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Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 12

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it would benefit to your dear ones.

There are many Japanese concepts that have interested me, but IKIGAI is something really influenced in my life. Still wonder, if I have understood it fully.  Each time when read the book IKIGAI, it boost my energy. I recommend all to read this book or read any blogs around IKIGAI or try to understand the below diagram and reflect your life to it:

 

 

If you can identify below 4 questions of your life, you can arrive it a middle point / balance of it. That is where you will find the reason for your being, that’s called IKIGAI !

1. What you love the most ?
2. What are you good at doing ?
3. What you can be paid for ?
4. What the world is in need ?

Finding purpose in life is difficult and not easy to arrive at it. Asking these questions and arriving an IKIGAI state is also not easy. But attempting these questions regularly will help you arrive at a more happy and purposeful life. I cant guarantee you, any timeline. But it will bring an improvement and consciousness to your happiness of doing, what you are doing.

I have a friend working in UK in a retail sector. He loves food, he was a decent cook used to help his wife at kitchen. He mother is a good traditional cook. Once he saved up a decent some of money, left UK and started a traditional restaurant in Kochi. He is making money and people love his food. He is leading a better life. Initially he was not earning same as UK and this business demand more time from his family life. But he is happy now ! We all can, arrive at this stage, if we start asking this questions on a regular basis.

What we need is respect in the society and should able to do what we want to do without any pressure. Money will come and go. If money is coming with an interesting job, you can enjoy your work and earn.

You may be working in a good earning job. Keep aligning your life to your IKIGAI and enjoy your life.

Happy earning !

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 11

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it would benefit your dear ones.

Recently, my friends called up to check about a block chain / ai investment opportunity. He had, prominent Indian Billionaires invested in it ! In the same line, there was a bank manager who called up and asked a trading website. This website got an investment opportunity, we can invest money and receive income daily 1 % or you can reinvest.

Both are highly educated. One person is part of Banking system. Still they are attracted towards this kind of investment. Investment knowledge and greed for money has different characters.

Any investment you are looking should have basic things:

1. It should be regulated under Indian law
2. You could raise a complaint to regulators such as RBI, SEBI or IRDI
3. In their website, you can see regular information clearly
4. You should invest with proper KYC ( Know your customer) Process and only deal via Banking channel
5. Stay away from abnormal return or guaranteed return

I was interviewing a senior person from Mutual Fund company. He said, any promised return more than Government FD rates are risky and they don’t have intention to pay back. It may pay back till the time, they want to attract other investors and spread word of mouth. So, if you are at the early stage – you may get return else, you will be in loss completely. You can’t escalate it to anyone. It becomes a scam.

We have interest to look for new big thing. It is really difficult to predict. It is just like winning a lottery. So, if you are interest in these risk assets – Invest only as if buying a lottery. Always invest your serious money into regulated products only.

Better stay away from any fancy investment ! If you are confused to investment money, Consult an investment planner or an experienced person who can help you without any bias.

Stay safe, happy investing.

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 10

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it will benefit your dear ones.

We all have dream of doing something in our life. I have NRE family members who had dreams of going for world tour and confuse that with their Kerala vacation. There are many NREs in our parents generation had only one travel. One to Kerala (home town) and then to back to Gulf (work place). Now we are seeing improvements in travel dream execution !

But there are a lot of dreams stay there as just dreams. Like, wanted to start a part time business or buy some good gadget or solo trip and so on.

We all have many dreams pass by, there are dreams continuously come and go. It is good to write out your dreams, especially the ones comes to your mind often.

All dreams are associated with a cost. when your responsibilities knock the door, you keep post ponding  your dream and that dream stays there as just a dream for ever.

Instead, convert them to a goal, Dream to Goal.

What is that Dream ? Ex – Buy Rado watch

How much it cost ? Ex – 2 Lakhs INR

When you want it ? Ex – 31-Mar-2025

Do I have money to buy that now or some part of money ? Ex – I have 50,000 INR

Can I spare a small amount of money for this goals every month ? I am sure, you can. Do that, improve it every time possible and make your dream possible on the time you fixed ! Ex – I can spare 5000 INR / Month

Sounds like a plan ? Convert all your dream like this into a goal and make it happen for you !

It’s your goal, Let’s make it !

Happy Saving.

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 9

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it benefits your dear ones.

We do a weekly call time where any one can call our office number, I personally attend to the call. People can any question related to money management. It is a learning experience for me, trust our audience is getting value out of it.

