Step by Step Guide to Investing

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Feb 2019
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Step by Step Guide to Investing

“What next?”

It is probably the most popular question that you get asked by family members when you go home for holidays.

You may have completed your education and have just bagged a well-paying job but your family may always ask: “What next?”

Well, the right answer to this would revolve around investment. Not saving, but investment. That’s because investing can help your money grow faster.

So, if you want your money to work hard for you, here is a step-by-step guide to help you chart your investment journey:


Step 1: Educate yourself

If you are new to the world of investments, don’t worry. It is not a big deal. The best thing about investing is that literally anyone can do it. Did you know that the famous investment guru Warren Buffett bought his first share at the age of 11!

But in order to get started, you may need to educate yourself before investing. There are a lot of different investment avenues such as bonds, stocks, mutual funds, Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) and so on. Each of these investment avenues have their own pros and cons. The risks and returns vary. Try to read as much as you can so that you can get a better understanding about these avenues.


Step 2: Find out how much you can invest

Everyone operates on a budget. And whatever remains after the expenditure is labelled as savings. The general formula for most people is:

Income – Expenses = Savings

However, the ideal formula should be:

Income – Savings = Expenses

How much money you save shouldn’t depend on your expenses. Instead, how much you spend each month should depend on your savings. This small change can help you increase your savings. With more savings in your account, you can invest more. This can help you increase your financial returns later on. So, sit down and draw up your list of financial goals. And based on that, you can figure out how much you need to invest each month in order to reach these goals comfortably.


Step 3: Find an investment advisor

When you invest in the stock market, picking the right stock at the right time can be very crucial. That requires a lot of time and expertise. However, most people who invest in stocks, bonds and other avenues have regular jobs. It may not be possible for them to spend a lot of time researching markets on a daily basis. That’s why an investment advisor can be very helpful. An investment advisor can help you identify the right investment choices based on your short term and long term goals.


Step 4: Understand your tolerance for risk

When it comes to investments, there is always a degree of risk. Whether it is a savings bank account or the stock market, you cannot avoid risk. However, the degree of risk varies from one investment option to another. It is commonly said: higher the returns, higher the risk.

It is important for you to know how much risk you are willing to take. This is because each investor has a different risk appetite. For example, if you have a low tolerance for risk, it would be unwise to invest in certain avenues like shares. But remember that if you put your money only in a savings account to play it safe, you can risk losing out on higher returns in the long run.


Step 5: Create an investment portfolio

Finally, you can start investing. Based on your investment goals and your risk levels, you can chart out an investment plan with your advisor. You can put your money in options like bonds, Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Saving Certificates (NSC), mutual funds, gold or shares. The important thing is to ensure that your portfolio is well-balanced. For example, you may want to invest in equities. But don’t forget to invest a portion of the money in debt options. This is because, if the stock market crashes, your entire investment doesn’t go down at the same time. The debt investments can give you good support at such times.


Conclusion

Investing is not a destination. It is a lifelong journey. Follow the above steps and you can kick-start your investment journey on the right foot.

 


Disclaimer: Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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Trading and Demat account

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Feb 2019

Banks offer a lot of services to their customers. But in order to enjoy all these services, you need to first open a savings account. Similarly, if you wish to invest in the stock market, you need to open a trading and demat account. You can think of your demat account as a savings account for your shares. All the shares that you buy are stored here. And when you wish to sell them, they are taken from here to be sold in the market.In this article, let’s find out the different steps in order to open a demat account and how you can trade using it.Steps to open a demat account:Step 1: Choose a Depository ParticipantDepository Participants or DPs are intermediaries between investors and the depository. Brokers, banks and other online investment platforms serve as DPs in the country. Select a valid DP in order to create your demat account. You can find the entire list of DPs on the official websites of the Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL) and National Securities Depositories Ltd (NSDL). Step 2: Submit account opening formFill out all the details in the account opening form provided to you by the DP. In addition to the account opening form, you will also be required to submit your KYC documents. This includes:a) Know Your Customer (KYC) formb) Passport size photographsc) Identity proof documentsd) Address proof documents Step 3: Assign nomineeOnce you submit all the necessary documents, you will be required to assign a nominee. This is to ensure that the responsibility of your investments would be assigned to somebody you want in case something happens to you. You also have the option of changing your nominee at a later stage if you wish. Step 4: VerificationYou may also have to appear for an in-person verification. The DP carries out this process to ensure that the details provided in your documents are correct.Buying and selling shares through demat accountOnce you open a demat account, you can start trading.The process is as follows:Select a stock you wish to purchase. Specify the price and quantity.For example: Buy stock X at Rs 50. Quantity: 100 sharesYou can inform your broker to make the transaction or you can do it yourself online. When the stock reaches the price of Rs 50, the transaction is executed. 100 shares of Stock X will be reflected in your demat account. When you wish to sell them, you can make a sale order by stating the price and quantity of shares.The DP sends you statements of your transactions on a regular basis. Go through these statements to be updated on your investments.ConclusionDemat account is easy to use and very beneficial. You can trade many securities apart from stocks. It also provides statistical analysis and performance tracking features. Above all, it is a safe way to invest.   Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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Tips for Choosing Investment Options in India

Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 14 Feb 2019

As long as you are in college, the common advice you get is: study well. But once you get a job and you start earning, the advice you get changes. Your family members advice you to start saving. Saving is good but it is more important to invest.But with so many investment options available, it is difficult to zero in on one investment option. Also, what is the right time to invest in a particular avenue?Well, the answer depends on various factors, one of them being the goals you set in your life. However, your life goals may vary. You may have a set of goals you wish to achieve in the next two, five, 10 or even 20 years. Based on the time limit, your investment goals can be divided into three categories:a) Short-term goalsb) Medium-term goalsc) Long-term goalsInvestment in short-term goalsA short-term financial goal can be something you wish to achieve in the next week or in the next year. Typically, the time span for short term goals is anywhere between one week and two years. For short-term goals, it is good to earn a steady rate of return. But it is also very important to ensure you don’t lose your investment capital. That’s why investment in equities can be a bit risky as they are generally volatile in the short-term. That’s why investment in debt is quite popular among investors when the time limit is less.Investment options for medium-term goalsMedium-term goals can range anywhere from 3 to 5 years. For example, you may want to buy a second car in the next three years. For goals like this, it is best to invest in a healthy mix of debt and equity. It is good to invest in balanced fund to get good returns and to protect capital from exposure. Investment in ELSS funds is also a good option. The best part about ELSS investments is that in addition to good returns, you can also avail tax benefits.Investment options for long-term goalsLife is uncertain and it is always good to plan for the future. That’s why planning for a retirement that is 30 years away is not uncommon among investors. Buying a house or funding your kid’s college education are some of the common long-term financial goals. These goals may be 10-15 years away but it is important to start investing today.It is best to invest in equity funds, ULIPs or stocks for long-term financial goals. Investing in these avenues helps investors get great returns. For example, equity mutual funds offer anywhere between 10-15% per annum and stocks have the potential to offer much higher returns. Investment in stocks is generally considered risky. However, the long time period helps investors to digest risks down the line. Investment in PPF funds and NPS are viable options if saving for retirement and capital preservation are your biggest goals.ConclusionWith so many investment options available, it can get confusing. So, instead of asking which investment to choose, the better question is: what is the right time to choose this investment. So, based on the time period of your investment goals and your risk appetite, you can make your investment decision.   Disclaimer: Investment in securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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  • What is a Unit Linked Insurance Plan, Types & Benefits
    Posted by Rushabh H. Mehta | Published on 06 Mar 2020

