Browse Month: May 2017

Goal based investing- A must to be successful with finances

Goal based investing- A killer plan which will always succeed

As per experts and veterans in personal finance, GOAL based investing will always result into success.

 

One of the keys to every project or every task is to have a PLAN. Same is with investing .You need to have a proper plan. Setting right investment goals can go long way in developing a proper plan that works for you.

goal-based-investing

 

Why do I need to set Goals for investments? I have money I can directly put that into stocks as they give higher returns and I am done with it. Every month I will keep buying new stocks with investible money.

 

Taking goal based approach will ensure the below

  • With goals in place it’s more likely that you end up saving required money before you reach goal
  • By having goals you have proper time horizon with you. This makes you to utilize proper asset allocation and minimize the risk by spreading investments across multiple assets over a period of time.

 

Why you invest money? You invest money so that in future the same can be utilized for various needs such as retirement, health care, education for kids etc. When you put money for investing, ask yourself a question – For what I am saving this money? IF you attach your investment to some of important goals then you know how much you are investing and for what specific purpose.

 

Ok, what could be the generic goals to begin with for an investor like me who is not seasoned and just starting?

 

Goals for investment can be

  • Retirement
  • A foreign holiday 2 years down the line
  • Buying a second home
  • Kids higher education
  • Kids wedding
  • Buying a vacation home
  • Upgrade of existing car after 5 years and so on

 

Good. but why goal setting is required for me? Kindly explain this to me

Below are some reasons why goal setting is important and required for everyone

  • Goals help you to avoid under saving.
    If you have planned to save INR10,00,000 for car upgrade in next 5 years and you set aside INR15,000 per month for the same, you would be able to accumulate INR9,00,000 after 5 years of term as principal and well over INR10,00,000 including the interest which will enable you to go for the purchase without scouting for money elsewhere.

 

  • Plan ahead for the goals – save less money
    When you plan for a goal like retirement which is say for example 25 years away, you need to set aside small amount per month towards it. You can also take help of equities as the investment term is fairly large. This will give you better returns as equities tend to give best returns over longer duration.  Same is applicable for the other goals too.
  • It helps you achieving the target more practically
    When you start investing keeping a goal in mind with some target amount – you have flexibility to tweak monthly investments towards it if the target amount value changes. This will help you in staying flexible and moreover you will be more realistic in your approach. 
  • Goals help you save for tangible outcome
    When you have goals, it’s more likely that you will achieve them.When you attach a real outcome, it’s more likely that you will work hard to achieve it somehow. Human is more motivated by real things than by some abstract numbers 
  • Your budget never goes haywire  
    With goals in place, you know how much your monthly spending would be. This will help you in doing proper budgeting month on month and you will be in control of spending and your budget will never go haywire

 

  • You can avoid debt using goal based investing
    When you associate goal based investing with every large purchase, you will have actual money to pay for the purchase. This way you can avoid getting into debt and can remain debt free
  • You can optimize your investment portfolio and maximize returns
    With a set target tenure, you get more insight into your portfolio. You Allocate assets based on the tenure and this way you have an optimized portfolio which means you manage the risk well.
  • You have guilt free spending money at hand month on month
    When you allocate your money monthly towards different goals, the leftover money with you can be spent without any guilt, without thinking that spending the leftover money will cause financial problems at a later date.

 

 

Thanks, I got to know a lot of things and with goal based investing I can do my financial planning in a much better way and the most important thing is I can avoid debt.

 

Yes, and above all goal based investing will make you a better and disciplined investor and can optimize your investments

Happy investing !!!

Are you an impulsive buyer?

Do you often drag yourself into impulsive buying?

 

“An impulse purchase or impulse buying is an unplanned decision to buy a product or service, made just before a purchase.One who tends to make such purchases is referred to as an impulse purchaser or impulse buyer. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well crafted promotional message.”

impulsive-purchase

 

In your day to day life, knowingly or unknowingly you go through instances where you succumb yourself to the lure of impulsive buying. The product companies are out there in every shop, every mall, every online marketplace – blaring adverts, offers, packaged deals to you. We have seen earlier that Supermarkets do extensive research on how to push their products and how to compel buyers to spend more in their stores.


