Blog
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Should you invest in IPOs?
- January 14, 2021
- Category: Investments
No CommentsRemember the 2004-2006 period, where not just DIYers but also amateurs, first-timers made money in the stock market IPOs. Well, those signs of temptation and overconfidence have not faded since. IPOs have been commonly perceived as get-quick rich options by retail investors. Even last year post the March crash, as the stock markets soared, a lot of IPOs fared well. Retail investors need to stay cautious though. Let us understand certain hard facts about an IPO first. An IPO is an opportunity for a company to raise capital from the stock markets. Investment bankers help the company promoters in this […]
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Invest in International Markets for the Right Reasons
- December 14, 2020
- Category: Investments
Heard of the famous FAANG stocks? The acronym stands for the famous 5 companies – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. With technology driving the global growth, more so amidst Covid times, every investor wants to have a piece of them in their portfolio. The FAANG stocks have outperformed the broader S&P 500 index for this year. But should you invest in them, or for that matter in the global markets to chase high returns? Before you jump the gun, you should know that international equity markets are as risky or even more compared to our Indian markets. Firstly, every […]
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Should you invest in Mutual Fund Child Care Plans?
- November 11, 2020
- Category: Investments
Today, parents are bombarded with many investment options to plan for their children’s future. In insurance, you will find specific child insurance schemes. They are similar to traditional insurance policies which provide life cover and time frame for maturity. In banking, you will find savings account options for kids. Likewise, there are also dedicated mutual fund schemes to plan for a child’s future. They aren’t difficult to identify as the scheme is likely to have the term – child or children or young – in the name itself. Do these dedicated solution-oriented mutual fund schemes fulfil the important objective of […]
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Be a Blessed Shatayushi
- October 12, 2020
- Category: Financial Planning, Life Planning
“*Shatayushi Bhava” – A blessing or a curse. A few years back I had written an article on the increasing life spans of Indians and whether we should consider this as a blessing or a curse. Blessing because we get to live longer than our ancestors but at the same time it could be a curse if that increased life span is spent in ill health and financially weak. *Shatayushi- One who lives for 100 years. Gerontologists (Scientists who study life spans) all over the world have written enough about the subject to prove that long life span is a […]
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Understanding tax implications on Freelance Income
- September 14, 2020
- Category: Tax Planning
Covid19 has changed the world – the way we work, the way we do business and interact with people. The pandemic has triggered a new work environment – the virtual office. This new work revolution has given a boost to a lot of freelancing jobs in India and abroad, especially in the skilled services sector. With employees facing pay cuts or even losing jobs, freelancing has become a good option to supplement their income. It is a win-win situation even for companies as they strategize to optimise costs. Some of the popular options in freelancing are content writers, graphic designing, […]
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The Common Dilemma – Should you repay home loan or invest the surplus?
- August 14, 2020
- Category: Banking, Debt Management
As per a Bloomberg report, nearly 56 per cent of individuals have availed the moratorium facility proposed by the RBI in March 2020. Anyone having a loan with banks and NBFCs could avail this benefit and did not have to make any repayments for the moratorium period. The benefit is extended till August 2020. The objective is to provide relief to those borrowers who could be facing a liquidity crunch due to the lockdown impact on jobs and business income. While this may provide temporary relief, borrowers availing this facility eventually will end up paying more loan interest. In the […]
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Declutter your Portfolio in this Lockdown
- July 14, 2020
- Category: Financial Planning, Investments
These trying times have taught us to slow down and self-reflect on many things in our life. It has signalled to act on certain tasks which we may have procrastinated for a really long time. Like for e.g., people are taking some time out to declutter their homes. It is actually very therapeutic. It is like decluttering our minds because we then have to focus on lesser things. Less is more! This virtue can be extended to our financial life. This lockdown presents an opportunity to declutter your investment portfolio. Why cleansing is necessary? In my professional life spanning over […]
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Loan EMI Moratorium extended by RBI – What should you do?
- June 11, 2020
- Category: Banking, Debt Management
In the event of Covid19 crisis and the subsequent lockdown, the RBI announced a three-month moratorium on loan repayments 2 months ago. Anyone having a loan with banks and NBFCs could avail this benefit and did not have to make any repayments for the months of March, April and May. Now this relief has been further extended by the RBI till August. 2020 The objective is to provide relief to those borrowers who could be facing a liquidity crunch due to the lockdown impact on jobs and business income. This benefit is for all types of term loans including home […]
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Understanding Stock Market Risk
- May 14, 2020
- Category: Investments
When a crisis occurs and something as enduring as the current Pandemic, stock markets can be really cruel. The scale and speed of the fall could be severely harsh wiping off even 10-year average returns in a brief period. It is natural to feel anxiety, confusion and fear about our investments. I am sure there would be many investors who have vowed never to invest in the stock markets again. There would be majority who have sold in this falling market. But there has been crisis earlier and it’s the same story which unfolds every time. While the triggers are […]
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Two most important financial lessons to learn in the Covid-19 Lockdown
- April 13, 2020
- Category: Financial Planning
Covid-19 is one of the worst humanitarian crisis mankind has faced in recent times. Under a lockdown, we all are facing fear and anxiety in the wake of uncertainty. However, this ironic situation of a lockdown can also be viewed through a positive lens. It has taught us many things – to slow down and reflect, appreciate nature, optimise resources, value relationships, etc. And, there are financial lessons to learn as well. First and foremost: Emergency Fund: The primary thing today for mankind in these precarious times is about survival. When will the lockdown end? Will it extend another month, […]