7 must-visit countries before you get a job

Are you looking for a job and are certain of getting one in a few months? Visit these countries before the professional grind leaves you with little time.

About to join the workforce but there’s still some months to go before the happy event? Everyone will tell you to take it easy, since you will have little time to rest once you start working. But instead of worrying about your job situation, it is better to spend your time more productively – in worldwide travel!

We list the 7 must-visit destinations you can check off before you start working:

1. Sossusvlei, Namibia. The Namib Desert is a must-visit experience for every person – there are very few sights in the world that are as majestic as the sand dunes of the Sossusvlei. These are the highest sand dunes in the world. Head there to watch the sunrise and sunset – the colours of the sky are spectacular during both times, and the sand acquires a luminous tone.
2. Hydra, Greece. Hydra town has been the site for many old Hollywood classics, and it attracts a lot of tourists even today. It has retained its old world charm to such an extent that only water boat transport and carts are available if you want to move around! Some prominent Greeks have bungalows here, while the place is dotted with amphitheatres, beaches and the best Greek architecture.
3. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. Bolivia is uniformly beautiful, but you must particularly visit Salar de Uyuni, which is the world’s largest salt flat. The place is uniformly ‘salty’ – there’s even a hotel made entirely of hard salt! The high incidence of salt is attributed to the drying up of an ancient lake in this precinct – it left behind hard salty deposits that become reflective surfaces when it rains.
4. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Egypt is on the wish list of many a traveller, but the most important sight here are the Pyramids of Giza. Located along the West of the Nile River, the Pyramids are huge symmetrical structures composed entirely of perfectly cut rock. The pyramids were built over 4,500 years ago, and were originally 481 feet high. However, about a foot of the stone casings has been stolen earlier.
5. The Inca Trail, Peru. Mystery and history abound on the Inca Trail, South America’s finest and most famous trekking route. It is 43 km long and has scenic mountains, deep forest areas and jungles along the route marked with Inca-style paving stones. There are many ruins and tunnels to explore as well.
6. The Dead Sea, Israel. The Dead Sea has long been an object of curiosity for the world, but Israel is much more than this site. You can explore the Mount of Olives, the Shrine of the Book in the Israel Museum, the Ein Karem village, Mount Zion, Tomb of King David, and Dormition Abbey.
7. Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan. Japan is beautiful throughout, but its greenery is famous. Head to Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, near Ajigaura Beach. It is a flower park spread over 3.6 hectares of verdant land. Do check out the stunning blue nemphilas which have transparent petals!

An important tip: once you book your flight tickets, buy a good travel insurance plan. It will protect you from paying for treatment while travelling, or the costs of replacing misplaced or stolen baggage, cancelled flights, etc. The travel insurance plan has your back at all times, so that you can move about worry-free!

How ULIPs are one of the best tax saving instruments

ULIPs which stands for unit linked insurance policy, is a life insurance return used to cover up the risk by the owner of the policy. It also provides investment opportunities in stocks and mutual funds. Since ULIPs provides protection and investment at the same time to the policyholder, the plan can be managed according to need and priorities.

In ULIPs, policy owners pay a secure premium for a period of 5 to 10 years. Within that premium, a small allocation of an amount is deducted as maintenance charge for fund and policy management. Rest of the fund is kept for protection cover. This fund comes under the category for equity and debt. Depending upon how much risk a policy holder can take, he or she can choose either high-risk fund which gives more disclosure or debt fund which offers low risk.
As there are many investment options available in the market, choosing the best one is little tough. So for taking the right plan, you need to check certain benefits such as wealth protection, flexibility, tax saving etc.

Once you take ULIPs plan, you cannot withdraw money for at least 5 years. Therefore, this period is called as Lock-in period. If you want to withdraw money in between the lock-in period then certain conditions and some charges are applied for it. Moreover, if you are withdrawing money after the lock-in period then no tax will be charged.  

The advantage of taking ULIPs plan:

• ULIPs help in saving money to fulfil some of your higher goals such as purchasing a house or higher education of children, etc.
• By taking ULIPs plan you can save the future of your loved ones.
• According to the need, you can make a shift between your investment funds.
• ULIPs give you the facility to leave your fund depending upon charges and condition.
• Since ULIPs main objective is to build wealth in a long run, it gives you the opportunity of investing to earn profit besides, taking care of protection needs.
• The investment which you do in ULIPs can further be invested in debt or equity. In this way, you can enjoy the benefit of tax deduction over premium paid.

With the top-ups available with ULIPs policyholders can invest their additional cash, in case the premium of these top-ups remains less than 10% then policyholder can also take the advantage of tax benefit.  

Top-ups investment does not make any effect on financial planning as these investments generate an additional return to handle your tax debt.

Those who are looking forward to get high return must go for ULIPs plan. People invest in different type of plans today. But balancing different type of plan is a difficult task. Therefore, it's necessary to choose a plan that can offer extensive benefits. In that sense, ULIPs is one of the best plans which offers protection, investment, tax saving and much more. Above all the plan has different layers of investment options. So, you can invest according to your requirement.

