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Alaska Travel Restrictions: Test-Based Alternative To Quarantine For Travelers

Loknath Das

As states begin to open up again and the summer heat starts kicking up, an excursion to Alaska to take in the cooler temperatures might be an option. But, because of its location geographically, there are a few things you might need to prep for since it sits next to Canada. This includes any COVID-19 related travel restrictions in place in Alaska. Alaska has announced a new test-based policy for travelers entering the state. This gives travelers other options to the 14-day self-quarantine that has been required since March. Note…

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Haryana govt to bear three months interest on education loans by students: CM Khattar

Loknath Das

The Haryana government will bear three months interest on education loans taken by thousands of students in the state, Chief Minister M L Khattar announced here on Wednesday. “Haryana government will pay the interest of three months of all those students who are completing their education this year or who have already completed their education in the previous year, but have not been able to start their jobs or business due to this coronavirus pandemic. As many as 36,000 students will be benefitted,” he said in a televised address to…

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Finovate Capital: A bridge to finance post-lockdown

Loknath Das

Co-founders of Finovate Capital Aljo Joseph (left) and Akshat Birla are set for a busy business cycle in the coming months Image – Aljo Joseph: Sharon Joseph; Akshat Birla:Sheetal Birla In early May and after four months of deliberations, fintech company Finovate Capital finalised a multi-billion dollar deal with the Indian arm of European tyre maker Continental. The Covid-19 lockdown influenced the way the deal was sealed by Finovate’s co-founder and chief business officer Aljo Joseph and its chief product officer Pavan Matai, a former banker at RBL Bank: Through…

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Is it safe to travel now? It depends.

Loknath Das

Although many restrictions are still in place, travel is slowly starting up again. People locked down for months want to stretch their legs, see something other than a screen, and boost the economy. Restaurants and some tourist attractions (Florida’s Universal Orlando Resort, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) are opening for local and domestic travel. A few countries (Greece, Italy) are starting to welcome international travelers. But how can you safely explore a world of potentially deadly encounters with friendly people who might infect you (or who you might expose…

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Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Q4 net rises 15% to ₹73.2 cr

Loknath Das

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank reported 15% jump in net profit at ₹73.2 crore for the quarter ended March, 2020. It had reported net profit of ₹63.8 crore in the year-ago period. The interest earned in March quarter was ₹737 crore as against ₹536 crore in March 2019. The Gross NPA was 0.97% during the quarter as against 0.95% in December quarter while Net NPA was 0.2% as compared to 0.38% in the previous quarter. The lender made ₹70-crore provisions on account of Covid-19. Net interest margin was at 11.2% in…

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What you need to know about your home finance in the time of Covid-19

Loknath Das

With lockdown and its economic fallout causing untold damage to the economy, more and more South Africans are finding themselves on unpaid leave, reduced salary packages or laid-off entirely. This is places many homeowners under severe stress when it comes to keeping up with their mortgage repayments and could well be deterring new buyers from entering the market as well. Under difficult circumstances like these, it’s easy to give in to feelings of hopelessness. However, according to Leonard Kondowe, National Admin Hub Manager for Rawson Finance, there are actually some…

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Hyundai launches five finance schemes to bolster customer confidence

Loknath Das

At a time when demand has fallen to a trickle amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing national lockdown in India, Hyundai has come up with several finance schemes to ensure that customers are encouraged to make purchases without much worry regarding the prevailing uncertainties. On Friday, the Korean car maker announced five finance schemes which it claims will help buyers put their mind at ease if and when going for new purchases. These include a three-month low EMI scheme, step-up scheme, balloon scheme, longest-duration scheme and a low down…

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Coronavirus | 3 personal finance authors on how to cope with this market chaos

Loknath Das

I believe the technical term for what we have been experiencing in the financial markets is: Aargh! (‘Bloodsuckingly bad’ also works.) I’m not sure how much it helps, but I’ve been through something like this before, during the market meltdown of 2008, when the S& P 500 fell more than 38 percent in just that year. But most millennials, the people born from 1981 to 1996, have not experienced these kind of losses as investors. How should they be thinking about their financial future? To find out, I asked the…

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Thomson Reuters halts employee travel to China and South Korea over coronavirus outbreak

Loknath Das

Media giant Thomson Reuters has canceled non-essential business travel for its employees to mainland China, Hong Kong and South Korea over mounting fears of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. “Thomson Reuters has halted all non-essential travel to China, Hong Kong and South Korea. All other travel remains under constant review,” the spokesperson said. The parent of Reuters News joins a growing list of major corporations that are halting employee travel due to virus concerns, including Amazon, Facebook and News Corp. The company is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, and has roughly 25,800…

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