to it.
Play music. More than just listening, playing music allows you to express yourself.
Sing.
Gather with old friends.
Take a walk in the park with spouse.
Go hiking.
Read a book and surf some news channels
Find and watch a movie you like.
Give yourself a lazy day.
Play board games with your friends.
Have a candle-light dinner with your spouse.
Play mini games.
Read comics.
See beautiful pictures.
Read inspiring quotes.
Learn to paint.
Read a classic book.
Exercise with friends.
Watch funny videos.
Play with kids.
Play a mind game.
Have a cup of coffee.
Get a massage and give a massage to spouse too.
Go to a museum.
Go to a theater.
Watch sunrise.
Take pictures you like
Browse your photo album for your treasured memories.
Do not quarrel with spouse for 4 days in a week.
Treat children as your friends
Always possess the feeling of contentment.
I’m sure there are still a lot of other ways to enjoy life. Explore for the new ways and enjoy the life. This will always keep you and your family hale and hearty.
* * * * *
11 Tips to Cut Your Cholesterol
Your fasting total cholesterol level exceeds the desirable level of 200, or if your low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad”) cholesterol is above 100, getting it down to a safer level could be easier than you think. In fact, with simple lifestyle modifications -- and, if necessary, drug therapy -- people often see significant reductions in cholesterol within six weeks. Get going right now, and by the next New Year's Eve you could be toasting your cholesterol level rather than resolving to lower it.
1. Set a target
You know you've got to get your cholesterol number down, but how low do you need to go? That depends on several factors, including your personal and family history of heart disease, as well as whether you have cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking.
If your risk is deemed high, "most doctors will treat for a target LDL of less than 70. If your risk is moderate, a target LDL of under 130 is generally OK. If your risk is low, less than 160 is a reasonable target. "The trend now is to treat people earlier, especially if they have two or more risk factors.
2. Consider medication
Lifestyle modifications make sense for anyone with elevated cholesterol. But if your cardiovascular risk is high, you may also need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug. Lifestyle modifications are important, but we should also be emphasizing the benefits of medication when appropriate.
3. Get moving
In addition to lowering LDL "bad" cholesterol, regular physical activity can raise HDL "good" cholesterol by up to 10%. The benefits come even with moderate exercise, such as brisk walking.
Whatever form your exercise takes, the key is to do it with regularity. "Some experts recommend seven days a week, although five days is more realistic.
4. Avoid saturated fat
Doctors used to think that the key to lowering high cholesterol was to cut back on eggs and other cholesterol-rich foods. But now it's clear that dietary cholesterol isn't the main culprit. "Eggs don't do all that much to raise cholesterol. You don't want to be throwing down six eggs a day, but recent data suggest that it's really saturated fat" that causes increases in cholesterol. And if you cooked your eggs in a slab of butter, don't overlook the fat in the butter.
5. Eat more fiber
Fruits and vegetables, including whole grains, are good sources not only of heart-healthy antioxidants but also cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber. Soluble fiber, in particular, can help lower cholesterol. Beckerman says it "acts like a sponge to absorb cholesterol "in the digestive tract. Good sources of soluble fiber include dried beans, oats, and barley, as well as fiber products containing psyllium.
6. Go fish
Fish and fish oil are chockablock with cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids. "Fish oil supplements can have a profound effect on cholesterol and triglycerides. "There's a lot of scientific evidence to support their use." Fish oil is considered to be quite safe, but check with your doctor first if you are taking an anti-clotting medication.
Salmon is great, as it has lots of omega-3s. But even canned tuna has omega-3s, and it's more consumer-friendly. The biggest heart benefits have been linked to omega-3s found in fish.
7. Drink very limited
Moderate consumption of alcohol can raise levels of HDL "good" cholesterol by as much as 10%. Doctors say up to one drink a day makes sense for women, up to two a day for men. But given the risks of excessive drinking, the Heart Associations cautions against increasing your alcohol intake or starting to drink if you don't already.
8. Drink green
Green tea,as a healthier alternative to sodas and sugary beverages. Indeed, research in both animals and humans has shown that green tea contains compounds that can help lower LDL cholesterol. In a small-scale study conducted recently in Brazil, people who took capsules containing a green tea extract experienced a 4.5% reduction in LDL cholesterol.
9. Eat nuts
Extensive research has demonstrated that regular consumption of nuts can bring modest reductions in cholesterol. Walnuts and almonds seem particularly beneficial. But nuts are high in calories, so limit you to a handful a day, experts say.
10. Switch spreads
Recent years have seen the introduction of margarine-like spreads and other foods fortified with cholesterol-lowering plant compounds known as sterols.
11. Don't smoke
Smoking lowers levels of HDL "good" cholesterol and is a major risk factor for heart disease.