    What is ULIP? Insurance plans are meant to provide financial security to you so that in case of premature demise, your family does not face any financial trouble. Though insurance plans provide unmatched financial security, many individuals also seek good investment returns on their premiums. Keeping this sentiment in mind, ULIPs were launched in the year 2000 when private life insurers were also allowed to operate in the insurance domain. Today, ULIPs have become quite popular, and insurance companies are offering different types of ULIPs to their customers. Let’s understand ULIP meaning in detail and its benefits – What is a ULIP plan? ULIP’s full form is Unit Linked Insurance Plan. A ULIP is an investment-oriented life insurance plan. The plan gives you the dual benefits of investment returns and insurance coverage. The premiums that you pay for the plan are invested in market-linked investment funds, which offer attractive growth. Returns under ULIPs are, therefore, not guaranteed but can be attractive if given time. How do ULIPs work? ULIPs are considered to be a transparent insurance plan as the premiums you pay, and the growth can be easily monitored. When you buy a ULIP, you can decide the amount of premium you wish to pay (provided it is at least the minimum required premium under the plan). The sum assured is then calculated based on the amount of premium paid. ULIPs have different kinds of investment funds which include the following – Equity fund wherein at least 65% of the portfolio is invested in equity-oriented securities Debt fund wherein at least 65% of the portfolio is invested in debt-oriented securities Balanced fund which combines both equity and debt investments for moderate risks and moderate returns You can choose one or more of these investment funds as per your risk appetite. After that, relevant charges are deducted from the premium, and the premium is directed towards the selected fund. As the value of the underlying assets grows, the value of the fund grows. Your investment in the fund also grows, and you get market-linked returns. ULIPs also provide you with various flexible benefits which are as follows – Switching – under switching, you can change the investment funds if your investment preference has changed Partial withdrawal – you are allowed the flexibility of withdrawing from your fund value partially after the first five years of the policy have expired Top-ups – additional investments can be done towards the plan through top-up premiums Premium redirection – you can choose to redirect your subsequent premiums to another fund from the next policy year under this facility Surrender of the plan – if the first five years of the policy have been completed, you can surrender your policy to terminate the coverage before the chosen term. When the policy is surrendered, the available fund value is paid as surrender value, and the plan is terminated. Benefits payable under ULIPs Under most unit-linked plans, you get either a death benefit or a maturity benefit. These benefits are as follows – Death benefit – the death benefit is higher of the available fund value as on the date of death or the sum assured. If the fund value is higher than the sum assured, the fund value is paid otherwise, the sum assured is paid. Maturity benefit – when the term of the plan comes to an end, the fund value is paid as maturity benefit. The maturity benefit can be taken in a lump sum, or you can also avail the benefit in instalments over the next five years through the settlement option feature, which is available under most unit-linked plans. Types of ULIPs Though ULIPs are aimed at creating wealth, there are different types of ULIPs based on the financial goal that they fulfil. These types include the following – Investment ULIPs Investment ULIPs are the most common unit-linked plans which aim to create wealth over the term of the policy. Child ULIPs Child ULIPs are especially designed unit-linked plans for the financial security of the child if the parent is not around. Under these plans, the parent is insured while the child is the beneficiary. These plans have an inbuilt premium waiver rider. If the parent dies during the policy tenure, the death benefit is paid. However, the plan does not terminate. The policy continues, and future premiums are paid by the company on behalf of the insured parent. On maturity of the policy, the fund value is again paid as the maturity benefit which provides the child with the financial corpus needed to pursue his/her dreams. Pension ULIPs These are other specific unit-linked plans which help in creating a retirement fund. Pension ULIPs are deferred annuity plans wherein you pay premiums during the policy tenure to build up a retirement corpus. In case of death, the death benefit is paid. However, if the policy matures, pension ULIPs allow you to receive annuity pay-outs from the corpus created or defer the vesting age from which you would receive an annuity, or withdraw 1/3rd of the corpus in cash and use the remaining fund value to receive annuity payments. Thus, pension ULIPs create a source of income after retirement and are suitable for individuals looking to fulfil their retirement planning needs. Benefits of ULIP A ULIP is popular because of the following benefits it provides – It allows you to avail insurance coverage as well as investment returns in a single product The premiums paid and the benefits received under ULIPs are completely tax-free in nature helping you save tax The flexible benefits of ULIPs allow you to manage your investments as per your investment strategy The different types of ULIPs help you fulfil the various financial goals that you might have Switching and partial withdrawals do not attract any tax making ULIPs tax efficient Since the returns are market-linked, you get inflation-adjusted returns from ULIP ULIPs are attractive insurance policies that give you coverage as well as returns. Now that you understand ULIP meaning, its types and advantages, use our IndiaNivesh platform to invest in a plan as per your insurance and investment needs and enjoy all the benefits that the plan has to offer.   Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.

