What is DIY Investing? What are the pitfalls to avoid while investing by yourself?

DIY or Do It Yourself is a concept that catches people’s fancy and has been in trend for the past few years. It makes you feel resourceful and worthy of doing things on your own. DIY Investing is something we have all always been doing. We ask our friends/family/That CA uncle for the purpose of investing. Think of it like health. We all get sick but do we always consult a doctor? Not necessarily ! If you have a cut in your hand or cold, your grandmother comes up with a DIY remedy. However, you cannot use home remedies for all health issues. Similarly, you can start investing on your own for small financial goals or with some basic amount. As it is always better to consult a doctor for your health concerns, it is always better to have a financial advisor on your side. Where you want to do DIY Investing, let's understand the process of the same.

The process of DIY investing:

DIY investing allows you to manage your own portfolios with full control. However, it’s not an effortless process. You must follow a specific and pre-defined methodology towards DIY investing to achieve the expected returns and sufficiently lower risks. 1. Define your needs and objectives Every investor must have an objective, a set of goals behind their investments. We all save and invest money to achieve our goals such as travelling, buying a car, buying a house etc. If nothing, then the basic objective of achieving wealth creation or financial freedom is a must for everyone. So before you start your investment it is important to pen down your goals along with the amount needed for that goal. You can learn more about this in this article here - Goal based investment. 2. Know your risk profile Now that you know the amount you need and when you need it, the next step is to understand your risk profile i.e. how you want to reach the amount that you need. You must understand how much risk you are comfortable taking to achieve your goals. A person with an aggressive risk profile has a higher risk taking capacity and can invest, say 80% of his savings, in equity whereas a conservative person would invest a lot less in equities. The idea is that you take only so much risk that allows you to sleep peacefully, invest consistently and have a smooth ride to achieving your goals. Know more about your risk profile and how it helps you invest better in this article - What is a risk profile? How to invest on that basis? 3. Understand your Investment Option The next step is to understand all the asset classes. You should know which asset class is right for you and what are the risks and returns associated with it. You can enroll in our course- NM 103: Basics of Asset Classes. This course is all about setting the base with learning about the Investment asset classes and what they do. 4. Allocate asset allocation Based on your risk profile, it’s time to put your money to work. For example, if you are of growth profile invest 70%% of your investment in Equities and 30% of your investment in Debt. A proper asset allocation is what will determine most of your gains rather the selection of the best equity share. 5. Construct plans and strategies After you have gathered and analyzed enough information the next move is to develop ideas, plans, and strategies in line with their goals. The plans include how much to invest each month, selection of financial instruments to invest in, tax considerations, and developing an investment strategy. The strategies can either be focused on growth, value, income, or a combination of all based on individual needs and priorities. 6. Implementation of the Plan & Strategy The plans and strategies are then implemented in the most practical manner possible. DIY investors might need to try various strategies before settling for one. Even after implementation, it is necessary to keep monitoring and evaluating the investment strategies and make changes as and when needed.

Pitfalls of DIY investing:

1. Lack of research and Professional Advice DIY investing may seem appealing, but the knowledge and experience of professional financial advisors cannot and should not be ignored. It takes years of experience to understand the market. You as a DIY investor will not be that skillful to handle your portfolio in every situation, especially when the markets are volatile. Everytime you believe this is it - there is something completely new that happens to be market and you will have to change your strategy. 2. Needs a lot of time Investing demands a lot of research and monitoring of your portfolio. You need to learn about your investment products, various asset classes, their features, risk & return, market scenario, global market conditions, its impact on your investments, how you should make a decision etc. Even when you consult someone to invest for you - it is very important you understand the basics of Investing. You can check our course for the same - Namaste Money. We start this course with a blank slate and handhold you through each concept as you baby step your way into finances. By the end of this course, you will be a better DIY money manager and investor. 3. Fear & Greed Emotions play an important role while investing. While you are investing on your own your fear or greed can oppose your investment strategy. Whereas, the financial advisor will not ask you to take decisions that are influenced by emotions. Check out our blog: What is loss aversion bias in investing? 4. Lack of monitoring DIY investing isn't just about doing your homework prior to making an investment. It is an on-going process. It is essential to monitor your investments. For example, if you are invested in a mutual fund, you need to check a few factors, for example what if the fund manager changes? You need to be updated with your investments. 5. Not rebalancing Investing isn’t a one-time exercise. You need to review and rebalance (where necessary)it at least once a year. Check out our blog: Smart investing: Time to re balance your investment portfolio

