Since the summer season is in a full swing, you are bound to take occasional short trips to the beach. Honestly, who isn’t? In fact, most of us must be planning to take our cars on a long road trip as well.

Image Source

While it is very common to maintain your car in the winter season, keeping it in the top-notch condition during the summer season is equally essential. The only way you can enjoy a long trip without facing any vehicle breakdown issues is by getting your car serviced beforehand.

To help you with this overwhelming task, we have put together a few essential car care tips for the summer season.

Coolant System

Keeping your cars cool during the summer season is very important. Hence, make sure that you are checking the level of coolant in your vehicle. Also, inspect the hoses and reservoirs carefully for any leaks and check the connection points and joints as well.

Wipers

In case, the region you reside in gives surprising showers during summers every once in a while, you should make sure that your wipers are in working condition. Worn out wipers tend to leave streaks on the windshield which might further affect your driving too. Thus, when you take your vehicle for servicing, enquire about the wipers as well.

Engine Belt

Your car’s engine belt gets loose over time and starts to make noises. Thus, while your car is in servicing, make sure that the engine belt has the right tension and is in good condition. If it is worn out, replace it right away!

Essential Fluids

It is important to inspect the oil, windshield-washer fluids, and power steering fluids on a regular basis. Monitoring these consumables and asking your mechanic to inspect your vehicle for the same is important for your vehicle’s health.

Tyres

Your car tires need to be monitored throughout the year. It is important to make sure that the pressure in all the wheels is equal. Look out for stones and nails stuck within the treads. Also, it is always wise to keep a spare tire in your car, especially during long summer trips.

Air Conditioner

If your car’s air conditioner has not been functioning properly, now is the time for you to get it serviced. Since it is summer time, the use of the air conditioner will be quite often. Getting your car serviced under professional supervision will ensure that all the leaks and other minor issues are fixed.

Sunshade and Dashboard

If you park your car in a parking lot that is usually exposed to the sun, then you might as well buy a windshield cover that helps in protecting the dashboard from the harmful UV rays. Also, it will keep the cabin cool. On the other hand, you can buy shades for the windows at the rear. Thus, ensuring that the rear seats along with the dashboard are well-protected from the summer heat.

Conclusion

The summer season is meant for long road trips with family and friends. Make sure that this year you are carrying all the essential items such as spare tire, emergency first-aid kit, snacks, and water bottles.

Get your vehicle properly serviced well in advance. Another essential requirement is to make sure that you have appropriate car insurance. If you own a car, it is mandatory to have motor vehicle insurance.

Your car insurance policy should be up-to-date and you need to have a valid driving license before you plan a road trip. Driving without a valid license and an inactive car insurance plan is nothing but a direct invitation to problems – which could also be legal in extreme cases.

With these tips, your car will surely be in top-notch condition throughout the journey.

If you are a day trader, you would know there is a wide range of equities to pick from, and you can choose virtually any kind of stock you desire. Hence, the first rule for intraday trading is to understand what to trade. It is critical to know the basics before money into stocks with reputed brokers such as Kotak Securities. Once you have made up your mind on the type of shares you need to invest in, the next step is to understand how you can profit from them.

Image Source

Here are six factors you can consider before choosing stocks for intraday trading

1. Nature of business and its prospects – Scanning through past financial track records of the company that you are interested in investing can help in knowing the true nature of the business. You may also want to consider current policies and projects involved in the company that can act as value generators for the future. Based on the current industry outlook, you may want to make your final investment decisions.

Experts recommend looking into the long-term value of the stock rather than chasing stocks that display multi-bagger returns in a short time. Doing adequate research before undertaking intraday trading can ensure a wise decision. One of the critical intraday trading strategies involves checking and ensuring the valuation multiple of the company’s stock is still appealing and not a deviation compared to its own past or current valuation multiples.

2. Profit-generating business model – A prime factor to consider is to look into the uniqueness of the business model of the stock you are considering to invest. In addition, you may also want to find a stock based on minor cyclicality coupled with a broadened business base.