One of the calls was, a trader who was in to trading from quiet sometime. Who was able to generate profit and couple of months back, he has incurred a loss. To cover up that loss, he has traded aggressively and ended up in loss of capital. He want to come back to profitable trade. He is following the market and trade everyday to make it in to profit. I have requested him to stop trade and invest for long time. Also, asked him to learn trading on paper. Start to trade only with small money and with a proper risk management.

Its not about my solution, my solution is not full answer. There is more to it. But his problem is not the knowledge to trade. His issue is emotional hurt of loss from the market. I have read about a Buddhism concept – Second Arrow !

“In life, we can’t always control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”

In life any accident, we cant control. Your reaction post that accident is critical. If you carry the accident in mind all the time and be fearful to drive again means it is the problem. Or any time, you loss in an interview and not applying for job again, it is hurting your carrier. Or your childhood fear of talking to strangers is a dangerous fear for people to go on for socializing.

Loss in a trade is a reality. But recovering loss from next trade or one trade may not be a possible solution. Loss in that trade was first arrow and aggressive trade was second arrow.

Same problem, we are seeing regularly. People invested in market and made loss. They believe for life long that market is risky and don’t want to invest in market again.

There will be a problem on a regular basis, but this won’t happen all the time. If any loss or failure in your life, always see that as an experience and that’s your first arrow. That’s was an event, let’s not carry ! let’s not allow second arrow of suffering with that event to come in. If you are not able to stop second arrow, get in touch with an experienced person or expert in that area.

Keep learning.

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 8

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it benefits your dear ones.

Depending on single income has its own risk, Same time looking for multiple income is not everyone’s option. I know, most of our high salaried individual are focused and committed on one income and they are holding senior position in their organization. They are almost like married to their job. They enjoy what they do. When we discuss about their retirement, they are financially good, but what do they do post retirement after retiring from heavy responsible post. It’s a different topic.

But having second income doesn’t mean that – you need another job or side business. Rent from building is an option, royalty from a book is an option, Income from passive investment is another option. When I say, Income from investment. People get confused. I mean, Passive investment. You can have active investment like trading. But it involve time. If you do, then it is a side business. It’s good, if you have time and knowledge to do trading by own. Else, look for passive investments. You may have a question, why should I need a second source of Income ? Simply, to reduce the risk of single income !

Passive investment, Fixed Deposit and Insurance Investment product are commonly known. There are other options where we can earn best income + wealth too. It is good to explore more on this and look for your possible options to secure second source of income; here is few options:

–               Bonds and NCD – Same as FD, but earn better returns from Government and Corporates

–               Stocks and Dividend – When you own equity, you can enjoy a portion of profit. You can explore, good dividend paying stocks and accumulate shares there

–               REITs – Real Estate investment Trust – Here you can earn rent without owning commercial building. You can invest with a small money, just like Mutual Funds

–               Mutual Funds, SWP – Systematic Withdrawal Plan ( Opposite of SIP) from Mutual Fund is a good income plan

–               Rent from Residential and Commercial building

–               FDs / Government Small Savings plan  –  you can earn, interest from FDs from Banks and Government Schemes

–               Peer to Peer Lending – This is a new option to lend over money to a set borrowers and earn better return than FD.

List can go on, these are passive investments, can earn regular income. IF we study well and planned well, we can build a small second income source without much involvement.

Before do any money decision, it’s good to do a planning or consult a 3^rd person who is genuinely give an opinion after considering your current financial state.

Hope, it is a good read to inspire your second source of income !

Happy earning !!

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 7

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it would benefit to your dear ones.

People often ask me, what is the best investment option available ? I speak about Mutual Funds or SIP ( Systematic Investment Plan) to them ! especially, if they are new to investments. Few of them asked me back, why Mutual Funds ? Why SIP ?

Or there are people already investing in Mutual Fund. They want variety ! But in reality, they are not investing as per their real financial capability. People want to try something different and new. There are people looking for stocks, international investing, currency, Commodity and things that they are not familiar. People don’t bother to know, where are they investing or how is the regulator ? whom they can escalate if there is any issue?

That is where, Mutual Fund comes in handy. It is the most simple and regulated product in India. It have variety, all Mutual funds are not same. If you need variety, you have all in Mutual Fund in an appropriate regulated way.

