We always believe we will live forever. Bad things always happen to others.

Here goes the letter forwarded by Rima Parikh, a CFP Practitioner in Mumbai. Thank you Rima for sharing, it’s appreciated…

Hello Friends,

Few things I learnt after Mithun’s death-

We always believe we will live forever. Bad things always happen to others.

Only when things hit us bang on our head do we realise… Life is so unpredictable….

My husband was an IT guy. All techie. And I am a chartered accountant. Awesome combination you may think.

Techie guy so everything is on his laptop.his to do list. his e-bill and his bank statements in his email. . He even maintained a folder which said IMPWDS. wherein he stored all login id and passwords for all his online accounts. And even his laptop had a password. Techie guy so all the passwords were alpha-numeric with a special character not an easy one to crack. Office policy said passwords needed to be changed every 30 days.So every time I accessed his laptop I would realise it’s a new password again. I would simply opt for asking him ‘What’s the latest password’ instead of taking the strain to memorise it.

You may think me being a Chartered Accountant would means everything is documented and filed properly. Alas many of my chartered accountant friends would agree that the precision we follow with our office documents and papers do not flow in to day to day home life. At office you have be epitome of Reliability / Competent / Diligent etc but. at home front there is always a tomorrow.

One fine morning my hubby expired in a bike accident on his way home from office.. He was just 33.His laptop with all his data crashed.everything on his hard disk wiped off.No folder of IMPWDS to refer back to.His mobile with all the numbers on it was smashed.But that was just the beginning. I realised I had lot to learn.

9 years married to one of the best human beings.with no kids.just the two of us to fall back on..but now I stood all alone and lost.

Being chartered accountant helped in more ways than one but it was not enough. I needed help.His saving bank accounts, his salary bank accounts had no nominee.On his insurance his mom was the nominee and it was almost 2 years back she had expired. but this was just a start.. I didn’t know the password to his email account where all his e-bill came.I didn’t know which expenses he paid by standing instructions.

His office front too was not easy. His department had changed recently.I didn’t know his reporting boss name to start with.when had he last claimed his shift allowance.his mobile reimbursement.

The house we bought with all the excitement.on a loan.thought with our joint salary we could afford the EMI.when the home loans guys suggested insurance on the loan.we decided the instead of paying the premium the difference in the EMI on account of the insurance could be used pay towards prepayment of the loan and get the tenure down.We never thought what we would do if we have to live on a single salary.So now there was huge EMI to look into .

I realised I was in for a long haul.

Road accident case. so everywhere I needed a Death certificate, FIR report, Post Mortem report. For everything there were forms running into pages.indemnity bonds.notary.surety to stand up for you.No objections certificates from your co-heirs..

I learnt other than your house, your land . your car, your bike are also your property… So what if you are the joint owner of the flat.you don’t become the owner just because your hubby is no more. So what if your hubby expired in the bike accident.and you are the nominee but if the bike is in a repairable condition .you have to get the bike transferred in your name to claim the insurance.And that was again not easy. the bike or car cannot be transferred in your name without going through a set of legal documents. Getting a Succession Certificate is another battle all together.

Then came the time you realise now you have to start changing all the bills, assets in your name.Your gas connection, electricity meter, your own house, your car, your investments and all sundries. And then change all the nominations where your own investments are concerned.And again a start of a new set of paperwork.

To say I was shaken.my whole life had just turned upside down was an understatement.You realise you don’t have time to morn and grieve for the person with whom you spend the best years of your life. because you are busy sorting all the paper work.

I realised then how much I took life for granted.I thought being a chartered accountant I am undergoing so many difficulties.what would have happened to someone who was house maker who wouldn’t understand this legal hotchpotch.

A sweet friend then told me dear this was not an end.you have no kids.your assets will be for all who stand to claim.after my hubby’s sudden death.I realised it was time I took life more seriously. I now needed to make a Will. I would have laughed if a few months back if he had asked me to make one.But now life had taken a twist.

Lessons learnt this hard way were meant to be shared.After all why should the people whom we love the most suffer after we are no more.Sorting some paperwork before we go will at least ease some of their grief.

1. Check all your nominations
It’s a usual practice to put a name (i.e in the first place if you have mentioned it) and royally forget about it. Most of us have named our parent as a nominee for investments, bank accounts opened before marriage. We have not changed the same even years after they are no longer there with us. Even your salary account usually has no nomination.. Kindly check all your Nominations.
- Bank Accounts
- Fixed Deposits, NSC
- Bank Lockers
- Demat Accounts
- Insurance (Life, Bike or Car or Property)
- Investments
- PF & Pension Forms

2. Passwords..
We have passwords for practically everything. Email accounts, Bank accounts, even for the laptop you use. What happens when your next in kin cannot access any of these simply because they do not know your password… Put it down on a paper.