Easy steps to renew your auto insurance online

You can renew your car insurance policy online, seated in your couch, whenever you want to. We list the steps involved.

The Internet has simplified our lives to a tremendous extent. The tasks of yesterday that required us to step out of our homes and stand in long lines, are completed today in a matter of minutes online. You don’t need to leave your house for most things today, from paying utility bills to effecting money transfers. You can shop online, live stream sports, watch movies, bank and manage your loans, and even carry out business with people located in other countries – all from the convenience of your home or place of work.

Another convenient task that the Internet allows us to carry out, is auto insurance renewal. As more and more users adopt the digital medium as a way of life, car insurance providers have made the renewal process extremely simple by shifting it online. So, from perusing a new insurance plan to asking queries about it, and from buying a new policy to renewing it every year, you can do all these tasks online within mere minutes!

The best general insurance providers today offer customers the opportunity to buy their products online, as also renew their car insurance policies in just a few simple steps. Broadly, your auto insurance renewal online entails the following steps:

• Check your insurance renewal date. This will be intimated to you via email and/or SMS at least a month prior to the actual date.
• Access your insurer’s website and enter the policy details under the heading ‘Renew’.
• Fill out details on the form that pops up on your screen
• Make the payment online at once
• Accept receipt of payment

The benefits of auto insurance renewal online?

Managing your car insurance plan online gives you full autonomy over it. You can track the renewal dates, study new benefits being offered and even contact the insurer online. Renewing the car insurance policy online completely obliterates the need to have an insurance broker do the same thing for a fee.

Dealing with the insurer directly saves a lot of time and it is also cost-effective. You are certain to have an Internet-enabled device such as a laptop, tab or smartphone. You can renew your car insurance policy the moment you receive an alert about the same on your phone – just follow the payment link provided, and the steps outlined above. 

The online medium also offers you unfettered convenience. You can renew your policy online whenever you want, from a convenient location and at a suitable time.

Single Premium Life Insurance: Save Hassle-Free

Insurance penetration in India has started to improve in recent years and is likely to cross 4 per cent by the end of 2017, as per a research paper released by ASSOCHAM. The insurance penetration which is the percentage of insurance premium with reference to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was at 3.3 per cent in 2014 and increased to 3.44 per cent in 2015.

Many barriers to adoption are being broken now thanks to a concerted effort being put in by the incumbent government and the regulatory agency which is Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA).

Single Premium Life Insurance – For A Hassle-Free Investment

One such common misconception regarding life insurance and one that keeps people away from investing is that you have to keep paying premium for the majority or the rest of your life. The single premium life insurance, as the name suggests is a option most suited if you have idle money with you and are not willing to take the risk of paying premiums in the future or consider high risk investment alternatives such as mutual funds. It is a life insurance policy offering similar benefits and protection as you will get from a traditional life insurance plan.

Forget Keeping a Tab on Dates

A common deterrent for most people when they consider life insurance policies is the fact that the periodic payment of the premium amount is something that they don't want to commit to. With a single premium life insurance policy, they can make a lumpsum payment of the premium and leave all their worries aside. You no longer have to worry about remembering and complying with the different dates when you have to make your insurance premium payments.

Tax Benefits – You can be rest assured that investing in such a policy will not deprive you of the promised tax benefits that come with such a life insurance cover. For instance, you will be eligible for the tax benefits at the time of investment as prescribed in the Section 80C of the Income Tax Act as well as the Section 10 (10D) tax-related benefits at the time of maturity.

By incurring that one payment against your single premium life insurance, you end up creating an asset in the form of the life insurance policy without having to worry about managing your future wealth to keep provisioning for premium payments from time to time. Before investing in any such a policy, it is always advisable to read the terms and conditions in great detail to make sure everything is as per your needs only.

4 reasons why you need car insurance on Indian roads

We list the four major reasons why taking a car insurance plan must be the first thing you do today.
Driving in India is certainly a lot of fun, what with several kilometres of new roads being laid every year. But an undeniable fact of driving on Indian roads is that it is also a risky activity – it pays to get a good car insurance policy in India because –

1 The roads are in a bad condition.

While the country’s road infrastructure is in a much better shape than in previous years, there is no disputing the fact that many smaller roads across India are in a very poor condition. On the one hand, there are major highways and overarching bridges in the cities, while on the other hand, there are potholed and rutted roads even in the metros and towns. Many roads are not suitable for driving, since they may damage the car chassis and puncture the tyre tubes. If you have car insurance, you need not pay for these repairs yourself.

2 Many drivers drive rashly.

Repairs and restoration are required when your car meets with an accident. Many car drivers in India are not careful about following road rules and they drive rashly, endangering their own lives and those of others. If such a driver cuts across you or tries to overtake you or rams into your car, you will have to get yourself checked for injuries and turn your car over for major repairs. The good news is, car insurance pays for both!