To know the definition of Mutual Fund and SIP, there are many content in Money Talks

please watch – Click Here>>  https://youtu.be/mXDgE4Hdm7E

We get below benefits from Mutual Funds:

• Most regulated and less expensive
• An expert (Fund Manager)managing your money
• Plenty options to invest and Choose investments as per your need

SIP benefits :

• Discipline and Automated investing
• Best to earn compound interest
• Able to buy at average price, not worry of market fluctuation

So first, build your investments with mutual fund and focus on your work, earn income. Once we build a good money or wealth with disciplined investment, we can think about other investments.

There are options, like direct stocks, PMS (Portfolio Management Service), AIF, list goes on…

Before looking for other options, in Mutual fund itself has many variety. Let’s use that first !

Happy Saving and investing !

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 6

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it benefits your dear ones.

This Sunday, we celebrated father’s day ! Being a father is proud and great responsibility. My daughter wanted to go abroad and study on acting. She is 12, not interested in any studies here. I am very clear, I can’t  fund her education to expensive colleges without scholarship. Even with scholarship it is heavy money. My reason for this dialogue is to make her senior about her aspiration plus I like her to be in India or with me till her career starts.

I have planned for her education and doing SIP (hope you know, what is SIP ? if not please watch – Click Here>> https://youtu.be/mXDgE4Hdm7E). This will help her studies if it goes in a normal way. My daughter’s view is that she may get scholarship but now don’t remind her on that, instead just support her. Money matter will happen at the right time.

Ok, I felt – She is correct. Whatever it is, I understood now that SIP amount is not enough !

As individuals we have responsibilities and dreams. It is good to seriously identify that numbers correctly. As a father, as a spouse, as a child – we have responsibilities and same we have our own retirement and dreams. Who will fulfill it ? If we plan, it can happen easily else it will happen with luck.

Do you want to realize your dreams and responsibility with luck or as planned ?

I am sure, you want to make it with plan !

List down, your responsibilities and dreams, When do you want ? How much will be that on that date ? Can you start investing for that date and for that amount ?

Let’s make it happen !

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 5

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it benefits your dear ones.

What was your first salary per month ?

What is your current salary per month ?

This will help you understand, how many times you could multiple your salary ! If you had received 15,000 per month salary and now if you are earning 1,50,000 per month salary, which means you are earning 10 times of your first salary. But please check, how long it took to reach this current level of salary ? are you receiving of a 15 % per annum rise ? if yes, brilliant ! if not, you have to increase your productivity or change a job to match up a better salary.

But the question is not this, how much are you saving now ? when you have joined career, current salary must be your dream or beyond your dream. But are you able to save a decent figure now ? if not, whom you can to blame ? inflation, family responsibility ?

I think, better to own up this responsibility and look for ways to save more.

Look for a clear review and see, where all you can reduce your spending ? and is there any way you could increase your income ? could be part time job ? changing your investments or assets to earn income better.

Look for a financial planning session in your family meeting or check out a financial planning session with an expert !

You may be running a peaceful money life without thinking much, it is good time to pause and reflect.

Happy earning, happy savings !

Hi All,

Money Talks Weekly # 4

This is my weekly learnings to our email subscribers, same will be shared in our website and linked in. Please do share if you think it benefits your dear ones.

I had a friend, never discussed his salary with his wife. They were brilliant couple, but initial days of his marriage he believed that money matters should be dealt by man in the house.  I didn’t have an opinion on this early part of my life.

But, I had a culture development in me from my parents. They were very collaborative around money, we had a life with only my mother’s income for a period due to my father’s business loss and debt. May be all this struggle made them to manage money together. I have seen, how they struggled and come back to normal money life.

This experience gave me a belief of sharing money information with family members is important.

It is important to being transparent around money within family. A matured family member can understand what is the real affordability of their family. So what can we do to bring every family members together in money matters.

At least, once in 3 months, have a dinner table meeting on a weekend about all aspects of family including money, vacations and all possible things everyone in the family want to achieve in their life.  This meeting should have equal voice for everyone. It is good to have transparency around budget of the family and why is that budget ? This will help, all members to contribute towards stick on to family budget. In case any additional expenses or plans, all members can work as team. It could be to increase income or decrease expenses. For Example –  If your family want to go for vacation, you can plan the budget and work to save up that money either ways, savings from income or reduce some expense and save up. This kind of regular meet up in the family will help to plan and execute many aspirations of family members.

There are cases where breadwinner in the family hold entire responsibility of money and wont inform his or her struggle with family. This is one of the reasons for accumulating debt in the family. But if this is transparent, family members can cut down expense or come up with ideas to make the situation better.

So action for now is – Create a monthly meet up in your family to discuss about family dreams and money matters !

Have a happy life a head.