Filter
RSS

Blog

 

Starting a family is a wonderful time, everyone is happy, excited, and a little nervous but it can also be a stressful one. If you are a parent, parents-to-be, or planning a family in the future – one of the most important things to consider is how much it is going to cost. You cannot put a price tag on having a child; it is a priceless experience that adds immense joy and meaning to life. However, smart parents are those who are prepared for the journey emotionally, physically, and most importantly, financially.

One of the most important things you can do to reduce stress is to establish sound financial habits early on. Here are ten financial tips to keep in mind when starting a family:

1. Create a budget

A budget is the foundation of good financial management. It helps you understand your income, expenses, and how much money you can allocate toward different categories. Create a budget including your income sources, expenses, and savings goals.

a. Save for emergencies
Having an emergency fund can provide peace of mind and financial security. Aim to save at least six months of living expenses in an emergency fund.

b. Consider childcare expenses
Child care can be a significant expense for families. A study by Aditya Birla Capital suggested that the cost of nine months of parental care and delivery might go up to Rs. 2,00,000/- and the two-year cost of raising an infant (0 to 2 years) can go up to Rs. 5,00,000/-. Consider the cost of child care when creating your budget, and start planning for it as early as possible to enjoy the best time of your life.

c. Don't overspend on baby items
Babies need a lot of stuff, but you don't have to spend a fortune on it. Consider buying gently used items or borrowing from friends and family to save money.

d. Plan for education expenses
Planning for your child's education expenses early can help you avoid financial stress later on. There is no need to explain how expensive the education system is. According to a survey by NDTV, in most schools in Tier-I and Tier-II cities, the annual tuition fee might range from ₹ 60,000 to ₹ 1.5 lakhs.

2. Get a life insurance
Life insurance is important if you have dependents who rely on your income. It can provide financial support for your family in case something unexpected happens. If you already have insurance then review your insurance coverage regularly to ensure that it meets your family's needs. Consider getting a term life insurance policy if you don't already have one.

3. Plan for retirement

It's never too early to start saving for retirement. There are numerous government schemes as well as private plans to help you accumulate your retirement fund. Consider setting up a retirement investment as early as possible and contribute regularly to it.

4. Make a will

Creating a will is an important step in protecting your family's financial future. It ensures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and can help avoid legal complications.

5. Communicate with your partner

Effective communication with your partner is essential for good financial management. Set financial goals together, create a budget, and regularly review your finances to ensure you're on track.

Starting a family is an exciting and challenging time, but by following these financial tips, you can establish good habits that will help you achieve your financial goals and provide security for your family's future. This will help you enjoy the happy moments in your life stress-free. So, stay aware and start investing, until next time!


5 Financial Tips when you start a family
Read More

 

Establishing financial goals is a crucial first step toward obtaining success and stability in your finances. But a lot of people have trouble figuring out what their financial goals should be and how to achieve them. We'll go through several actions you can take to make sure your financial goals are practical, achievable, and significant in this blog.

1. Determine how you are currently doing financially - Examining your present financial condition is the first step in defining financial goals. This entails figuring out your net worth, figuring out how much money you make, and figuring out how much money you spend. You can use this information to assess your financial situation and make goals since it will assist you to do so.

2. Define your short-term and long-term goals - It's time to define your financial goals after you've evaluated your existing financial status. Start by establishing both short- and long-term objectives. Paying off debt, setting up an emergency fund, or saving for a down payment on a home are some examples of short-term objectives. Long-term objectives can include supporting your children's education, retiring comfortably, or purchasing a home.

3. Be specific and measurable in your goals - It's important to make your financial goals specific and measurable. For example, rather than setting a vague goal of "saving more money," set a specific goal of saving a certain amount each month or increasing your savings rate by a certain percentage. This will make it easier to track your progress and stay motivated.