3. Generating yields – A solid understanding of the company’s top line, bottom line and debt load is imperative before investing in it. It can be a good idea to also go through the earning reports of the company that are issued every quarter and annually. In addition, consider looking into the long-term view of the market before making a decision.

4. Management quality – Getting a view on the management quality of the company is a must. If you are unable to get a good understanding of the management, look into tried and tested companies with a robust rather than purchasing stocks of companies that have unknown managements, mainly if the valuation is very high.

5. Debt to equity ratio – This is a critical ratio in understanding the amount of debt a company carries as against its shareholder figures. Typically, a low debt to equity ratio of the company in comparison to the industry average can be considered a substantial investment.

6. Valuation – A critical metric to understand if the stock is expensive, appealing or satisfactory is to assess its valuation. Organizations are calibrated against one another based on the valuation ratio to know if it is overvalued or undervalued. The typical ratio used in this regard is P/E (price/earnings). If you are considering picking a bank stock for intraday trading, you may want to use the P/B [Price-to-Book] ratio. On the other hand, a capital-intensive company can be valued using EV/EBITDA.

Conclusion

One of the best intraday trading techniques is to invest in stocks without paying attention to speculative information or rumors. Rushing to buy a stock based on market buzz without adequately looking into the company’s valuation can be a grave mistake. This is because once you execute the day trade, it cannot be reversed and hence, it can be advisable to let go of opportunities rather than burning your savings.

Anthill Ventures, an investment and Speed Scaling platform for early growth stage startups, in partnership with HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited [HCG], the largest provider of cancer care in India, announced that it has shortlisted six start-ups for Lumos Health. Lumos Health is a Market Access Program focused on scaling technology start-ups in Healthcare and Life Sciences, powered by Anthill Ventures & HCG.

Image Source

The program is for 12 months and had launched its call-for-applications during late last year. It is designed to help startups focused on emerging technologies in Healthcare and Life Sciences, accelerate their business growth by providing them support and mentorship. Lumos Health will help the selected startups to raise investments, provide assistance with mentoring and regulatory approvals, increase their customer base and generate more revenues. A cohort of six start-ups that brings in exciting solutions for healthcare and life sciences has been selected out of over 120 applications received from across the world.

Speaking on the occasion, Prasad Vanga, Founder & CEO of Anthill Ventures said

There is tremendous growth of emerging technologies in the healthcare and life sciences industry globally, that have a huge potential to disrupt the space. We are thrilled to work with these start-ups – Alixir, AyuRythm, BiMedis, C-Test Medicals, Kronikare, and Raybaby. We will scale them with speed to the global markets as some of them will work on real use cases, and deploy their products in real client engagements through our tailored market access program.

Lumos Health is focused on scouting startups in the verticals of Oncology, Fertility, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Research & Diagnostics. The six selected startups have the potential to enhance the healthcare & life sciences innovation ecosystem in India. The entrepreneurs have developed solutions using Key Technologies such as Image-Based Pathology, Mobile Health, Artificial Intelligence [AI], Early Detection of Cancers, Easy wound assessments.

Panel discussion organised at the launch of Lumos Health program by HCG and Anthill Ventures

Speaking at the launch event, Dr B.S. Ajaikumar, Chairman & CEO, HCG Enterprise Limited said

Today technology has become a crucial part of healthcare. There is an advent of various innovations to bring about better outcomes in healthcare, particularly in fields like cancer, diabetes and other wellness programs.

HCG is looking at being at the forefront of bringing new disruptive technologies. To encourage this, we have partnered with Anthill to give an opportunity to the young minds of India and across the globe to come up with their proposals. I sincerely hope that our shared enthusiasm and passion for working in the healthcare segment will result in a grand success for everyone involved.

Anjali Ajaikumar, Program Director, Lumos Health & Vice President – Strategy & Quality, HCG Enterprise Limited, said

HCG and Anthill’s combined experience and history of fast growth makes this partnership ideal for healthcare start-ups to leverage upon. Under the Lumos Program, start-ups will enhance their product, have impactful interactions with our 30+ partner companies in both the local and global network and see how their company is making a difference in the quality of health and patient care.

