MONEY

Choosing a Safer FD
The higher the return, the greater the risk. Follow this prime rule when investing in a fixed deposit (FD). A deposit offering, say, 14% interest or more annually seems a lot more attractive than a big bank's lowly 5%. But think again.
Understand that those who offer very high rates are only doing so because savvy depositors, banks and financial institutions don't trust them enough to lend them money like you would.

Other Points:
1. Your foremost concern should not be getting high returns. It must be about protecting your principal.
2. The Post Office FD scheme is absolutely safe and returns 8%. They're "still the best bet," says Outlook Money magazine.
3. If you don't mind some risk, choose a reputed company with at least an AA rating (high safety). And do some more research:
If the company's shares are listed on the stock exchange, see how it's doing. Battered down? (Bad sign.) Is it paying regular dividends? Is it very profitable? (Both good, if yes.) You can study the finances of listed companies at myiris.com.
4. Avoid traders, jewellers and other businessmen in your town who offer their own FD schemes. Many of them cheat or go bankrupt.
5. A safe alternative to FDs are the income schemes of mutual funds. Choose one that's been around for a while and has a good track record.
- Mohan Sivanand

E-Track Your Investments
For those who invest in stocks or mutual fund (MF) schemes, on the internet, ValueResearchOnline.com provides a convenient portfolio tracker. After registering-(it's free)-you have to enter all the stocks or MFs you own. At the end of each trading day, you get to know their market values and how much they have changed since the previous day.
This password-protected portfolio also provides such information as the daily highs and lows of any stock; net asset values of MF schemes; value of each stock/MF you own as a percentage of your total portfolio; percentage of your stocks in particular sectors (eg: technology, energy or textiles); percentage in small, medium or large companies. The site also saves your personal notes on any of the securities.
Click on the name of any stock in your portfolio and learn how many MF schemes have bought that stock. Or find out what investments make up any MF scheme you're interested in-important information for any discerning investor.

Securing Your Demat Account
Your demat account is generally secure, thanks to safeguards by depository participants (DPs). But fraud can't be ruled out. In mid-2001, Dr Jaykant Sangani, 70, a Gujarat surgeon, lost 2956 shares (of seven companies, then worth about Rs4.5 lakhs) from his demat account. Only after Ahmedabad's Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) intervened were his shares restored in February 2002. According to CERS, a dishonest DP official had transferred the shares to another account for personal gain. So take these steps to make your demat account more secure:
- Even if you don't trade your shares, track your demat account frequently, as you would your savings bank account. Many DPs let you track your demat account anytime online. Printout and file all your DP statements.
- Always keep your client delivery instruction slips under lock and key. Using the slips, securities can also be transferred directly from your demat account to another account (without a broker or stock exchange) in "off-market" trades.
- Never keep signed instruction slips. Sign one only for a transaction.
- Hand the slips only to a DP official personally, or to your registered broker, at which time you must also obtain the broker's contract note.
- If you trade on-line, safeguard your password. Alpha-numeric ones (comprising letters and numbers) are best. Change the password regularly.  A Banknote Decoded
Ever wondered why currency notes are crowded with so many features? They help the Reserve Bank track printing errors and authenticate currency. Here's what many of them mean in the newer Mahatma Gandhi series of notes:

The Gandhi watermark and multi-directional lines in the watermark window:
Identification mark can be sensed by touching. Triangle for Rs.100; rectangle Rs.20; square: Rs.50, circle: Rs.500; diamond: Rs.1000. Helps visually impaired identify denomination

Security Thread (SC):
Semi-embedded and contains alternately inverted words 'Bharat' (in Hindi) and 'RBI'. Held against light, the SC becomes a continuous line. (To foil forgers, notes also have optical fibres all over visible only under UV light)

Number panels in fluorescent ink:
Latent image shows note's value in numerals. Visible with magnifying glass. Microlettering here contains value of the note and the letters 'RBI'. Printing here and some other areas is raised to help the visually impaired authenticate note.

TRAVEL

Aero Survival

When facing a long-haul flight, there’s one thing you should never leave home without, and it’s not a piece of green plastic. It’s acceptance. The fact is, unless you’re flying at the pointy end, at some time between six and 15 hours, you’ll be uncomfortable. Accept it. The sooner you do, the easier the flight will be. But there are some things that can make the experience a bit more tolerable, even downright enjoyable. Here are ten of them:
1. Earplugs. Cheap insurance against infant wails, too-loud conversations and general environmental ruckus.
2. Blow-up pillow. Get over how ridiculous they look and avoid somnambular head jolts—or worse, slumbering on the shoulder of the person next to you.
3. Eye mask. They turn off the lights in the cabin, but the person in front of you switches on his or hers. A mask offers your own personal bubble of darkness.
4. Skin ointment. In these days of limited liquid carry-on, one 25gm tube is enough for hands, lips and face, keeping you moisturized mid-air.
5. Sleep clothes. Change into something dark (for spillage), stretchy and comfy after take off; change back into your street clothes just before touchdown and be fresh on arrival, not crumpled. You don’t sleep in your clothes at home; don’t do it at 30,000 feet.
6. Small empty water bottle. Get the cabin crew to fill it for you on board. Much better than those itsy-bitsy cups. The more water you can drink, the better you will feel later.
7. MP3 player. Load it with a meditation of your choice, or your favourite soothing music. This got me through an unbelievably hot night-time flight in a wing seat that didn’t recline.
8. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Find a tube smaller than 100g and bring it on board—there’s something about air travel that makes breath stink. And something about a clean mouth that refreshes!
9. A puzzle or other book. The in-flight entertainment system has failed on more journeys than I can remember. Don’t rely on it; come prepared.
10. Sense of humour. Your fellow passengers are people too! Just remember: we’re all in it together (except for those at the pointy end)