4. Establish a schedule for accomplishing your goals - Choosing a schedule for reaching your financial goals is a crucial component of goal-setting. Think about your short- and long-term objectives, and decide when you want to accomplish each one. You can use this to prioritize your goals and build a strategy for accomplishing them.

5. Make a plan of action - It's time to make an action plan when you've established your financial goals and the timeframe for reaching them. This should include concrete actions you can take, like raising your income, cutting your costs, or making stock market investments, to reach each goal. Make a timeline for finishing each goal and break it down into smaller, manageable tasks.

6. Consistently assess and modify your goals - Finally, when your circumstances change, it's critical to periodically assess and modify your financial goals. If your income or expenses change, you might need to revise your schedule, modify your goals, or set new ones after you've reached your previous ones.

 

In summary, establishing financial goals is a crucial first step toward financial success. You can develop a road map to financial stability and success by analyzing your present financial condition, identifying clear and measurable goals, establishing a schedule, making an action plan, and routinely reviewing and updating your goals. Always keep in mind that setting financial goals requires time and work, but they are ultimately worthwhile.

In addition to this, I have also made a detailed video on “How to set SMART Goals?” 

 

How to set financial goals?
Read More
Is BNPL a boon or bane?
 

A few years ago, we would visit nearby stores to purchase items like clothing, books, gadgets, and other necessities. However, shopping has become more convenient since the rise of online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon as we can now access thousands of products at the touch of a button—and at great prices, too! The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) programs, which let us order items online and pay for them later in flexible payments, improve our online shopping experience. But is this facility a blessing or a curse? Let's find out in this blog.

With a short-term credit product called "Buy Now Pay Later," we can make upfront purchases that can be paid for over the course of four or six payments. In essence, we are taking out a short-term loan and we will need to pay it back in a lump sum or through EMIs. The majority of the time, we use these loans for online shopping.

Paytm Post-paid, Amazon Post-paid, Flipkart Post-paid, Zest Money, Simpl, PayPal, Lazy Pay, and Mobi Kwik Post-paid are the entities providing this facility in India.

We can purchase items with the help of BNPL plans without having to pay for them right away. But we should proceed with caution and only purchase items that we can genuinely afford to pay for; otherwise, we run the risk of purchasing something we didn't really want but ended up doing so because it wouldn't immediately strain our budget. In addition, interest will be added to the amount that was defaulted if we delay or neglect to pay an instalment.

Although BNPL schemes offer flexibility in selecting payback terms and instalment amounts at no additional cost, our credit scores are negatively impacted by late payments. But in all the fuss about BNPL hurting credit scores, the opportunity it affords new borrowers to establish strong credit histories is being disregarded. We can build solid traditional credit ratings by making on-time repayments and using credit responsibly. To do this, we must improve our knowledge of personal finance. With this goal in mind, I am developing "Mastering Money Management," a brand-new course on personal finance. Details will shortly be released on my website www.rachanaranade.com.

Moving on BNPL schemes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include quick and simple approval of interest-free loans, minimal documentation, low processing fees, customized repayment schedules, and safe and transparent online transactions. Disadvantages include impulsive spending, interest and fees for late payments, and the possibility of a lower credit score.

There is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to money. The price of our purchases must be paid in any case. Therefore, the choice to buy now and pay now or buy now and pay later is entirely up to us, i.e., the consumer.

Is BNPL a boon or bane?
Read More
Investment lessons from the football field

 

The FIFA World Cup is starting tomorrow. Similar to Cricket, football is a ride of emotions for millions of fans across the country. Remember the 2011 Cricket World Cup? It was Sachin’s last World Cup and everyone wanted him to retire with one in his bag of achievements. Similar is the case with Lionel Messi this year. He has already confirmed that it will be his last try to get the Golden Cup, and we all want to see him hold one. Football has given us some very emotional moments. Remember how Russian Prez’s umbrella attracted more lenses than the trophy in the 2018 Finals, for once no one was annoyed that a non-deserving team won when Germany lifted the cup in 2014, and of course, you either need to be dead or not born to not know Shakira’s Waka Waka that took over the universe in 2010, it still does.