I am excited that Lumos is paving the way for start-ups to make a significant impact in the future of how healthcare will be delivered.

This cohort of the latest generation of healthcare & life sciences startups will benefit from

  • Smart Capital through Anthill Venture Fund and investor ecosystem.
  • Access to diverse customer network through partnerships with corporates, hospitals, NGOs, various government bodies and foreign embassies.
  • Access to extensive R&D facilities at HCG.
  • Opportunity to work and scale up under the aegis of Dr B.S. Ajaikumar and other renowned clinicians of HCG. Startups selected through this program will work with subject matter experts, mentors, and coaches from both Anthill Ventures and HCG, to collaborate and enhance their solution.

Selected from 120 applications, 20 startups presented to a jury comprising of subject matter experts from HCG, Anthill Ventures, and external industry members for the shortlisting process. The participants were reviewed based on the quality of technology solution, product/solution readiness, and growth potential.

A panel discussion was organised during the launch of Lumos Health program by HCG and Anthill Ventures on how to scale up the healthcare delivery ecosystem collaborating with start-ups. which was moderated by Dr BS Ajaikumar, Chairman and CEO, Healthcare Global Enterprise. Present at the discussion was Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, Dept. of ITBT, Government of Karnataka, Shantanu Ghosh, Ex Business Leader and CFO, General Electric, Genpact and Unilever, Krishnakumar Shankarnarayan, Executive Director, PWC Consulting Service, Naveen Kumar S, VP – Research and Innovation, Altran and Dr. Ramesh Byrapaneni, Managing Director, Endrya Partners.

Chosen startups for the program

Alixir – Alixir [HQ – Australia] aims to replace the reliance on radiologists with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that scans digital mammographs and detects breast cancer. AI system provides an instant report with 96% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Accuracy achieved through usage of ‘gold standard data’ i.e. biopsies and diagnoses from surgeons.

Value proposition – Brings in value for Radiologists, Patients, Doctors, caregivers and the entire hospital system

AyuRythm – AyuRythm [HQ – India] is the world’s first application that can detect the age-old and renowned Naadi Pariksha [Pulse diagnosis], via a smartphone camera which integrates pulse detection technology and Ayurveda. It then uses Artificial Intelligence [AI] algorithm to recommend proactive solutions for the underlying causes and treatments of the ailments and stress-related issues.

Value proposition – Brings in value for Ayurvedic and alternate medicine users, as well as enthusiasts interested in natural fitness.

BiMedis – BiMedis [HQ – Ukraine] is an international medical equipment trading platform where medical devices buyers, sellers and service providers from all over the world can come together and communicate and close their deals in a professional environment. Unlike some of the marketplace aggregators BiMedis doesn’t charge a sales commission instead runs on ad revenue.

Value proposition – Brings in value for equipment manufacturers, hospitals, clinics, doctors and other service providers.

C-Test Medicals – C-Test Medicals [HQ: India] designs and manufactures a ‘Sampling’ tool which collects cells from the tissue in very painless fashion without any bleeding, needles, sutures and anti-biotics. It is the first in the market to provide a sampling tool to collect cells from third layer of epidermis [to detect oral cancers at an early stage].

Value Proposition – Brings in value for Hospitals, Clinics, Dentists, ENTs, Nurses, Government programs and service providers in rural areas who don’t have access to healthcare facility.

Kronikare – Kronikare [HQ – Singapore] offers a mobile application along with a hardware device that uses computer vision, thermal imaging and laser for Wound & Tissue Analysis, Detecting Complication and Preventive Care. It is one of the few companies to use Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence [AI] to understand tissue damage, assess wounds and predict complication against traditional manual inspection & caregivers’ guess work.

Value Proposition – Brings in value for hospitals, caregivers, patients with quicker and accurate assessments of chronic wounds

Raybaby – Raybaby [HQ – US] is a non-wearable sleep and breathing monitor, choosing breathing as one of the most important vital signs to track. It combines radar sensor with Artificial Intelligence [AI] powered platform to create intelligent and accurate baby monitor. It’s incredibly child-friendly design fits easily in a child’s nursery.