Can you give me some example so that I can relate whether I am buying stuff impulsively? As far as I know i am not into impulsive buying

  • When you go to supermarket to buy monthly grocery, you pick up few ready to eat meals as they are packaged beautifully and kept in the front area of supermarket. They always have “buy one get one free” offer

  • You go to shopping mall to purchase refrigerator and you end up buying that 75inch LED TV also just because there was an offer going on that. You , being a sincere shopper, got charged emotionally and purchased the big TV just because your conscious felt that you are saving substantially on this purchase. You didn’t even give a  thought to what you will do with the TV set adorning your living room which you bought last year in similar fashion

  • How many times you have noticed that you enter mall for grocery shopping with a budget of INR5000 and end up spending INR 1500 on grocery + “something else” which had a GREAT offer?

 

Yeah that’s OK, but sometime you need to grab the offer that is going on else you will miss the boat and God knows when such offer will return?

A seasoned impulsive buyer always suffer with FOMO – Fear of missing out. If you add up all impulsive MISCELLANEOUS purchase over a period of time, you will be shocked to know the amount you have spent on these purchases.

 

Below I am listing few reasons – why people shop impulsively

 

  • Love of shopping – some people simply love shopping. For them shopping is like a therapy. They are always under illusion that few items here and there won’t disturb their bank balance.
  • Some shoppers are always in loss aversion mode. They fear that if they do not buy certain items which are on sale, they might end up at losing a big amount of money.
  • Some shoppers succumb themselves to twisted offer phrases. “Buy 2 get third free” , “buy this and get that free” etc. The moment they see these offers, they succumb to it without further researching about the product, service, and quality.
  • Some shoppers have genuine desire to save more. They succumb to the offers on supermarkets which says “you save INR100” , “Buy & save INR1000”. In order to feel good , they buy these items.
  • Some shoppers always feel that they should have an edge over others when it comes to latest gadgets, latest fashion , latest automobiles. They always pick up items which they feel will make them look cool among their social network.

 

 

Hmm.. Sounds right. I never knew impulsive shopping is such a bad habit and I must admit that I myself must have lost a fortune by now through impulsive shopping.

Yes, impulsive buying is harmful. By the time one realise this, he/she would have lost a huge fortune on it. This could hamper your financial planning, your early retirement, your retirement plan and can pose a big threat to your financial independence planning.

Below I am keying in few important actions through which we can avoid impulsive purchase

 

  • Always make a shopping list when you go out for shopping – AND “Stick to it”
  • Follow a mandatory waiting period if you plan to buy anything. If you see anything which you wish to purchase, wait for 7 days and see if after 7 days do you have the same urge to buy that thing? Most of the time the urge is momentary and it dies down soon.
  • If you already owe the item you wish to buy and you intend to replace it, clean it. Now see if you have the same urge? E.g. if you have a pair of shoes and you intend to replace, clean the old pair, wash it / polish it. If you still feel that you should go for the new pair, then go ahead
  • Remember – only fools rush in. All gadgets, the first edition always have some glitches and service issues. Better to wait and go for later releases. They are relatively bug free and cheaper.
  • List down your impulsive purchases – revisit the list periodically so that you do not make the same mistake again
  • Keep decluttering your house often. This will keep you in check of all the items you have and you will not end up buying them again. This is specially applicable for stationary items and tools.
  • Avoid going for shopping with RICH friends or friends who are spendthrift. Believe me, you will save a lot by doing this
  • Don’t save your credit cards at online shopping sites. If you save then it’s a matter of few clicks and online order gets executed.
  • Buy all items cash. Parting with currency notes is much more difficult compared to swiping plastic cards.

 

 

Great. Very practical points. I am sure I can implement these easily in my day to day life and I can save loads of money by doing this.


Yes, the advice given above is quite practical in nature and easy to integrate in your lifestyle. Always remember it’s your own hard earned money. By avoiding impulsive buying you can use your money in much better way.