Today, we will understand three investment lessons that this phenomenal game can teach us. Let us begin 

1) Choosing a team:

You may have observed that the team the manager chooses prior to every game attracts a lot of interest. Before revealing his starting lineup, the manager assesses the strengths and weaknesses of both his own squad and the opposition. Similar circumstances apply to stock picking. Research is necessary before selecting the best stocks.

The type of players chosen by a football manager is another analogy. If the manager decides to pitch a squad made up entirely of defenders or strikers, he would get himself into trouble. What would a game look like with eleven strikers? The team's composition would be incredibly unbalanced. They may score a hat trick, but they will also give up a lot of goals. Likewise with choosing stocks, choosing only stocks in the same industry or that are similar is not a good strategy. To reduce risk, you must diversify your holdings.

2) Profile of the players:

Players vary from one another, just like stocks do. The energy of the fresh blood, the serenity of the seasoned, and the undisclosed magic of the great players must all be in perfect proportions in order for the team to succeed. Different needs are served by each player. Take Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as an example, whichever team they play for they are the ones chosen first by the manager. That's a result of the legends' extraordinary consistency throughout the years. For an investor, they resemble the stocks of reputable businesses that have historically produced significant returns.

Managers love the next-generation players. We are talking about the Mbappes, Kluiverts, and Scholes of the world. The rookies have something to prove, are simple to manage, and have skill reserves that can only be discovered if they are selected for the squad. However, not all young people make a splash. Playing a young gun definitely has its drawbacks. Here, managers take a calculated risk, something like investing in stocks of an unproven small-cap firm. Either these stocks turn out to be multi-baggers or they disappear without a trace. Therefore, a wise bet can be made by researching the company's business plan.

If you gave it any thought, you'd see that stable large-caps have a lot in common with defenders, unstable mid-caps have a lot in common with midfielders, and promising small-caps have a lot in common with forwards.

3) Game plan:

The strategies used on a football pitch also apply to the stock market. The manager chooses a starting lineup for his team based on the team's capabilities and the opposition's strengths. The most common football lineups have been 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 3-5-2.

Balanced Strategy: 4-4-2 lineup is used when a manager wants to ensure that his side plays creatively while still avoiding taking any unnecessary risks. This is accomplished by keeping the ratio of defenders, midfielders, and strikers in check. The following strategy can be used by an investor to balance his portfolio for the best outcomes: He can invest 20% in small-cap stocks, 40% in mid-cap stocks, and 40% in large-cap stocks.

Aggressive strategy: When the manager decides it is time to put all of his efforts into scoring goals, he deploys a 4-3-3 aggressive lineup that consists of three strikers, three midfielders, and four defenders. The manager needs to choose players with excellent offensive talent in order for this method to succeed.

Defensive strategy: The manager occasionally wants to be conservative and avoid giving up goals. This is where he uses the 3-5-2 formation. To support the three midfielders and two tenacious strikers up front, he deploys three central defenders and two fullbacks. This is comparable to a person who prefers to take small risks and is content with steady profits. Such investors choose portfolios that are heavily weighted in defensive large-cap stocks, with the balance held in mid-cap stocks that are performing well.

Hah! I somehow see finance in everything that I see around me. But, enough learning for today, now let us drench ourselves in the wild energy and emotions that this World Cup has in its purse for us. Until then Tsamina mina, eh, eh Waka waka, eh, eh…

Investment lessons from the football field
Read More
Top investments of top 3 investors

 

It is human tendency to imitate success stories. We frequently follow eminent Indian stock market investors who have achieved phenomenal success and attempt to participate in the same kinds of ventures that they have had. While it might not be a fine decision to duplicate their portfolios because we have our own restrictions and distinct investment philosophies, we can learn a few things from their investing and life experiences that will help us plan our own successful investing journey.

