MICRO Blog

Sit back and do nothing rather than follow the herd on investment decisions. Avoid FOMO (fear of missing out). What works for your social circle may not work for you. Your financial situation is unique and so is your story. Stay clear of financial & investment biases, challenge them. Your emotions towards your money may not let you think straight & clear. Know the purpose of your money. Eventually you will spend it. Set realistic financial goals & then invest. Invest regularl

A recent conversation with a Client made me realise that many are not aware of PPF rules. Read on further: Client: Want to invest Rs.1.5 lakh each in my twin children’s PPF accounts with me & my wife as guardians for each child. Me: Let me clarify that the maximum combined contribution that you can […]

SEBI has directed all mutual fund houses to either get investors, both new and existing, to nominate or specify in a given format that they don’t want to nominate. From August 1 2022 onwards, any new investor planning to invest in mutual funds shall have the choice to provide nomination or to opt out of nomination […]

Candid money conversations with women clients made me realise that financial needs of women are no different from men. Women need adequate life & health insurance just like men. They also need to plan for their personal aspirations and retirement as men. What they do not need is women oriented insurance/pension policies, personalised savings A/c […]

I have observed people bragging about making money in troubled companies like Jet airways, Yes bank, etc., and which actually had nothing to do with their stock picking skills. When you enter a beaten down stock at the right time and then doubled your money within 3 months, you got just plain lucky. You will […]

This is the best and classic analogy that can be thought of for Investing!

Many a times, quick money made in the bull markets can also vanish at supersonic speed. On the other hand, gripped by fear and panic, investors translate their notional losses into actual losses in a bear market when they should be doing the opposite – buying solid companies at attractive prices!

Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) is one of the preferred options for investors to avail tax benefit under 80C. However, there are a few common mistakes which investors should avoid while investing in ELSS. 1. Do not invest in new ELSS every year: I have observed clients having at least 3-4 ELSS funds in their […]

Opportunity lost for waiting to enter or exit the stock markets can be huge! As stock markets continue to hit new highs, investors are confused whether to book profits or whether to continue SIPs or commit additional SIPs. When markets peak or have a free fall, it is natural for investors to have a myopic […]

The role of a financial advisor is not just to guide/coach a client in taking the right financial decisions. More importantly, it is about guiding him/her to avoid the wrong ones. The power of doing nothing at times is so powerful. In the context of investing, this is crucial to understand for successful long term […]

The usual investor tendency when taking a decision to invest in any financial product is the single-minded focus on returns. Whenever you invest in any financial product, think about the risk first. How much can you afford to lose? Think about your downside. Then think about returns.

For those interested to invest in SGB scheme, understand the product and whether it is suitable for you.

Consider this. Had you invested a lumpsum Rs.60,000 in Nifty 50 during the market downfall in March 2020, you would have earned a whooping 72% in exactly one year. And had you done a SIP of Rs.5,000 over 12 months, you would have earned 60%. But what if the markets had continued to tank further. […]

A picture says it all! This is created and shared by a US based financial advisor. Google can give you all the personal finance information you need today. Even tools like tax calculators, retirement calculators, goal calculators, expense tracker templates. But to apply all of that information effectively to your personal financial situation requires a […]

Nifty 50 Absolute Returns: 5-year: 1 Apr 2015-31 Mar 2020 – 0.13% 10 months (1 Apr 2020-21 Jan 21) – 78% Your 5-year returns can get wiped off in a few days in the stock markets. And you can recover them or maybe more in a matter of months. But can you time it? The […]

Last year I read a brilliant book by Steven Pressfield titled ‘ Do the Work’. Simple and yet a powerful name. We all talk about Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Quotient. Well, there is another quotient too, it is called the Action Quotient and how we need to up it. Just do the work! Start the […]

Last year I read a brilliant book by Steven Pressfield titled ‘ Do the Work’. Simple and yet a powerful name. We all talk about Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Quotient. Well, there is another quotient too, it is called the Action Quotient and how we need to up it. Just do the work! Start the […]

What should fixed deposit investors, incl. senior citizens keep in mind?

‘Forecasting is the art of saying what will happen and then explaining why it didn’t?’ – Anonymous. This cannot be more relevant than in present times plagued with uncertainty. As stock markets touch new highs, investors are already betting whether this is the Mother of all Bull Runs? And there are also a section of […]