When we refer to financial planning, investments pop-up in our heads immediately. Growing your wealth, meeting your goals, accumulating assets – all of these need investments. However, in order to meet these financial targets and goals, it is critical that you manage the most important asset which enables all the others: your income. The first […]
The golden rule of budgeting Read More »
Borrowing can be a powerful tool to boost one’s finances if used in the right way – as discussed in our recent post. We have also explored the other end of the spectrum, that is – borrowing beyond your means and its impact on your cash flow – in our post on how much loan
Solvency Ratio: Avoid the debt trap Read More »
An often neglected yet important financial product, critical illness coverage has often been misunderstood, mis-sold and confused with health insurance. To better understand the need for this insurance, let’s look back in time to see how the concept came about. Contrary to what you would expect, critical illness coverage wasn’t conceived by a financial company
Critical Illness Coverage: Why it shouldn’t be ignored Read More »
There are two key decision points when it comes to your investments. When to invest and where to invest? The question of when to invest is a hard one to answer, unless you are a fortune teller. There are arguments to support the theory that instead of trying to time the market, just keep investing
Modern portfolio theory: How to achieve optimal diversification Read More »
“Live within your means”. This phrase has been used historically to suggest that you should only spend on what you can afford now. So much so, that loans have been demonised as a purely negative thing. However, this school of thought is changing with the realisation that loans can be a powerful tool to achieve
Loans: How much is too much? Read More »
Just a few years back, India was a country with relatively affordable healthcare services. However, this perception and the cost of healthcare has changed rapidly with rising inflation in healthcare costs, which is double the average retail inflation (CPI). Now a major illness could affect your bank account significantly, depleting your hard earned savings. Just
Insuring yourself against skyrocketing healthcare costs Read More »
Consumer debt to GDP ratio in India is only 13% as compared to 80% in the US, which means that fewer people are borrowing. Essentially, the wealth is sitting underutilised in the banks, available to only a select few, which is mostly the high net worth individuals or big corporations. Efforts need to be channeled
Debt: the good, the bad and the grey in between Read More »
At some point of time in life, someone, somewhere has tried to sell you an insurance policy. The idea of insurance may remind you of experiences of hard-selling, pushy sales people, and incessant nudges from that annoying relative / friend, just to get you to sign up for a policy. So, why does that happen?
Life coverage: The most important financial product you’ll ever buy Read More »
In this ever dynamic world, change is the only constant. That is just as applicable to the financial world, even more so in modern times. From changes in interest rates, fluctuations in asset values, volatility in business profitability, the macro and micro economic environment is constantly changing. But it’s not always a bad thing –
Refinancing your loans: Why it matters Read More »
“Everything is so expensive now. When I was younger, a chocolate bar would cost only a few paise”. We have all heard our parents or grandparents say this at some point. How does a chocolate bar that cost a few paise 40 years ago cost Rs 10 today? The answer is simple – inflation. What
How to protect your savings from the impact of inflation Read More »