MONEY

For Richer or Poorer
Man, woman and... it's all about accounting

Few of us address the issue of money before we tie the knot. It’s only when arguments flare that we face up to key issues, such as the differences in earning capacities; the division of bank accounts; whether to have a budget; and what to do about saving and investing.
Every relationship should have a financial blueprint, one that allows for shared goals, yet gives each person a measure of autonomy.
Excluding half the team because they don’t get a pay packet is a mistake. You are a partnership, after all.
You’ll also need to divide labour—who’ll be responsible for paying bills on time, for instance. Some couples take turns, others mutually decide the more organized partner should take the job. You can always revise the roles after a few months.
Bank accounts can be another complex area. To accommodate differences, it’s useful for each partner to have their own account for discretionary spending: he buys a camera; she gets a cellphone.
Instead of these purchases constantly causing arguments, separate accounts allow both parties to flex their financial muscle. And by deciding together what you can afford to spend in this way, you’re building a mutually respectful partnership.
Successful money management in relationships is a balancing act of negotiation, discussion, sharing and learning.
Start by:

• Prioritizing your long-term shared goals. For example, do you want to buy a home, pay off existing loans or travel?
• Work out your combined income and calculate a joint budget.
• Review your finances every three months and adjust accordingly.
• Discuss the arrangement of bank accounts—shared and/or separate.
• Decide who pays the bills and who manages savings and investments.
• Make sure each person has discretionary funds to spend.
• Finally, don’t be afraid to openly discuss your money goals and woes.

BRAIN

Grey Anatomy
Researchers around the world are studying the human brain to find out what makes it tick. If nothing else, their findings are great conversation starters—and this alone could make you smarter. Read on to find out how.
It’s smart to socialize. Experiments have revealed that talking with others exercises your mind. “Short-term social interactions lasting just ten minutes boosted participants’ intellectual performance as much as engaging in ‘intellectual’ activities,” says Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan. Ybarra’s research shows that talking can improve our memory and thinking skills—which might mean that having a conversation is as helpful as doing a crossword puzzle.
Yawning is cool. Researchers Andrew C. Gallup and Gordon G. Gallup, Jr, say our brains burn up to 33 percent of the calories we consume—and generate heat. Yawning cools brain cells, thus making them more efficient. The researchers also found that yawning increases blood flow and helps maintain optimum levels of functioning. And they suggest we’re biologically hard-wired to yawn to stay alert and protect ourselves from danger.
Use it or lose it. Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) in Australia have discovered that brain cells that aren’t stimulated destroy themselves. Neuroscientist Elizabeth Coulson suggests this self-destruction mechanism is a factor in brain conditions such as strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Perry Bartlett, director of the QBI, says understanding this process allows us to devise “new mechanisms for the treatment of diseases from depression to dementia.”

HOME

Whenever my family moved into a new house, we would decorate the walls before unpacking a single box. Here are some of the best tips I’ve picked up over the years for giving a home an arty atmosphere.

Think outside the picture frame. Art doesn’t have to come from a gallery. Hang things that define you or have special meaning. Display a handmade quilt or a woven rug, or a collection of plates or clocks. Bear in mind that odd numbers in a tight group look better than even numbers widely spaced.
If you have a striking table runner or piece of fabric, stretch it onto a canvas bought from an art supply store. Consider travel mementoes, too—I have a friend who made a dramatic floor-to-ceiling wall display of woven baskets from Africa.

Make your mark. If you want your room to convey a message, put it in writing. Paint “Relax,” “Believe” or “Dream” onto a piece of plywood to hang. Or inscribe a favourite quote directly on the wall; type the text into your computer, enlarge the font, then cut out the alphabets and use it as a stencil.

Hit the web. Get free picture downloads. The best sites I’ve found include nationalgeographic.com/print-aposter for wildlife and landscape posters, and vintageprintable.com/ wordpress where you can download hundreds of images, from Japanese brush paintings to vintage posters.

Empty the albums. Nothing says home more than pictures of the people who live there. Arrange displays gallery style or group them in quirky frames. You can enlarge favourite images on your computer, print them in black-and-white, then make a floor-to-ceiling collage. This can add wow factor to a hallway, around a door or behind a dining table.