This is the archive of all our articles related to how young earners can manage their money easily
I had a chance to speak to the employees of a Hyderabad based mobile tech company. I wanted to build that talk around the terms of references needed for money management. I could think of three crucial objectives: insurance inflation peace of mind I was able to cover the first two points but could not get…
Continue reading →So the indices fell the sharpest yesterday in recent memory. So the Sensex rose by 19% in the last year, but much of it was in the first 6 months. For in the last 6 months, the index fell by about 4%. Six months of a sideways market! oh my! oh my! Is this it? Is…
Continue reading →Stop asking for fund suggestions already! Learn how to shortlist funds and have the confidence to pick one! Free lunches will cause serious injuries to your financial health. It is so frustrating and disappointing to see people ask for mutual funds suggestions publicly. It has finally dawned on me that responding to such questions in…
Continue reading →Has my earning capacity saturated?. Is this all that I am going to earn for the rest of my life? Do I need to erase some of my dreams because I am never going to earn enough in order to achieve those? These are some of the most unsavoury questions in personal finance. Most people…
Continue reading →“I am beginner. What books should I read to learn the basics of personal finance and money management?”, is a standard question asked in most forums. The answer is not a list of books! The answer is not ‘Rich Grandma. Poor Grandma!’ I love books. I love buying them, collecting them, being among them, smelling them, shelving…
Continue reading →Here is a list of investment options available for goals which are less than or equal to 5 years away. This is sourced out of my response to a thread at Facebook group, Asan Ideas for Wealth. I think the first step in goal-based investing is to demarcate short-term, intermediate-term and long-term financial goals. For…
Continue reading →I am a fan of actor Kevin Costner. I think he has taken pretty big career risks,pulled off some and failed in some, but has always stuck to his guns, which is admirable. He has even declared that if his stardom vanishes overnight, he can make a decent living with a blue collar job, because…
Continue reading →When should I buy a house? Should I buy it as soon as possible, or should I wait for property prices to ease? Should I invest and then buy with it after some years? How important is it to have a property that we can call our own? Why can’t I stay in rent forever?…
Continue reading →A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (that is how the Star Wars movies open), the idea of getting a government job was held in high esteem. Thanks to the boom in the services industry, that is no longer the case among our youth. However, one remanent from that bygone era continues…
Continue reading →If you have used a retirement calculator, you will know exactly what the title refers to! If you have not used a retirement calculator before, you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to get all stressed up! Freefincal has its origins in retirement calculators. I have a wide range of sheets, the most popular of…
Continue reading →Which is the single most important trait that characterizes a DIY (do it yourself) investor? 1) I for Individuality A person who rises above pigheadedness* and understands the steps necessary for wealth creation. However, once the basics are clear (asset allocation is all that is needed!), the person chooses a path defined by personal…
Continue reading →The primary stumbling block that prevents investors from achieving holistic fiscal health is mental clutter. Their minds are filled with the wrong questions. The right question is a prerequisite for finding the right answer. One such wrong question, and the flavour of the season is: Where should I invest to save tax? PPF or ELSS?…
Continue reading →The physics PhD students of IIT, Madras invited me to speak on the rudiments of personal finance in their weekly meet on Oct. 24th. Here is a transcript of the talk. Since I spoke impromptu (following an outline!), I cannot reproduce everything that I said, but will try to list the important points covered. Was…
Continue reading →Buying a term life insurance policy based on an insurers claim settlement ratio (CSR) is a meaningless exercise. All it does is offer psychological comfort to the buyer who refuses to understand that each death, and therefore each claim settlement is unique. When a nominee applies for a claim, the insurers CSR is irrelevant. That…
Continue reading →In the previous post in the ‘young earner’ series, I had listed down a set of personal finance essentials. Two points appear to have caught the eye of many readers. Do not open a PPF account Do not start a SIP in an ELSS fund In this post I would like to expound on the…
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