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  • What is CAGR & How to Calculate it?
    Posted by Rushabh H. Mehta | Published on 06 Mar 2020

    There are different types of investment avenues in the market and each of these avenues promises you a compounded rate of growth if you remain invested. Compounding of return means earning a return on the return earlier generated. So, if you invest INR 100 and earn a return of 10% in the first year, the amount would become INR 110. Thereafter, in the second year, you would earn 10% on INR 110 giving you a return of INR 11. This compounding helps grow and multiply your wealth considerably over a period of time. In the case of market-linked investments, the rate of return is not guaranteed. It varies over the investment period. To know the average rate of return on your investments, the concept of CAGR is used. Let’s understand what CAGR is and how it helps you find the growth of your market-linked investments. What is CAGR? CAGR’s full-form is Compound Annual Growth Rate. The Compound Annual Growth Rate, in simple terms, is the average rate of return of an investment over a one year period. CAGR takes into account two important factors - the time period of the investment and the fluctuations in the return. Since the returns vary depending on the market fluctuation, finding the return over a specific time period becomes difficult. CAGR gives you the average growth rate offered by the investment over the said time period. CAGR shows the approximate growth rate considering that there is no market fluctuation and that the returns earned are reinvested into the investment. How to calculate CAGR? It is very easy to calculate CAGR. There is a CAGR formula which you can use to find the Compound Annual Growth Rate of your investment. The CAGR formula needs three important details which are as follows – Value of the investment made initially (VI) Term of investment (T) Value of the investment at the end of the term (VE) Using these three inputs, the CAGR formula becomes – CAGR = (VE / VI) ^ (1/T) – 1 Let’s understand with an example – Mr. A invested INR 10,000 in a market-linked investment avenue. After 3 years, the value of his investments stands at INR 13,500. The CAGR for Mr.A’s investment could be calculated as below – VI – INR 10,000 T = 3 years VE = INR 13,500 CAGR = (13500/10000) ^ (1/3) – 1 = 10.52% How CAGR helps understand the mutual fund growth rate? Mutual funds are market-linked investment avenues which do not offer a guaranteed rate of return. Since the returns are subject to market fluctuations, CAGR becomes an accurate tool to measure the performance of the fund over a specified period. Investors can check the annual CAGR of mutual fund schemes and use the rate to find out which scheme offers better returns than others. The fact sheet offered by the mutual fund house contains returns generated by the fund over different time frames. These returns can prove to be confusing and so CAGR is an easier alternative to understand the performance of the fund. CAGR acts as a ready reckoner for investors to assess returns from a mutual fund scheme and also highlights the compounding of returns on mutual fund investments. Important points to know about CAGR The investment risk inherent in the scheme is not highlighted by CAGR. CAGR is merely a yardstick to measure the growth rate CAGR proves to be a good measure of growth for a short-term period, i.e. up to 6 or 7 years. If you are considering long-term investments, the growth trends over a short-term period would be averaged out. In such cases, CAGR would give an average rate even if the fund performed excessively well in a two or three year period and then the returns fell in later years. CAGR changes every year since the investment period changes CAGR for two investment funds can match one another even if the funds are different. This might happen if one fund performed well initially and the other one performed well in the last few years. As a result, the performance is averaged out and the CAGR Other modes of calculating returns from investments Besides CAGR, there are other ways to calculate the returns generated by market-linked investments. These ways are as follows – Returns since launch Under this model, the return earned by the fund ever since it was launched and till the present date is calculated. Trailing returns Under the trailing returns approach, you measure the performance of your fund daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or annually. Annualised returns Annualised returns are calculated as the geometric average of the return yielded by the fund over a given period of time. CAGR v/s Absolute returns Absolute returns measure the total return yielded by an investment. The time period is not considered. CAGR, on the other hand, measures the return over a specific time period. For instance, in the previous example, INR 10,000 grew to INR 13,500 over a 3-year period. The absolute return would be 35% since it measures the total return earned on the investment. However, when CAGR is considered, the time period of investments is also taken into consideration thereby considering the time value of money. As such, CAGR comes to 10.52% which is a more realistic figure. While absolute returns show the returns generated, the time period is missing. You cannot figure out how many years it took the investment to generate this return. But CAGR shows you the annual return making it easier to make a judgement on the performance of the fund. The next time you invest in mutual funds, stocks or other market-linked investment avenues, consider their CAGR to choose the fund or investment which has better returns over its peers. So, visit IndiaNivesh and find out a mutual fund scheme of your choice and then compare the scheme’s CAGR with its peers to choose the best performing fund.   Disclaimer: Investment in securities market / Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing. 