Wealth Café Advice:

Anyone can be a DIY investor. But not everyone will succeed. Where you have the time and ability to do the skills required to invest on your own, DIY Investing can be fun and would save you the cost as well. Do note that finance is a continuous learning process. Where you are just investing based on tips and recommendations and calling it DIY investing, then it is better to seek professional advice and let someone else do it for you. You can reach out to us at iplan@wealthcafe.in. If you want us to manage your investment, you can learn more about us at ria.wealthcafe.in and reach out to us.

Investments - 12/09/2021

What is loss aversion bias in investing?

Loss aversion is a tendency in behavioral finance where investors are so fearful of losses that they focus on trying to avoid a loss more so than on making gains. The more one experiences losses, the more likely they are to become prone to loss aversion.

For instance, say you bought 100 shares of Yes Bank at Rs 50 per share. If the stock fell to Rs 30, and you bought another 100 shares, your average price per share would be Rs 40. If the stock further fell to Rs 15, and you bought another 100 shares, your average price per share would be Rs 30. And if you now feel the need to sell, you would be facing a loss of approx 53%. (We have taken this only for an example purpose, no recommendation or fundamental is done for the stock)

Purchasing more shares to average down the price wouldn't change that fact, so do not misinterpret averaging down as a means to magically decrease your loss. This is a very common practice followed by investors where they keep buying more shares at the dip, thinking they are lowering their cost, without understanding that they are just incurring more losses. Such methods of buying at a lower cost must be followed only and only where the company has strong fundamentals and you are sure that the current dip in the price is due to some change in the market scenario. If the losses continue, then do you think buying more is the solution or booking your losses is?

Research on loss aversion shows that investors feel the pain of a loss more than twice as strong as they feel the enjoyment of making a profit.

EXAMPLES OF LOSS AVERSION

Below is a list of loss aversion examples that investors often fall into:

Investing in low-return, guaranteed investments over more promising investments that carry a higher risk
Not selling a stock that you hold when your current rational analysis of the stock clearly indicates that it should be abandoned as an investment
Selling a stock that has gone up slightly in price just to realize a gain of any amount, when your analysis indicates that the stock should be held longer for a much larger profit
Telling oneself that an investment is not a loss until it’s realized (i.e., when the investment is sold)

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF LOSS AVERSION

Loss aversion causes investors to hold on to loss-making stocks or funds for a very long period. They refuse to sell a stock or fund at a loss and can hold on to it for long periods of time even if there are better alternative investment options available.
Aversion for losses makes investors hold on to loss-making stocks or funds till the loss is recovered. Ultimately, when the investor sells the stock or fund, a long time may have elapsed and the return on the investment is very low.
There are also instances of investors holding on to loss-making stocks/funds and then finally selling them at a much bigger loss than what they would have incurred if they sold earlier.
Loss aversion is commonly seen in property / real estate investments. Investors refuse to sell their property at a loss and hold on to it hoping the investment will turn profitable someday. Throughout the holding period of the investment, they pay interest on their loans which could have been avoided if they sold earlier.

RATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING LOSSES
Let’s look at some examples of how a company or an individual can reasonably minimize risk exposure and losses:

Hedge an existing investment by making a second investment that’s inversely correlated to the first investment
Invest in endowment plans/debt products that have a guaranteed rate of return so you have your safety net in place
Invest in government bonds directly or via mutual funds (but be aware of the liquidity and the interest rate risk over there)
Purchase investments with relatively low price volatility and only after thorough research. Do not just buy because something is priced low. Understand the value of it before investing.
Consciously remain aware of loss aversion as a potential weakness in your investing decisions and make more conscious smart decisions.
Invest in companies that have an extremely strong balance sheet and cash flow generation. (In other words, perform due diligence and only make investments that rational analysis indicates have genuine potential to significantly increase in value.) and DO NOT MAKE INVESTMENTS BASED ON TRENDING TWEETS AND TELEGRAM GROUPS.

CONCLUSION
No one likes to make a loss, but loss aversion can cause you to lose more money or make less money than what you feared to lose. Sometimes, it is better to book a loss and move on to alternative investment options. This moving on will help you invest for the long term better and make money eventually.

