Sunday, April 18, 2010

Do insurance companies afford two regulators on their head, and the benefit to the investors of the same?

We have seen some developments in past weekend for ULIP (unit linked insurance plans), firstly SEBI has ordered 14 life insurers to stop issuing the new ULIP product but it’s not the sudden development. SEBI is thinking on the same for past some years. Now the question is will two regulators are allowed to regulate one industry by government.
When we talk for SEBI concern, they are saying the ULIP has a big component of mutual fund so they must regulate that for any irregularity, now the question is what SEBI wants to do “ will they do the same with insurance what they have done with mutual fund” means no advisory fees for insurance. But is the consumer get security with SEBI governing OR regulating Insurance industry, unfortunately not because if SEBI has that much caliber to save investors interest they may have done in the satyam case and other big market frauds in past like IT bubble.
So we can say it will not help the customers as far as the security is concerned, lets come to return for customer, what SEBI has done in Mutual Funds is they have restricted companies to charge any kind of advisory fees but if the same has been done with ULIPS how can the insurers and brokers will give expert advice to customer free of cost.
We can conclude that leave the insurance regulations for IRDA, the commission structure and charges will come in equilibrium as and when the industry mature i.e 1 to 2 years.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Inflation: Who are the soft targets and how it is handled by Government.

I can’t find myself in a good mood when writing on inflation because it’s really now started to hit me personally as well, the middle class person is the soft target for the inflation today.

Do we really know what kind of inflation we are facing this year, the inflation is only led by food prices and what RBI wants to do is rising the interest rates, I am really clueless??? How can central bank control food inflation by increasing bank rates and adjusting other monetary policies?

I just want to explain how the measures taken by RBI will only worsen the effect on general public, now we are facing food inflation and government all around India I.e. Delhi is increasing the taxes (on the name of Commonwealth games and developments), Government in center has increased the Fuel price which again has increased the price of each and every thing, and now RBI has increased the bank rate it means the interest on loans will be more, so you already have less money now central bank makes it even lesser and due to this the credit for private sector will be higher so they will not think of much growth projects, it directly impacts general public working with private company will get lesser appraisals.

It means you have to pay more for each and everything and will get less growth in your income, it means the expenses are increasing by 100% and income is increasing with mere 10%. A common man is pressed by government from both sides.