3 You might be held responsible for an accident.

On the subject of rash driving, it is also important to note that while most accidents will not be your fault per se, you might still be held responsible for them. It might also happen that a miscalculation on your part might result in a car accident. In such cases, your car insurance with third party liability can help you. It covers the legal expenses and other aspects of an accident in case the matter goes to court. Also, a comprehensive car insurance plan covers not just third party liability but also accidental damages, so this is an added benefit.

4 Your loved ones are waiting for you at home.

The most compelling reason to take car insurance is that your safety is paramount, and your loved ones depend on you for everything. This is a sobering thought, and it should keep you away from the temptation to speed or indulge in any wrong behaviour on the roads. You can also rest assured that your insurance policy will pay for your hospitalisation and treatment in case you meet with an accident, and that your loved ones will be taken care of in case of your unfortunate demise.

Term insurance – keeping your family safe when you can’t

Term insurance protects the interests of your family in your absence – and financial security is the best gift you can give them! 

Some things are impossible to do. Stopping time. Predicting the future. Ensuring our children are never hurt or ill. Knowing how much money one will end up with. You could make a few guesses, maybe even be right sometimes, but the basic rule of life is that it is unpredictable for all.

Where there is happiness on the one hand, there may be financial worry on the other. Where one may be in great health, one may suffer agony in matters of the heart. It is true that life is made up of a series of conflicting phases. So where one may have wealth today, one may face an uncertain future tomorrow. The point is, there is no way to predict what the next moment will be like. And so, all one can do is anticipate a bad phase after a good one and prepare for it.

However, preparing for the future requires taking a fundamental fact on board: one may provide for the family for as long as it is possible to do so, but our loved ones may be forced to fend for themselves when one is absent from their lives. You may create a large corpus of money via savings and investments, but does it account for future inflation, increased needs and higher living costs?

More to the point, will it pay for such milestones as children’s higher education and wedding, closing a home loan, spousal support, etc.? It is possible that you may leave behind debts that your family must then try to repay from its already scant resources. In the worst case, they may need to sell the house in order to get sufficient funds for their future expenses.

Don’t let this picture scare you – you can take affirmative action by buying a good term life insurance plan.

What is term insurance?

Term life insurance is an insurance product in which the policy holder pays a relatively low premium amount for a high sum assured cover. It provides one of the largest sum assured amounts across life insurance products in India today. Thus, it protects your family’s needs when you can’t.

• It is a pure life insurance product, i.e. the sum assured is paid to the family only on the demise of the policy holder. This is why you should buy it:
• It is affordable and it provides a high coverage amount. So it is suitable for those with a lower income, or those who do not wish to buy expensive life plans.
• Its sum assured takes care of the family’s future needs.
• You can buy term life insurance online easily in a few minutes. The best insurance providers do not insist on a medical test to complete the purchase process.

Easy Steps to Renew your Car Insurance

Did you know that in 2015-16, out of the 19 crore registered vehicles in India, only 8.26 crore were insured, according to an Economic Times report that mentioned the data released by the General Insurance Council (GIC)?

It is also important to reiterate here that third-party insurance cover in India is mandatory, as per Section 146 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, failing which your vehicle can even be impounded, as has started to happen in places like Puducherry, says an article in The Hindu.

So, why is there such an enormous gap between what the law of the land has prescribed and that of the actual compliant vehicles plying on Indian roads?

Well, this gap is primarily due to the fact that such policies come with a one year contract and have to be renewed every year to continue with the applicable benefits. So, if you are an owner of a car, you must inculcate the good practice of marking the calendar every year or setting digital reminders for your car insurance renewal. Do remember that any unexpected accident that happens after the lapse of your policy will not be covered by your insurance service provider.

Gone are the days when you had to ring up an insurance agents and fix up an appointment or visit the insurance office to get an existing policy renewed. Today, it has become a lot easier to go online and get your car insurance renewed in a matter of minutes.

Steps to Renewing your Car Insurance Online

• Visit the online portal of a reputable general insurance provider and visit the 'Motor Insurance' section.
• You can renew an existing policy even if it was taken from any other insurance provider.
• Keep the existing policy documents and Registration Certificate (RC) ready to fill out the necessary details.
• Make the most of the in-built tools and resources (such as a premium calculator) to arrive at the premium amount that you will have to pay during the renewal process.
• Decide if you want to avail the No Claim Bonus (NCB) or let it accumulate further for a higher claim in the coming years.
• Explore the need for any add-on covers such as 'Road Assistance Covers' and add it with your insurance renewal policy.
• Once you are satisfied by the final insurance premium amount, make an online payment to buy the renewal online and get it delivered right to your inbox. 

You can even avail the services of online insurance service aggregators to make an easy comparison amongst a host of insurance service providers and take a policy that best suits your needs. For instance, if you want a high NCB in the subsequent year(s) or want the Insured Declared Value (IDV) to be a higher figure, it is easier to go online, make these comparisons and then arrive at an informed buying decision. So why wait any longer? Check out car insurance renewal and have a hassle-free driving experience on the Indian roads.