Value Proposition – Brings in value for parents, childcare centers, caregivers, baby

About Lumos Health

Lumos Health is a 12-month programme designed for Health Tech start-ups with disruptive solutions and technologies within the core businesses of HCG which include oncology, fertility, precision medicine, genomics, research and diagnostics, as well as emerging areas across the healthcare ecosystem. The programme is designed to help selected startups scale with speed by securing industry connections, technology mentoring, regulatory approvals, business growth and access to smart capital.

The programme enables its startups to secure product review and readiness, work on real use cases and deploy their products and solutions in real client engagements. Selected startups have the opportunity to raise funding from Anthill Ventures and their associated investor ecosystem.

Car insurance is an insurance policy which helps an individual to claim the liability arise at the time of a sudden accident. Choosing the appropriate car insurance policy is vital. Previously it was a very tedious and lengthy paperwork process for buying online.

Image Source

With the rapid change in advance electronic device and high – speed internet, it has been a very easy and time-saving process. To buy car insurance online you don’t have to visit the store. It can be done simply through the mobile device staying at home.

Buying car insurance online is secured and comfortable task. Most of the companies allow their customers to quote the insurance policy online.

Do Your Homework

It is important to know the requirements before buying the insurance policy. To buy car insurance online, you need to make sound research before making the decision. Analyze the coverage offered by the policy.

Seek for Comprehensive Coverage

The comprehensive car insurance policy covers the third party liability along with the damages caused to your car. It also protects your car against any accidental fire and thefts and other damages as per the selected plan.

Comparison

Online buying facilitates the decision making task. You can compare a number of a car insurance policy with the different insurer. Insurance company website holds in detail information about the different policy. So spending few time online can help you to choose the best plan for yourself.

Car Insurance Calculator

Car insurance calculator is an online tool which helps you to find out the price estimate of your insurance policy.

Know the right Insured Declared Value of your car

The IDV amount of your car is the maximum amount you can claim under an insurance policy. IDV is an amount you receive when your car gets stolen or suffer complete damage. A brand new car has a higher IDV as compared to the same model old car

Add-ons

Add-ons are the extra protection for your car which helps you out in any peril situation. You need to understand the things required and eventually opt for the same add-ons. Because add-ons have a cost which gets added to your insurance premium. Settle yourself with the add-ons as per your risk profile.

No Claim Bonus

No Claim Bonus [NCB] is the amount you earn during the renewal of your policy if you don’t claim your policy in the one-year period. Basically, it is like an award for you to drive safely throughout the year. You can receive a bonus of 50% at most.

Right Deductibles

Deductibles are of two types – Voluntary Deductibles and Compulsory Deductibles.

Compulsory deductible amount depends upon the cubic capacity of the car engine. While voluntary deductible is the amount you wish to pay at the time of claim settlement. It helps you to lower your car insurance premium. As you wish to share the repair cost during the claim, it lowers your car insurance premium.

Be Patient

Never rush to buy car insurance online. Compare car insurance plans offered by different insurance providers. Read the inclusions and exclusions which can be raised during the time of claim. Shortlist the insurance plans and go ahead with the car insurance which allows you the best coverage without affecting your pocket.

There was a time when a savings bank account was used to stash money with minimum benefits. The interest rates offered on them were so low that mid or small-sized accounts did not earn anything worth mentioning from the savings. All that changed in the last few years and, as a result, the high-yielding savings accounts have performed better than even the stock market last year. This had not happened in the last ten years.

Image Source

When it comes to the stock market, a well-performing year can offer you more return than you can even dream of getting from a savings account. However, in 2018, the higher interest offered on the savings account managed to do something unthinkable. The annually yielded interest rates on your savings turned out to be better than how the stock market performed with your investments. This is surely a piece of great news for people who have always been little unsure about investing in stocks because of its volatile nature. The saving accounts are much safer and the chance of losing any money is practically zero.