It is difficult to separate emotions from investing, but successful investors are able to do it. You should do what is right to meet your financial goals including selling funds that are underperforming consistently and switching to better funds. A good financial advisor can help you overcome this behavioral bias. You should have a rational and objective portfolio performance evaluation process; take the help of a financial advisor if required. We are SEBI registered investment advisors and can help you make sound investment decisions - you can reach out to us at iplan@wealthcafe.in, in order to help you make a financial plan for yourself.

Uncategorized - 08/05/2021

Digital Gold: Have you pocketed everything you need to know?

Hello fellow investors

Digital Gold is considered as one of the best and most convenient ways to invest in gold for us gold love-stuck Indians. In the past one year, every other payment app like Paytm, Google Pay and now even Amazon Pay has joined the players who offer Digital Gold. Even many stockbrokers have joined the offering to cater to the Indians' love for Gold.

The increasing gold prices and higher returns in the past 1 year have only further affirmed this love. Is this digital gold all that glittery for real? Have you looked at the fees, cost structure, and the regulations behind buying digital gold? Read this article to understand the various nuances of digital gold and things to consider before buying digital gold (only for convenience)

Digital Gold – Have you pocketed everything you need to know?

The entire mantra of Digital India has been pushed to gold as well and now an investor can purchase gold using payment apps like Paytm, Phone Pe, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, etc.

As investors, it is important to be aware of how Digital Gold functions; where is the money eventually going, and how cost-effective this investment is. Here we will break down these concepts for you and help you have a well-informed discussion about digital gold and it will offer you insights if you should go for it or not.

What is Digital Gold?

Digital Gold is a way to invest in physical gold ‘digitally’. It is offered by 3 main vendors in India – Augmont Gold; MMTC-PAMP India Pvt. Ltd (a joint venture between state-run MMTC Ltd and Swiss firm MKS PAMP) and Digital Gold India Pvt. Ltd with its Safe Gold brand. Various payment apps such as – Paytm (Safe Gold), Google Pay (MMTC-PAMP), Amazon Pay (Safe Gold), and investment platforms such as – Kuvera, Groww, and stockbrokers bring to you this digital gold in partnership with one of the three vendors. There are many new financial service providers who are adding digital gold to their bouquet of services.

So how does this work? When an investor buys gold via these apps, physical gold equivalent to that amount is kept safely in a vault under the security of the vendors. The investor can then choose to sell the gold at any time using the same app or convert it into gold coins (after reaching a certain limit).

Digital gold enables an investor to buy, sell, and accumulate pure gold of finesse 99.99 (24K gold) infractions anytime, anywhere. Thus, even with a minuscule monetary investment of INR 1, an investor can buy gold (even if it’s a minuscule quantity of it) at their convenience regardless of the time and place. What’s more, is that one can do so without worrying about the purity of gold.

Is this product really all gold?

To dig deeper into the digital gold framework and its working, we checked the buying & selling prices on various apps and compared the same to MCX gold prices.

MCX Price on 18 September was INR 51,210

As you can see from the table above, there is a clear difference between the buy and sell price of digital gold. Also, the prices on these apps are much higher than the MCX price for gold.

The gold price is higher on the platforms as they charge convenience fees, gold handling charges, trustee fees, storage charges which are all included in the gold price but there is no breakup of these charges mentioned anywhere. Additionally, a GST of 3% is also payable on the gold price.

Meanwhile, the selling price is substantially lower than the buying price and on top of it, some platforms also charge a convenience fee when you sell the gold.

Making & delivery charges – An investor can take physical delivery of gold in the form of gold coins and jewellery (Paytm has tie-ups with Kalyan Jewellers). While converting to coins, making charges and delivery charges are payable. On the Paytm app, the minimum quantity of 0.5 grams of gold is required to convert to gold coins and the charges vary from 384 for 1 gram gold coin to 944 for 10 gram gold coin (these charges and specifications varies across each app)

Apart from the additional cost, the risk of investing in digital gold is that there is no regulator for the product. When digital gold is bought, the vendor purchases gold of an equivalent amount in the investor's name. Generally, a trustee is appointed to see if the quantity and purity of gold is maintained in line with the gold purchased by the investor. However, currently, there is no regulator to oversee if the trustee is doing the work properly. This is a point of concern because even the apps which help one to buy digital gold are only a medium to buy it. Ultimately gold is stored with the vendors.