 

Happy Investing !!!

Financial success : It’s not about the Stuff you gather

Remember: Financial success is not about the Stuff you gather

Financial Success

If I ask you “What are the the changes you would make in your life if more money starts reaching you – that is you have a better job paying higher salary than existing one?”

Most probably the answer would be

 

  • Buying a better smartphone
  • Upgrading the laptop
  • Buying a bigger house
  • Taking a nice vacation abroad
  • Upgrading your car

 

 

The list would be infinite. Isn’t it?


Yes, that’s true. But I need to buy these things as these things will add comfort to my life. Since I am earning more, don’t you think I deserve these? Others should also know that I am doing well in life.

 

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” — Will Rogers

 

It’s easy to spend money to buy stuff, to buy things that make us look cool and gives impression that we are well off financially. But the truth is most financially well off people do not need to show that they are well off. They know very well that their financial success is not indicated by the money they earn and spend it in buying the stuff every year. It is indicated by how much they earn and keep for growing it year on year.

 

Yes, true but I need to buy a decent SUV as I had a dream of buying it when I was in college. True that I can not afford it outright but I am eligible to buy it on monthly payments.

You are looking to buy a SUV which is not meant for city driving conditions and costs you a bomb. Any sports utility vehicle is expensive & comes with a huge list of expenses with it. Expensive car means more monthly payment, more maintenance cost, more insurance premium and expensive spare parts. Moreover, you will not be able to use majority of its features when you use it as a daily commuter vehicle. Instead of buying you can always rent it for a spin or two when you feel so. Read here why your car is not you ASSET

 

Hmm sounds good. But if I am not having a big house, an expensive car and latest gadgets, how will others know that I am doing well. Also I need to justify to myself too

Right but this is your life and why you have to buy stuff to show others that you are doing well in your life? You can not spend your hard earned money simply to please others. Remember, money is merely a tool to attain happiness, money itself is not happiness.

 

True, I agree but how to measure financial success? How anyone can come to know that he is heading towards financial success?

A simple and quite accurate measure of financial success is NET-WORTH. If you have a reasonably high positive net worth and it’s growing at a decent pace then it means you are doing well financially.

 

net worth is really everything you own of significance (your assets) minus what you owe in debts (your liabilities)”.

 

  • Do you have a house which is mortgage/ loan free
  • Do you have a sizable emergency fund
  • Do you have a vehicle which is paid cash
  • Do you have no consumer finance
  • Do you are covered adequately on insurance front
  • Do you have an investment account and you are regularly investing
  • Do you have a positive net worth and a retirement fund which will give you regular income post retirement

If you have “YES” as answer for most of the above points, yes you are doing well financially. Do remember, age also plays important factor in the points listed above. But even if you are young, a positive net worth indicates that you are on the right rack and doing well financially.

 

Remember – you are accountable to yourself. Do a tight scrutiny periodically on your finances, on your investments, on your budget. If you honestly (you can not lie to yourself , right?) find that your net worth is growing, you are heading in the right direction.

 

You have some valid points. But all seems too much complicated. How can a beginner like me can proceed and implement this to my finances?

It is not complicated. You need to move step by step.

 

Always remember

  • Money alone doesn’t bring happiness but it sure can help
  • You only have to take care of your money and ensure that it grows – none else will do it unless they have their own personal interest attached to it
  • Money can not solve all your problems. Yes but it can help you sail through most of your problems

Happy investing !!!

Appreciate what you have – In pursuit of Happiness

Wealthsamurai – In Pursuit of Happiness in the Journey called LIFE

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”

 

appreciate what you have


Appreciate What You Have
– I have chosen this topic to re-iterate the philosophy of WealthSamurai that is to achieve happiness through wealth creation and proper financial planning. Today’s post is a guest post by a dear friend SG.