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  • Capital Market – Meaning, Types & Functions of Capital Market
    Posted by Mehul Kothari | Published on 20 Nov 2019

    We all know how various companies and industries raise funds for their short term requirement through the money market. However, when they need funds for long term, capital market is their source. The capital market is just like the money market but with a difference that funds raised in the capital market can be used only for long term. In this article, you will learn about the concept of capital market in detail. Let us first understand what is the capital market? Understanding Capital Market Capital market in simple words means the market for long term investments. These investments have a lock-in period of more than one year. Here, the buyers and sellers transact in capital market instruments like bonds, debt instruments, debentures, shares, derivative market instruments like swaps, ETFs, futures, options, etc. Let us now understand the types of capital market. Types of Capital Market The capital market is of two types i.e. Primary Market and Secondary Market. Primary Market The primary market is also called “New Issue Market” where a company brings Initial Public Offer (IPO) to get itself listed on the stock exchange for the first time. In the primary market, the mobilisation of funds is done through right issue, private placement and prospectus. The funds collected by the company in the IPO is used for its future expansion and growth. Primary markets help the investors to put their savings into companies that are looking to expand their enterprises.  Secondary Market The secondary market is a type of capital market where the securities that are already listed on the exchange are traded. The trading done on the stock exchange and over the counter falls under the secondary market. Examples of secondary markets in India are National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). After learning about the types of capital market, let us now learn about the capital market instruments through which money is raised. Ways of Raising Funds Offer through Prospectus In the primary market, the prospectus is used to raise funds. The company invites the investors and the general public through an advertisement known as the prospectus to subscribe to the shares of the company. The shares or debentures are allotted to the public on the basis of subscription. If the company receives a high subscription then allotment is done to them on pro-rata basis. The company hires merchant bankers, brokers or underwriters to sell the shares to the public.  Private Placement Some companies try to avoid the IPO route to raise funds as it is very costly. Instead, they give investment opportunity to few individuals via private placement. Here the companies can offer their shares for sale to select individuals, financial institutions, insurance companies and banks. This way they can raise funds quickly and economically. Rights Issue The structure of capital market allows the companies in need of additional funds to first approach their current investors before looking at the other sources for finance. The right issue gives the current investors the first opportunity to make additional investments in the company. The allotment of right shares is done on pro-rata basis. However, if the current shareholders of the company do not want to exercise their rights, the shares can be offered to the public. e-IPO e-IPO means Electronic Initial Public Offer. e-IPO is an agreement between the stock exchange and the company to offer its shares to the public through online mode. It is a fast and speedy process. The company here needs to appoint registrar to the issue and brokers to accept the application received from the public. The above mentioned are the ways of raising funds through the capital market. Let us now learn about the various functions of the capital market. Functions of the Capital Market Helps in the movement of capital from the people who save money to the people who are in need of it. Assists in the financing of long term projects of the companies. Encourages investors to own the range of productive assets. Minimises the transaction cost. Helps in the faster valuation of financial securities like debentures and shares. Creates liquidity in the market by facilitating the trading of securities in the secondary market. Offers cover against price or market risks through the trading of derivative instruments. Helps in efficient capital allocation by way of competitive price mechanism. Helps in liquidity creation and regulation of funds. The above mentioned are the functions of the capital market. The capital market performs its functions with the help of buyers and sellers who interact and transact. The structure of the Indian capital market is well regulated and highly organised. The capital markets may be sometimes termed risky because they do not give fixed returns annually. But when looked from a long term perspective, their performance has always been good and rewarding for the investors. If you want to learn more about the capital market or put your savings in the capital market, you can contact IndiaNivesh Ltd.Disclaimer: "Investment in securities market and Mutual Funds are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing."

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