In light of the lack of regulatory framework coupled with the high cost of digital gold, other investment options of gold such as sovereign gold bonds & Gold ETF appear more viable when investing larger amounts of money and for longer periods.

On the other hand, digital gold helps us, gold love-struck Indians, to accumulate gold in smaller quantities as investing in large amounts may be out of bounds for a large section of the population. And this can be seen in the high volume of transactions seen by platforms like Paytm in a short span of time.

If you want to know more about the basics of Digital Gold, do check out our video on the same through the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNnyBJw6sm4&t=2s&ab_channel=WealthCafeFinancial

Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

gold / Investments - 10/14/2020

Indian Stock Market timings

Indian Stock Market Timings

Trade in the stock market can only be undertaken during a specific time interval in India. Retail customers have to perform such transactions through a brokerage agency between 9.15 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. on weekdays. Most investors undertake the purchase/sale of securities listed on the major stock exchanges in India – Bombay stock exchange (BSE) and National Stock exchange (NSE). Indian stock market timings are the same for both these major stock exchanges.

Indian stock market timings for trade is divided into three segments:

Pre-opening Timing

This session lasts from 9.00 a.m. to 9.15 a.m. Orders to purchase or sell any securities can be placed during this time. It can be further classified into three sessions:

9:00 a.m. – 9.08 a.m.

During this stock market opening time in India, orders for any transaction can be placed. The order entry is given preference when actual trading begins, as these orders are cleared off in the beginning. Any requests placed during this time can be changed or canceled according to need, which is beneficial to investors, and no orders can be placed after this period of 8 minutes during the pre-opening session.

9:08 a.m. – 9.12 a.m.

This segment of Indian share market timing is responsible for the price determination of security. Price matching order is done by corresponding demand and supply prices to ensure accurate transactions among investors who want to purchase or sell a security, respectively. Determination of final prices at which trading will begin during normal Indian stock market timing is done through a multilateral order matching system.

Price matching order plays a vital role in determining the price at which the security is transacted during a normal session of Indian stock market timing.

However, the benefits of modification of any order already placed in not available during this session.

9:12 a.m. – 9.15 a.m.

This time acts as a transition period between preopening and normal Indian share market timing. No additional orders for transactions can be placed during this time. Also, existing bets already placed from 9.08 a.m. – 9.12 a.m. cannot be revoked as well.

Normal Session

This is the primary Indian share market timing lasting from 9.15 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Any transactions made during this time follow a bilateral order matching system, wherein price determination is done through demand and supply forces. The bilateral order matching system is volatile, thereby inducing several market fluctuations which are ultimately reflected in security prices. To control this volatility, the multi-order system was formulated for the pre-opening session and was incorporated in Indian stock market timings.

Post-closing Session

Stock market closing time in India is marked at 3.30 p.m. No exchange takes place after this period. However, the determination of closing price is done during this time, which has a significant effect on the following day’s opening security price.

Stock market closing time in India can be divided into two sessions –

3:00 p.m. – 3.40 p.m.

The closing price is calculated using a weighted average of prices at securities trading from 3 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. in a stock exchange. For determining the closing prices of benchmark and sector indices such as Nifty, Sensex, S&P Auto, etc. weighted average prices of listed securities are considered.

3:40 p.m. – 4 p.m.

This period is post stock market closing time when bids for the following day’s trade can be placed. Bids placed during this time are confirmed, provided adequate buyers and sellers are present in the market. These transactions are completed at a stipulated price, irrespective of changes in opening market price.

Thus, capital gains can be realized if the opening price exceeds the closing price by an investor who has already placed their bids. In case closing price exceeds opening share price, bids can be canceled during the narrow window of 9.00 a.m. – 9.08 a.m.

The overall stock market operating time in India can be demonstrated by the following table:

S. No.	Name	Time
1.	Pre-opening session	9.00 a.m. – 9.15 a.m.
2.	Normal session	9.15 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.
3.	Closing session	3.30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Aftermarket Orders

Post this time frame. No transactions can take place. However, investors can place aftermarket orders, for securities of chosen companies, which would be allocated at opening market price the following day.