Let us have a look at the top investments of the top 3 individual investors.

1. Mr. Radhakishan Damani

Radha Kishan Damani, a low-profile trader, investor, entrepreneur, and veteran known as "Mr. White and White," is one of the top investors in the Indian market. He liked to speculate and watch the stock market tactics rather than getting personally involved in trading because he was a beginner in the broking industry in his 20s.

At the age of 32, he made his first investment and got registered with SEBI. He gained wealth through trading and soon understood that he could make money by investing in MNCs. He wasn't always successful; rather, he had some losses as well and picked himself up after them.

Mr. Damani had an interest in the consumer goods industry. He also acquired the franchise of the co-operative retail chain "Apna bazaar" prior to founding D-Mart.

Mr. Damani's top investments as of the June 2022 quarter include a 67.5% ownership in Avenue Supermarts Limited, valued at roughly 1.88 lakh crores. In addition to Avenue Supermarts Limited, he possesses around 32.3% of VST industries through his various entities.

2. Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

Undoubtedly, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala ruled the Indian stock market. His success has encouraged millions of Indians to trade stocks, and his tale is now used as a case study in nearly all business schools.

Mr. Jhunjhunwala’s lack of capital to trade or invest in was his biggest obstacle. After all, making money also costs money! Additionally, he didn't have the option of borrowing money from friends or relatives and only had 5000 rupees in his account.

His portfolio, which he started with just 5000 rupees, is now worth more than 40,000 crores. He holds almost 5.1% of Titan company limited valuing roughly 12000 crores making it one of the top investments in his portfolio.

3. Mr. Vijay Kedia

Born into a Marwari stockbroker family he joined the family business of stockbroking at the age of 19, after his father's death. While in Kolkata, Vijay Kedia discovered the "Punjab Tractor" for Rs 50, which increased tenfold over the following three years. However, he had relatively little investment in that stock.

Vijay believes that an investor must have three qualities: Knowledge, Courage, and Patience. He has been keeping himself updated since the beginning of his profession in investing by reading business publications, newspapers, and annual reports of companies. He continues to engage in these activities and has developed an interest in watching interviews with managers or CEOs of various companies

One of his top investments in his portfolio as of June 2022 is Tejas networks limited in which he has a 2.6% stake which is roughly valued at 278 crores.


I hope you enjoyed reading the blog and by now you likely have a better understanding of these top investors' best investments, and I hope you find it motivating and inspiring.

Top investments of top 3 investors
Read More
The Best and Worst Investments of Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

The Best and Worst investments of Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala the veteran Indian investor also known as the Big Bull of India recently lost his life on the 14th of August 2022.

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was the crown jewel of the Indian Stock market who believed in the Indian growth story and was so optimistic about the Indian Capital markets and was always bullish on the Indian stock markets.

As we all know Rakesh Jhunjhunwala started his investing career way back in 1985 with a mere amount of Rs.5,000 with his own investment philosophy which backed every investment he made in the markets but what separated him from the crowd was the size of his bets whenever his conviction was high which led him to invest a large chunk of money in his best stocks which are Titan, Lupin and Crisil back in 2002-03. In an interview, Ramesh Damani pointed out that Jhunjhunwala’s investments logged a whooping CAGR of 54% over the last 35 years.

In an interview, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala said “If a girl is pretty then the suitor will come” which means if the company is good the investors are going to come and invest. He further mentioned that he likes to invest in stocks that are not popular because you get a good company at a cheaper price.

Let us understand what are the top 5 lessons which we can learn from his investing career

1. Be ready to grab an opportunity - He firmly believed that the volatile nature of markets is what creates opportunities

2. Invest in a business that is Hard to replace – Investing in such businesses will give you a competitive advantage.

3. Success requires obsession – He used to say that people become shy of investing in stocks after booking losses. His advice for investors was to prepare themselves for the market and continue investing with a thumb rule of 'buy, hold and forget.' He used to advise investors to hold a stock as long as they can.