If you are wondering how you can keep your money in a high-interest rate savings account then the answer is ‘online banks’. The online banking system is a newer concept and not everyone is aware of their facilities. You must understand that online banks require lower establishment expenses compared to physical banks. They also have less maintenance cost. Hence, it is possible for them to offer their customers a higher interest rate. The online banks pay a high-yielding interest rate, which can be way more than 10% or even 20% in some cases. This surely is good news for you if you trust the savings account for keeping your hard-earned money. Now, your money will grow faster with an online bank.

There are many other benefits of online banks. To start with, they do not require you to maintain any minimum balance. This is one of the major reasons why customers have started to turn to online banks. They offer their customers free ATM cards too. You can simply link your existing physical bank account to your online bank and transfer money to it whenever you require. The experts are predicting that the online savings accounts will outperform the physical accounts by an even higher margin by the end of this year. The saving account interest rate with online banks will secure your future with more financial gain. You can fight inflation better if your money grows faster and at a commendable rate.

Just imagine the possibilities you have with higher savings. You can use that money to invest in high-profit funds and get the most out of your savings.

Truecaller announced the global launch of its Truecaller SDK solution exclusively for the mobile web platform. With this, Truecaller SDK now supports all the key mobile platforms across Android, iOS, React and now mobile web including Progressive Web App support. Developers can access the mWeb SDK from Truecaller’s global developer portal.

Across emerging markets like India and Africa, mobile web-based experiences on smart phones are proving to be the first point of discovery for users trying to access products and services online. One of the key challenges in these markets has been to on-board users using email or other modes and getting verified using the inefficient OTP process.

This SDK solution on mobile web is intended to simplify this process for developers through its OTP-less and free to use phone number-based verification solution allowing their users to seamlessly and securely access services using their Truecaller credentials. This ensures there are reduced barriers along with fewer user drop offs and resulting in increased growth in verified users that contributes to minimized business risks for the developer.

Commenting on the launch, Priyam Bose, Global Head, Developer Platform & Relations, Truecaller, said

Our vision has always been to enable the developer community by providing them with solutions that help them to build user focused, trust based and growth-oriented products. User onboarding and verification continues to be one of the critical use cases for developers as it is crucial in creating a first impression for their users in terms of building a seamless and secure product experience.

On an average, developers in growth markets are starting to see anywhere between 40%-60% of their users now coming from mobile web, giving us more reasons to launch our Truecaller SDK solution for mobile Web interfaces.

This launch extends Truecaller’s philosophy of building and solving problems at scale for users and developers globally, with value-driven functionalities. Truecaller SDK service for the mobile web platform can be used to fulfil use cases such as mobile number-based signup, login, checkout, verification, and more such touch-points across the user journey.

Early access developer partners for this service also shared their experience:

Mukund Laddha, Product Manager, OYO, said

At OYO, we have been expanding globally at a rapid pace. Improving user experience during authentication has been a key area of focus. This integration with Truecaller presented us with an opportunity to present users with a reliable alternate login method with a large presence across countries. This has made user on-boarding on web more fluid and frictionless.

Zairus Master, CEO, Shine.com, said

At Shine.com, our constant endeavor is to improve our end-user experience by adopting best-in-class technologies. As an early access partner, the integration with Truecaller’s verification solution for mobile web platform will help candidates simplify their registration process on Shine.com and facilitate a constantly active and verified set of candidates on the platform, complete with their updated contact details.

We believe that this product integration will give Shine.com a competitive edge over other job portals which solely rely on traditional, OTP-based verification.

Udit Tyagi, Product Head, Times Internet Limited – Indian Languages News Business, said

In the ever-evolving world of PWA’s the gap between app and mWeb is slowly fading away and users expect uniformity and seamlessness in terms of experience and onboarding irrespective of the platform. By leveraging Truecaller SDK for mobile web, we have been able to improve the on-boarding experience of users in our canvas of mobile web apps. In our case, onboarding conversions via Truecaller are41% higher compared to standard onboarding processes.

There is a consistent increase in medical costs. The health insurance plan that you had purchased many years ago would not be adequate to provide for the current rise in medical costs. The reason behind the rise in medical cost is the advances in medical technology. It is now possible to cure various critical illnesses and diseases with the latest technology and equipment. Considering the present rate of medical inflation, the health insurance policy that you have today might be inadequate ten years from now. In fact, it might not even support half of the medical bills.