‘Muhurat’ Trading

Indian stock market is generally closed for any transactions on Diwali, as it is a religious festival celebrated all across the country. However, a one-hour trading session is conducted from 5.30 p.m. to 6.40 pm as it is considered to be auspicious.

Equity / Insurance / Investments / stock market - 09/24/2020

'Investing' in Real Estate?

Hello fellow investors!

Roti - Kapda - Makaan has been the three needs of us Indians and we strive to make that makaan a reality. Once the makaan works as a shelter it becomes our personal asset. When you go for the second or the third property for investment reasons then you should consider the following points before proceeding.

Yes, the returns are good in real estate. We have always stated that investments are not all about returns, it is about building your portfolio to become financially free. So instead of just comparing past returns of both asset classes and claiming equity is better than real estate or vice versa, we would like to consider other important aspects.

1. Real Estate will skew your Asset Allocation

Investing is all about the right asset allocation. Investing a major portion of your investments in real-estate could skew your allocation in that direction for a very long time.

Once the Real estate is added to your investments, your allocation is considered with 4 assets, Real Estate, Gold, Equity & Debt. Once you choose to buy real estate, it may take a few years for other asset classes to occupy a significant portion of your portfolio. Hence, you should check and consider the reasons for investing in Real-estate.

2. It is hard to assign “present value” and calculate ‘growth’

Most people talk about how much their property is worth without actually speaking to potential buyers. It is only when you do so, you realize what is the real selling price of it. People would rather wait and enjoy lower returns than sell their properties at a price lower than what they want/wish to receive.

There is no designated market price. He who haggles the best wins here. Because of the lack of such a standard price, it makes real estate risky as most times people are stuck with a price they have in their mind without actually checking it for real.

3. It is not liquid enough that you can sell whenever you want.

I am sure you have heard of this, you cannot sell a bathroom to meet a financial emergency unlike Equity, mutual funds, and some debt options which can typically be traded in small amounts and on any business day.

You need to have other liquid assets (i.e. have a balance allocation) to take care of your financial needs.

4. TAX cost, buying another property.

The tax on capital gains from real estate in a way encourages you to go ahead to buy another property. As per the law, if you want to avoid capital gains tax on real estate you should necessarily reinvest the same in another property or in section 54EC bonds (with low returns) for 3 years to ensure the capital gains are tax-free.

5. Difficult to sell emotionally

Many people post-retirement do not have enough fixed income and other liquid investments to manage their every day cashflows. They are still not able to liquidate their properties for cash and use it for a more relaxed late age. They have an emotional attachment towards it and then it gets rationally difficult to decide to sell.

6. Risk of renting out

No guarantee of regular income. One may need to constantly look for tenants. Issues with paying property and water tax, and the legal hassles associated with tenants not moving out!

We do not intend to discourage you from purchasing houses for the purpose of investments but it is about becoming aware of what are the issues you can face when you do so. Before taking the decisions about investing in real estate, do calculate your returns, the money you would make from the investments in real - estate, and know your numbers. A close analysis for real-estate purchases should be done in a similar way as you would do for any other asset.

Analyze your risk-taking capacity and your goals before you make the final decision.

Happy Investing!

Investments / Real Estate - 08/28/2020

Mistakes Investors Make That You Should Avoid

Hello fellow investors!

This Thursday, we are sharing a few mistakes that a beginner does when he/she starts investing and it is important that you understand them and act on it accordingly.

1. Not investing

The first and the biggest mistake investors and savers make is not doing it.
Don’t wait for that raise, inheritance, or lottery win. Start today, right now, with whatever you can.

Consider this: If you can save just 100 INR a day every day for 20 years, and earn 12 percent on it, you’ll end up with INR 30,48,395. That’s enough to change your life and the lives of those you love. So let's just start with keeping INR 100 aside.

2. Investing before doing your homework

When it comes to investing in risk assets like stocks, one mistake I’ve made is going on “gut instinct” and 20 minutes of Internet research.

When dealing with investments that can go south, don’t invest without a clue. If you’re thinking about stocks, there’s plenty of online research and information available free, not to mention TV shows and library books.

3. Being impatient

In a post called The 10 Commandments of Wealth and Happiness, the author, Stacy Johnson, offers this advice: Live like you’re going to die tomorrow, but invest like you’re going to live forever.

Stare at a newly planted tree for 24 hours and you’ll be convinced it’s not growing. Fixate on your investments the same way, and you could miss out on a game-changer.