3. Investments.
Every year for tax purpose we do investments. Do we maintain a excel sheet about it. If so is it on the same laptop of which the password you had not shared. Where are those physical investments hard copy.

4. Will.
Make a Will. I know you will smile even I would.had I not gone through all what I did.It would have made my life lot easier.a lot less paperwork.I wouldn’t had to provide an indemnity bond, get it notarised, ask surety to stand up, no objections certificates from others…

5. Liabilities.
When you take a loan say for your house or car.Check out on all the what ifs.what if I am not there tomorrow.what if I loose my job.Will the EMI still be within my range.If not get an insurance on the loan.The people left behind will not have to worry on something as basic as their own house.

My battles have just begun…But let us at least try and make few changes so that our loved ones would not suffer after we go.We do not know what will happen in the future.But as the Scout motto goes: “Be prepared”-Priya
I am sure that we will get a lot of insight from this letter/blog about our own situations and workings.

A committee is group that keeps the minutes but loses hours.=)) =)) Good Morning!!!

Some useful health tips!

A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya(Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.




Q: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar
Q: Is eating fish good for the heart ?
Ans: Yes

Q : It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Q: Are heart diseases hereditary?
Ans: Yes

Q: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Q: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints

Q: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient.

Q: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Ans: Extremely rare.

Q: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age
(I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood .
Q: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?
Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Q: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Q: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.
Q: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?
Ans: All oils are bad .

Q: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Q: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Q: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Q: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Q: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
Ans: Yes.

Q: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Q: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?
Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Q: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?
Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Q: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
Ans : No.

Q: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
Ans : No.

Q: How would you define junk food?
Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.

Q: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Q: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
Ans : No.

Q: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?
Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Q: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Q: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Q: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cho lesterol, BP, weight.

Q: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
Ans : No.

Q: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Q: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
Ans : No.

Q: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45. (Present Global census show that the Percentage of heart disease in women has increased than in men )

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) ....

JUST TO REMIND YOU TO BE MORE CAREFUL Answer the phone by LEFT ear Do not drink coffee TWICE a day Do not take pills with COOL water Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm Reduce the amount of TEA you consume Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 5am in the morning Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping z When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times

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A letter to Papa..worth reading!!

A father passing by his teenage bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was neat and tidy.


Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the pillow. It was addressed "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:-


Dear Dad,

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you, but I'm leaving
home. I had to elope with my new boyfriend Randy because I wanted to avoid a
scene with Mom and you.
I've been finding real passion with Randy and he is so nice to me. I know
when you meet him you'll like him too - even with all his piercing, tattoos,
and motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Dad, I'm pregnant and
Randy said that he wants me to have the kid and that we can be very happy
together.
Even though Randy is much older than me (anyway, 42 isn't so old these days
is it? ), and has no money, really these things shouldn't stand in the way
of our relationship, don't you agree?

Randy has a great CD collection; he already owns a trailer in the woods and
has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. It's true he has other
girlfriends as well but I know he'll be faithful to me in his own way. He
wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams
too.

Randy taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and he'll be
growing it for us and we'll trade it with our friends for all the cocaine
and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a
cure for AIDS so Randy can get better; he sure deserves it!!

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your
grandchildren.

Your loving daughter,

Rosie.


At the bottom of the page were the letters " PTO".

Hands still trembling, her father turned the sheet, and read:

PS:

Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbour's house. I just
wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card
that's in my desk centre drawer. Please sign it and call when it is safe for
me to come home.

I love you!

Your loving daughter,
Rosie

"Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others." - Machiavelli

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Summary of Revised PPF Scheme w. e. f. 01/12/2011

1)     Interest on Public Provident Fund (PPF) is 8.6 % w.e.f. 01/12/2011.

2)      The accounts can be opened at any branch of the Nationalized Bank.

3)     An individual can open a PPF account in his own name. He can also open an additional account on behalf of a minor of whom he is a guardian. He can subscribe any amount in multiple of Rs. 5/- but not less than Rs. 500/- and not more than Rs. 1,00,000/- in a year in each of his account. A year for the purpose of the scheme means a financial year (1^st April to 31^st March). The deposits in excess of Rs. 1,00,000/- made during the year will not carry any interest and will not be eligible for rebate.