Image Source

Assuming that the cost of a heart surgery is INR 3 lakh today, the same could cost around INR 15 lakh after ten years. With your present medical insurance plan, you would not be able to provide for the medication and illness at a later stage. You need a health insurance cover the most after you cross 50. With age, the number of illnesses and diseases increases. Moreover, the cost of treatment is also high.

If you are of the opinion that you will increase the health insurance cover as age, you are making a big mistake. With age, the health insurance company will have a higher premium amount. It might also reject the application if you are considered a high-risk individual based on your age, medical conditions, and lifestyle. This is why it is important to buy online health insurance with high coverage at the earliest.

You need to have a cover of minimum INR 10 lakh or above. You can work out the amount based on your age, medical history, and place of residence. Do not buy an insurance plan that has a minimum coverage because it will not serve the purpose. You might enjoy a low premium for the same. However, it will only increase your out of pocket expenses. The right amount will ensure that you are always covered in case of an illness or hospitalization.

You are buying a cover for the future, and hence, you need to consider inflation when deciding on your sum assured. If there is a history of critical diseases or illnesses in your family, you need to consider that aspect as well.

Medical inflation is increasing in India. Most medical insurance policies come with a waiting period for pre-existing conditions. Hence, it is best to go for the maximum amount available on your policy. This will ensure that the policy serves its objective, and if you have to go through the waiting period, you do not have to spend any money from your savings. With treatments becoming more sophisticated and healthcare costs on the rise, there is high medical inflation. This is why you need to ensure that you get a high coverage.

Your coverage should not be based on the premium amount you have to pay. Instead, you only need to consider your present health situation and then decide. With a high coverage, you will be to save a substantial amount in the long term and simultaneously avail of quality healthcare and treatment. Compare different health insurance plans online and then make a decision. The decision about your sum assured should not be made in haste, as it plays a significant role in the policy and your finances.

Having a savings account is imperative in recent times. Looking at the evolving patterns of consumerism in the economy, millennials are prone to spending, and sometimes even overspending, on a streak of materialistic temptations. So, to keep a tab on spending limits and save adequately for securing your future financial credibility, opening a savings account is deemed necessary!

Image Source

A savings account helps in accumulating funds and gives you a financial backing in times of financial emergency. Let us look at some of the most important reasons of opening a savings account at the earliest.

  • Unexpected Emergency – No one can foresee the future, but what one can do is to prepare for the future from this very moment. A savings account helps you to have a financial freedom in times of an unexpected financial emergency. Most importantly, it can keep you out of the burden of debts.
  • Asset protection – Putting all your money in investments with higher market risks might cost you if there is a need for forced selling of your stocks and bonds. Having a savings account on the other hand helps you protect your capital in times of emergency. So, instead of eyeing investments with higher returns that come with higher risks, you can invest in a savings account.
  • Grabbing opportunities – Having a savings account backs you with monetary support during times of need. Say, you happen to come across a great business opportunity, but you can only leverage your chances of working around it once you make an initial investment. A savings account can help you meet your immediate financial requirements without having to seek loans.
  • Security – Your saved amount of money is protected by FDIC insurance. This means that even if the bank goes bankrupt or closes upon any unforeseen circumstance, the government would still have your savings released to you.
  • Avoiding credit – A savings account helps you stay focused and achieve your goals and targets without having to borrow loans. Having a savings account ensures that you can pay for those unplanned bills right away!
  • Scope of growth – Savings accounts can also help you make your money work for you. All you need to do is to open a high interest savings account. Your money would basically be growing over due course of time just by being there. Compare the savings account interest rates across banks and choose the one that offers you the highest rates of interest.

So, now that you are acquainted with all the right reasons to open a savings account without any further ado, it is time to understand how to take the first step. If you are a compulsive saver, then you are good to go!

But if you aren’t, it is better if you automate a portion of your earnings directly into your savings account. It also restricts you from spending enormously on things that probably might need at this very moment. The goal is to look at the bigger picture and start saving now!