As discussed above, your 100 INR daily grows into 30 lakhs over 20 years, you gotta be consistent and patient.

4. Not diversifying

There are two types of risk in stocks. The first is called market risk: If the entire market tanks, your stocks probably will as well. The other is called company risk: the risk a specific company will do poorly.

It’s hard to eliminate market risk, but you can reduce company risk by investing in lots of companies.

Can’t afford to own a meaningful number of companies? That’s what mutual funds are for. A mutual fund allows you to own a slice of dozens – even hundreds – of companies with an investment of as little as INR 500.

5. Taking too much risk

Everybody wants to double their money overnight. But if you’re always swinging for the fence, you’re going to strike out often.

Some investments are little more than gambling. Investments like options and commodities, for example, promise huge rewards, but the risk is also huge. Don't forget high risk = high returns.

6. Not taking enough risk

On the other side of the same coin, some investors stand like a deer in the headlights, unwilling to take even a measured amount of risk.

Instead, they keep their savings only in fixed deposits and bank, earning less than 6% (which is only reducing) and comforting themselves with Mark Twain’s expression: “I’m more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money.”

Insured savings will ensure you never lose anything. But they’ll also ensure the purchasing power of your savings won’t keep pace with inflation. In other words, you’ll become poorer over time.

7. Paying too much attention

There is such a thing as information overload. Between the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and cable TV, it’s easy to get more than your fill of conflicting information.

Step back, look at the big picture, find a few financial journalists or others you trust, then tune out the rest.

8. Following the herd

One of the world’s wealthiest men, Warren Buffet, said, “Be fearful when others are greedy; be greedy when others are fearful.”

If you’re convinced the economy is going to zero, buy guns and canned goods. But if you can reasonably expect a recovery someday, invest – even if that day is a long way away, and even if it’s possible things could get worse before they get better.

We have seen the recovery that has happened from the below of March 23, 2020, of the stock market to current where we are almost back to what we were at the beginning of 2020.

9. Holding on when you should be letting go

Equity is best played as a long game. You should hold on long enough to see it through, but not knowing when to get out could cost you big.

Don’t obsess over your investments, but don’t ignore them either.

10. Being overconfident

The economy runs in cycles of boom and bust – when times are good, people often confuse luck with skill.

This is what happened during the housing bubble and the dot.com stock bubble and the past 4 months (March 2020 to July 2020). Being in the right place at the right time isn’t the same as being smart.

11. Failing to adjust

How you invest should change as your life changes. When you’re young, it makes sense to invest aggressively, because you have time to recoup from mistakes.

As you approach retirement age, you should reduce your risk.

12. Not seeking qualified help

While investing isn’t rocket science, if you don’t have the time or temperament, consider getting help.
The wrong help?
A commissioned salesperson more interested in their financial success than yours.
The right help?
A fee-based planner with the right blend of education, knowledge, credentials, and experience - you can contact us at ria.wealthcafe.in

Happy Investing!

Disclaimer: - The emailers are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

Investments - 06/19/2020

Understanding 'Mutual Fund Units & NAV

Hello fellow investors

More than 6 months into lockdown, 1 market crash and 1 great recovery, the only constant thing is our learning and our Thursday emails. We started writing our emails soon after lockdown and now we enjoy it so much that we cannot wait for the next Thursday to come and share some insights from the finance world with you.

In today's email, I am going back to the basics of Mutual Funds and explain what exactly are Mutual Fund Units and NAV and how they help or not help you make investment decisions.

What is a Mutual Fund Unit?

Just as share represent the ownership of Equity, units represent the ownership of Mutual funds. When you invest 5000 INR in a mutual fund and the NAV of the fund is 50 INR - you would get 100 units.

It is like buying petrol when you go to the petrol pump, you ask them to fille petrol in your car for 1000 INR. If the price per litre is INR 100, you would get 10 litres of petrol in your car.

Let's understand a few facts about Units of Mutual Funds

1. You don't need to buy 1 entire unit of Mutual Fund
You can buy a mutual fund in fractions or parts, it is the amount of money you invest that determines how many units you get. Like when you fill petrol in your car, you tell them fille petrol of INR 1000, if per litre petrol price is 72, you get 13.88 litres of petrol. The same thing happens with Mutual Funds.