4. Never time the market - Stock markets are always right and no one can time the market. He was of the opinion that one should enter or exit on the basis of market timing instead of timing the market on its own.

5. Be Bold - He believed that “whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." So, one should take stock market shopping like any other shopping. As you try to buy goods at the cheapest possible rates, you should do the same while buying stocks as well.

When he was asked in an interview about his worst investment, Mr. Jhunjhunwala said that his worst investment was in his own health. Shankar Sharma one of his close friends said that “with Rakesh, you need to have a strong liver to match up to his capabilities both in terms of thinking and drinking as well” So irrespective of the net worth that Mr.Jhunjhunwala had health is something where he got a pullback in life because of his habits.

Finally, India will remember him as the biggest bull, and his investment rules or philosophies cannot be written down in a book as the man himself along with his ideas were unique.

The Best and Worst Investments of Mr. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
Read More
Stairway to personal finance

Our Indian culture has so many instances that teach us about various important aspects of our lives. Today, I am going to tell you one such Legend of “Paal Payasam”(Rice Pudding).

Long ago, there was a king who loved playing chess. Once, he challenged a traveler sage to play Chess. He was ready to reward him whatever he demands if he wins. The traveler is a modest guy asked only for some rice. The sage said, “On the chessboard, one rice grain will be placed on the first square, 2 rice grains will be placed on the second square, 4 rice grains will be placed on the third square, 8 rice grains will be placed on the fourth square and so on for all 64 squares”. The king confidently started adding the rice grains as instructed by the sage. He soon realized that on the 10th square, he needs to place 512 rice grains and the number would further grow exponentially making it impossible to finish the task. The sage won and he revealed his true identity as Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna asked the king to provide Paal Payasam (Rice pudding) in his Temple daily.

This story can accurately explain the Power of Compounding. Isn’t it rightly called the 8th Wonder of the world? Just imagine, how compounding can grow your wealth exponentially over a period of time. Let’s find out how we can put this to work.

50/30/20 Rule of thumb for Budgeting

Before we start putting our money to work, we must analyze our financial position. How much is the monthly spending? Can it be reduced? Figure it out first. The 50/30/20 thumb rule can help us with better allocation of our income. It suggests that we allocate 50% of our income to basic needs - Roti, Kapda, Makaan, and Internet. 30% goes to wants which can include hobbies, vacations, shopping, dining, etc. And the last 20% is allocated to savings and investments. This can cater to various financial goals like buying a house, child education, retirement planning, etc. The allocations suggested in this rule can be altered according to one's needs and financial position.

Emergency Fund

An emergency fund must be kept aside in case any unforeseen situation arises. Since such a situation can be unanticipated, the emergency fund should be invested in a highly liquid investment avenue. Make sure you park in an avenue which is promising your principal amount whenever you liquidate.
An Emergency Fund should comprise monthly expenses for the next 6 months. For instance, if the monthly expense is Rs. 30,000, then the corpus should be Rs. 1,80,000 (30,000*6). You can divide the corpus into Recurring Deposits, Fixed Deposits, and Liquid Funds. Apart from that, some portion of the emergency fund should be kept in savings account for easy access.

Start small with SIPs

A Systematic Investment Plan is a tool for investing a fixed sum at regular intervals in an investment avenue. This will gradually increase the corpus and at the same time compounding will work its magic as we discussed earlier. It will also inculcate a financial discipline. Another benefit is Rupee cost averaging. It simply means whenever markets are low you will gain more units and whenever markets are high you will gain fewer units. So, over the period of time, the cost of holding the units averages out. You can start SIP with as low as Rs. 500 or even Rs. 100 in some cases!
 
Bottom line
Stock markets can be intimidating but it is essential that we first lay down the foundation. One can gradually work their way up in the markets as they learn more about it.
 
Stairway to personal finance
Read More