When railway was invented, and routes were getting laid down in Britain, an officer working on field saw a native man carrying faggots on his head. Officer stopped him and asked where are you going. “To sell faggots in the far away village market”, replied the man. Officer asked, tell me your weekly routine. “Monday and Tuesday I chop the trees, carry the faggots to market on Wednesday, sell them on Thursday, return back on Friday, sharpen the tools on Saturday and rest on Sunday. Officer proudly told the man, once the railway starts running on this route, it will take you to market in an hour and back in an hour, so it will save you 2 days. Officer thought the man would be rejoiced instead he looked worried. What’s the matter asked the officer. Man replied in worried tone, “You disturbed my whole routine, now what do I do on those 2 days?”

The world has been changing rapidly since last century. Science and technology has contributed significantly in every field of our life. Just try and compare the daily routine you would have if born 50 years back. Along with loads of convenience and comfort it has brought to us, it also increased the speed of living drastically. Science has penetrated into your daily routine so much so that the routine tasks which would have taken whole day 50 years back are now possible only in 1/10 of its time.

For example:

  • Washing\Cleaning – Washing machine, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner
  • Cooking – Food processor, pressure cooker, microwave oven
  • Travelling – Automobiles, railway, airplanes, rockets

So the same predicament has happened to us.

What do we do with the time that we are saving?

There could have been lot of apt answers but unfortunately the answer we chose was,

  • Work more
  • Earn more
  • Enjoy life more and more

We worked more, we earned more but somehow the latter part was not to happen. We are not happier than our previous generations even though we earn more and have much more comfort and convenience. What went wrong? Only few people come across this question in their LIFE, rest of them do not even have the liberty to think in this mad mad race. People who spend some time with themselves and introspect are soon struck with reality. They know they are not happy at the moment although this might be exactly what they had planned for.

People don’t really know what they want from or in LIFE. They don’t have clear goals. They try to squeeze LIFE as much as they can and then adjust their goals accordingly. A man, who had a goal of buying a car one day, soon readjusts it to buy big sedan as soon as he owns his first car. A man, who dreamed of having his own apartment in city someday, suddenly starts dreaming of a luxurious 4 bedroom suite as soon as he moves into his cozy 1 Bedroom apartment. This is a vicious cycle.

If your goals and priorities keep changing frequently it tells three things about you:

  • You did not know your goals
  • You did not know your priorities
  • You can never be happy in LIFE

Some people may say not necessarily, goals and priorities can change and I would agree with that. But there is always a cost to pay. So what do you put at stake? You put at stake that very thing for which you have been working hard till date – A happy and satisfied LIFE.

Your wants keep turning into needs and you keep running like a race horse to meet them. This cycle is hard to break unless you are ready to swallow some bitter pills.

What is the smallest thing that you appreciated recently? Mind you, the smallest
Do you own that thing?

Answers to first question will differ a lot, however, answer to latter is same – NO.

We never appreciate what we have. We only appreciate the things which we do not have. Ask yourself, how much time you spend in appreciation and gratitude towards what you have – Very less.

Most of our time is spent in appreciating what others have and disparaging our achievements. Stop comparing things. Comparison is what is hurting you all along and it can really kill you. You can never have everything in the world. And even if you do one day, you will soon start craving for moon and stars.

However let’s not confuse contentment as complacency? One should definitely not be complacent. But you have to learn to be happy in the present moment, learn to appreciate the moment as it is. So start appreciating what you have now…

  • Appreciate your favorite ball-pen which you have purchased few years back
  • Appreciate your house you owned just now
  • Appreciate your friends, husband\wife, son, daughter
  • Appreciate your neighbors, colleagues, boss, office boy, lift-man, milkman
  • Appreciate the weather soothing or scorching
  • Appreciate the piece of sky visible from your window
  • Appreciate the flower in the vase blooming or withered
  • Appreciate chirping birds, barking dogs, yelling kids
  • Appreciate the rising and setting sun
  • Appreciate the beautiful wallpaper on your laptop

 

And finally, stand in front of mirror; appreciate yourself for the gratitude you are expressing towards everything in this world which is part of your LIFE. Take pride in things and keep feeling it. If you can do this, you will notice that something around you is changing. Every day when you wake up, you will be a happier, content and a better person than yesterday.