2. You do not sell all your units to withdraw from Mutual Funds.
As you can partially invest in mutual funds, you can also partially withdraw from mutual funds. You can do that anytime you want (unless they are close-ended schemes)

3. Units are not the same as the share price
Equity Mutual Funds invests in Equity stocks/shares but it does not mean that units are the same thing. The share price is of an individual company and the demand and supply of that particular stock are one of the factors of their share price movements. Such does not happen to mutual fund units.

An average of all the underlying stocks of the mutual funds helps determine the value of each unit which is called as Net Asset Value - NAV.

4. NAV is the price of each unit
The price of each unit of a mutual fund is the NAV. If you want to buy 1 unit of a mutual fund, the price you have to pay is the NAV of that mutual fund’s unit on that day.NAV changes every day. So when the NAV goes up, you gain.

A high NAV does not mean that a particular Mutual Fund is better than the one with a low NAV. NAV price does not determine the value of the Mutual Fund.

NAV= (Total market value of assets invested by the fund-Expenses)/No of Units

5. Mutual fund unit price (NAV) goes up and down

As NAV is determined based on the total market value of the assets invested in by mutual fund which includes shares, bonds, cash, any interest or dividend earned by them and would also capture the movement in the price of shares & bonds, the NAV would also move.

NAV of a fund changes every day where there is a change in the underlying asset, this change helps you know if you are in profit or loss.

Mutual Funds are considered one of the most common forms of investing today, in fact it has generated a lot of wealth for investors who have understood the risk of investing in them and managed it appropriately. We will soon be launching a course on Mutual Funds and more, so stay tuned and keep reading our emailers for a detailed update on the same super soon.

Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

How to Invest in Mutual Fund guide / Investments / Mutual Funds - 06/09/2020

How am I investing in current times - Akruti Agarwal

Hoping you all have looked at your investments and decided on your next course of action. I thought it is only fair that I share my investing journey with you at the end of these email series on 'what should you do with your Investments'. I have listed what I have been doing about my investments for the past couple of weeks.

1. I started investing in 2011 with the guidance of my colleagues and newspaper articles. Even for me, this is the first Market Crash where my entire investment portfolio is down by 27%.

It is said that an average investor faces 3 recessions and 1 depression in his life span of 75 years.

We all have to learn how to manage it and make the most of it.

2. This is the time where I can practically put to use everything that I have learnt and read about investments. I am trying my best to deal with the big notional loss in my portfolio, be ok about it and then do my asset allocation.

It is not easy but discussing my money decisions with my family helps me keep my emotions aside and make rational decisions about investing further.

3. Before Investing, let me tell you that I have my term & health insurance in place. I have my Emergency Fund kept aside in a liquid mutual fund which I am not touching. I also had 2 short term goal funds - Travel Fund (though not a priority for the next 1 year, but untouched) and my father's health fund (important right now, so untouched and safe)

4. How am I doing my Asset Allocation?

After ensuring my goals are secured, I set out to do my Asset Allocation.

As per my Risk Profile, I am a Balanced Profile, my Debt: Equity ratio is 50:50

As you can see from the above table, my Equity ratio is down to 36% and to rebalance my portfolio back to 50%, I have sold 14% of my total investments in Debt and started investing them in Equity in a staggered manner. Given that my Risk Profile is a Balanced Profile, I am investing in the Equity market to the extent I am comfortable as per my risk profile and investing it in a staggered manner given the uncertainty in the market. Also, I have been sticking to investing in Large Cap companies and good businesses rather than small-cap companies as I do not want to compound the risk exposure I have in equities. However, where you are an Aggressive Risk Profile, you could invest in small-cap & mid-cap Equity Mutual Funds to take advantage of the beaten-down markets.

'Be greedy when the times are fearful and be fearful when the markets are greedy'

Maintaining my asset allocation is making it easier for me to invest comfortably in the markets right now without letting the emotions take the best of me.

Lots of courage to every investor out there. Keep your cool and think rationally before you make any decisions.

Equity - 03/31/2020

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Should you sell your Existing Investments in Equity?

Hello fellow investors

In one place, where investors are planning to invest more money because there is a downfall in the market, there are some investors who are really worried and are asking us if they should sell their existing investments in Equity Mutual Funds/Equity stocks, book their losses and try to move on.

For the ones who are checking their portfolio every day and abusing their stars for investing in Equity, please read through.

