A look at how young earners, middle-aged earners or impending retirees can improve their financial life and make better decisions with a study group consisting of like-minded co-workers or friends. When you join an organisation, you become friends with some batch mates. These relationships can last a lifetime. I have seen 30,40-year friendships that originated…

This was a question posed in Facebook Group, Asan Ideas For Wealth: “Say I have 100rs and I am a highly risk-averse Individual and want 8% return YoY in the current economy. What are the options available? My investment horizon is 5 years”. This answer to this interesting question involves essentials of risk and reward…

A question that often worries young earners is, “What percentage of my salary should I invest each month? Is 10% okay? Or should it be 20%?” Often this is asked when a person wants a quick rule of thumb to check if they are on the right track so they spend free from guilt. Unfortunately,…

A SIP in the NIfty 50 started 15 years ago would have resulted in a real return of about 2%. A real return is an excess return over inflation and a measure of how purchasing power has been preserved over time. Rather surprisingly a SIP in the Nikkei 225 (flagship Japanese equity index) would have…

When it comes to the public provident fund (PPF), investors tend to focus on its risk-free, tax-free and tax-saving benefits. In fact, even those who cannot afford to do so, scour around to find Rs. 1.5 lakh for PPF investment within the first five days of the financial year (which incidentally could be a mistake!)….

Investors tend to obsess on returns – either they want a high return and do not mind taking extra risks or they want an assured return with the safety of principal. Either way, there is more to investing than just returns. Even if we argue real returns (more than inflation) matter for long term goals,…

As interest rates fall, the economy in doldrums, equity markets uncertain, debt funds scary and the safety of at least some banks questionable, senior citizens are faced with a difficult problem: “where should I invest with protection and reasonable reward?” Sadly that this has been a recurring issue for the last decade or so and…

If your parents (or you yourself) have significant assets (property, gold, bank deposits, mutual funds, stocks etc) and more than one legal heir, a few simple steps can ensure who gets what asset after their (or your) time. A discussion (and this is not just about writing a will!). You can gently share this article…

The lockdown has put many people out of business and in particular, some segments that dependent on footfall from other parts of the country or the world face huge uncertainty. Even if you are salaried and not sure if you would be in the coming months, a regular income stream has to be set up…

Will Ben Grahams 50% equity 50% fixed income portfolio work for India? Or is too conservative? An analysis