4)     Those having general provident fund or employees’ provident fund account can also open a public provident fund account.

5)     An individual can open only one account in his / her name either in post office or in bank. If two accounts are opened by the subscriber in his / her name by mistake, the 2^nd account will be treated as irregular and will not carry any interest.

6)     The subscriptions can be deposited in lump sum or in convenient installment of not more than 12 installments. It is not necessary to deposit subscription In every month of the year. The amount of subscription can also be varied to suit the convenience of the subscriber.

7)     The account can be closed after completion of 15 full financial years or the expiry of 15 years from the close of the financial year in which the initial subscription was made. This is, of course optional , and the subscriber can continue the account even after the period of 15 years for any number of further blocks of 5 years by exercising an option in Form ‘H’.

8)     A subscriber can take a loan from the fund in case of need. The first loan can be taken in the 3^rd year of opening the account i.e. if the account is opened during the year 1997 –1998, the 1^st loan can be taken during the year 1999 – 2000. The amount of loan will be restricted to 25 % of balance including interest for the year 1997 – 1998 in the account as on 31/03/1998.

9)     A subscriber can make one time withdrawal during any year. The first withdrawal can be made at any time after the expiry of full 5 financial years from the end of the year in which the initial subscription was made. The amount of withdrawal will be limited to 50 % of the balance at credit at the end of the 4^th year immediately proceeding the year in which the amount is withdrawn or at the end of the preceding year, whichever Is lower. Eg.  If the account is opened in 1993 – 1994 and the first withdrawal is made during 1999 – 2000, the amount of withdrawal will be limited to 50 % of the balance as on 31/03/1996 or 31/03/1999 whichever is lower , less the amount of loan if any drawn and which remains to be repaid . The amount of withdrawal is not repayable.  The balance as on 31/03/1996 or 31/03/1999 will include interest up to year 1995-1996 or 1998-1999 as the case maybe.

10) A subscriber may nominate 1 or more persons to receive the amount standing to his credit in the event of his death. No nomination can, however, be made in respect of an account opened on behalf of the minor. In the event of death of the subscriber, the amount standing to his credit can be repaid to his nominee or legal heir, as the case may be, even before the expiry of 15 years.

11) Subscriptions to PPF qualify for deduction from the taxable income of the subscriber for income tax purpose like contributions to Provident Fund, Life Insurance, etc.

12) The interest credited to the fund is totally exempt from Income Tax and Wealth Tax.

13) Condone in default in payment of subscriptions in the PPF account is permissible by charging the subscribed fee along with arrears of subscriptions.

14) The PPF account is not transferable from one person to another. In the case of death of the subscriber, the nominee cannot continue the account of the deceased subscriber.  

15)  The PPF account cannot be opened in the joint names. Further such account cannot be opened in the name of artificial / judicial persons.

16) The balance in the PPF account is not subject to attachment under an order or decree of court in respect of any death or other liability (other than income tax / estate duty liability of the subscriber).

17) If the subscriber dies and there is no nomination at the time of death, the balance in the account, if it is up to Rs. 1,00,000/-, will be paid by the accounts office to the legal heirs of the deceased on receipt of application in Form ‘G’ supported with necessary documents without the production of succession certificate. If the balance is more than Rs. 1,00,000/- , the production of succession certificate will be necessary.

18) The account, in which subscriptions are discontinued for any reason, will be treated as a discontinued account and cannot be closed before maturity. The account will be closed only after maturity and it will continue to earn interest till it is closed after maturity. The facility of loan or withdrawal will not be allowed from such an account. The account can be regularized by remitting a penalty of Rs. 50/- per financial year and Rs. 500/- per financial year (Minimum remittance for a financial year).

19) If the account is opened in the name of a minor and the minor attains majority before the maturity of the account, the ex – minor will himself continue the account thereafter. He will submit a revised application form for opening the account to the Accounts Office. His signature on the application form will be attested by the guardian who opened the account of the minor or by a respectable person known to the Branch.

20) The ceiling on deposits as provided by the Central Government, from time to time, which is Rs.1,00,000/- in a financial year at present , is per individual which shall be available for exemption under section 80-C of The Income Tax Act.

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Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

F A M I L Y

I bumped into a stranger as he passed me by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.


That night while I lay awake in bed,
God's quiet voice came to me and said,

"When dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go to the kitchen and look on the floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.


"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found them, out by the tree.

I picked them because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like them, especially the blue."


I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."


He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
because I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.


And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?
So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = F ATHER A ND M OTHER I L OVE Y OU