Equity investing was always about 'Long Term - Goals' for more than 3 years.

Don't forget the reasons for which you started investing in the first place.

Think Equity - Think Long Term

Your Asset allocation and goal setting will always be the answer to all these questions.

How does it help to invest in Equity for a long duration?

The way to manage market risk in Equity is by investing for a long period of time.

Historical data from the Sensex proves that if you stay invested in Equity for a longer period your probability of loss reduces. Analysis of BSE Sensex data for the past 29 years shows that the probability of loss diminishes as the investment tenure exceeds 5 years. Data shows that investment for a period of 1-year duration on the first trading day between 1990 and 2018 created a loss probability of 25%. The probability of loss goes down further to 4.55% when the investment tenure goes up to 7 years. The benefits of long term investing are clearly visible as the investment tenure grows beyond 10 years and above.

(this graph & numbers above have been taken from business today article-https://www.businesstoday.in/markets/stock-picks/analysis-why-you-should-be-a-long-term-investor-in-equities/story/267408.html )

In the above graph, you can see that as your number of years of investing in equity increases, your probability of loss reduces.

Having said this, one must always check the quality of shares and mutual funds that they have invested in to ensure that they do not fall under the exceptional cases of this analysis.

Further, note that the analysis presented here is based on historical data, so it is not a true predictor of future outcomes. However, we can gather from this analysis that even with the lack of ability to forecast the future, by investing with a long term horizon, an investor is able to better withstand the detrimental effects of volatility, market downturn and bouts of recession, and achieve a positive ROI.

Hence, if you are planning to sell only because you are worried about what is happening with the markets right now, you should look at your goals & asset allocation and decide accordingly.

Don't try to be speculative right now with the market; just stick to the core values of your investing, do Asset Allocation and long-term investment planning.

Equity - 03/31/2020

Should You Invest More In Equity Right Now?

Hello Investors

We believe that our first email in this chain would have given you direction on how you should go about investing in current times.

Some of you were asking us if they should invest more money in Equity right now? Is this the Big Sale we were all waiting for and should we start investing? Will the market fall more so should we wait or invest now?

No one can tell you with certainty whether we have reached hit rock-bottom. Every time one is thinking it cannot go further down, the markets are reaching another lower circuit.

'You can never predict what is going to happen with the markets as that is not in our control. What is in our control is how we react to the market and take actions accordingly.'

You must keep a note of the below mentioned before you start investing all your money into Equity:

1.Always have an Emergency Fund (at least 4 times your monthly expenses) invested in risk-free investment options.

I cannot emphasize enough on how important it is to have that emergency fund in place, especially in times like these. I do not intend to scare you but I am sure everyone is an expert in their fields and are aware of how the near future looks like. Hence, even before you start investing ensure that your emergency fund is enough to help you sail through the worst-case scenarios in the coming months.

Keep some surplus money with you before you go all investing in Equity right now.

2.Have your Health Insurance and Life insurance in place.

With the current pandemic situation, it important to prioritize our life and health. You must have these insurances to ensure your family has something to fall back on. Also, where there is no security about the future, it is not the smartest decision to just rely on your company's health insurance. It is advisable to have one for yourself and your family members. You can read more about it on our blog.

3.Do not forget the goals and reasons for whichyoustarted Investing in the first place.

Remember our entire discussion from the workshop on how to Invest.

For short term goals - less than 3 years - Invest in Debt (Risk-free Investment options)

For long term goals - more than 3 years and beyond - Invest proportionately in Debt and Equity based on your Asset Allocation.

Debt Investments acts as a cushion when the Equity markets are volatile.

Note: Once your long term goal (more than 3 years) becomes a short term goal (you reach closer to that goal), redeemed/ sell off the equity investments and shift the same to secured debt investments so that any change in the equity market while attaining your long-term goal does not impact your investments.

Now do your Asset Allocation that shall determine how much money you should invest in Debt & Equity in the current market scenarios. Your asset allocation will help you invest based on your risk profile and sleep peacefully even where the markets are being volatile.

First-time investors should also invest based on their Asset Allocation and not invest 100% in Equity.

Remember that it is not the stock that determines your exact return from portfolio but your asset allocation which determines over 90% of the return.

This is probably a good time to open your goal- working sheets (shared during the workshop) and review your portfolio.

Equity - 03/31/2020