Moneywise

In this episode of the Moneywise Podcast, our host, Seetal Iyer, is joined by Iqbal Singh, Founder and MD of Innovative Financial Management (IFM). From navigating India's growing financial landscape to practical advice on avoiding investment blunders, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone looking to make informed financial decisions.

Join us in this enlightening episode of The Moneywise Podcast as Kalpesh Ashar, an experienced Certified Financial Planner and SEBI-registered Investment Advisor, unravels the complexities of mutual funds. With the industry's remarkable growth, Kalpesh provides clarity on how to navigate through the maze of information and misinformation. Gain insights into making informed decisions and avoid common investment pitfalls.

"Life certainly mirrors what a test match is. We all get two innings in which we need to bat. In investing parlance, that's pre-retirement and post-retirement innings. Just like test matches, your second innings will be dependent on how well you and your team have played in the first innings, and how well you've been able to handle your opposition - like your always inflating expenses - highlighting the importance of temperament and discipline. Unlike earlier times, both in cricket and in investment, coaches or trusted investment advisors play a very vital role." Rajendra Bhatia is the MD and chief wealth strategist at Arthashastra Investments Pvt Ltd, a boutique wealth management firm with over two decades of experience. In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, he draws parallels between one of India's greatest passions - cricket -and financial independence. He also shows us how to strategize towards a better financial future. 

“The DNA of investing in small caps is quite different from large caps. If someone can execute great research, great risk management, I think the potential returns on offer are going to be attractive. It may need patience and tolerance for volatility.”  Mr. Manish Gunwani heads the Equity Fund Management team for Bandhan AMC Limited. He has over 25 years of rich experience, covering the entire gamut of equity research as well as fund management. In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, he explains the concept of small caps and highlights the relevance of investing in this segment.

“Have you ever heard of a retirement loan or loan for your old age? There isn’t one. In your old age, you’re not actively earning money. You’ll spend 20 to 30 years in this phase of life but there is no loan for it. You’ll be able to pursue all your interests and contribute to society and your near-and-dear ones only if your own financial independence is taken care of. It’s never too late. Start today.” Amol Joshi is founder of PlanRupee Investment Services, which helps investors with wealth management products like mutual funds, banking, insurance, equity broking etc. Amol has over two decades of experience in managing portfolios of investors and is often quoted widely across digital media. In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Amol helps us understand the importance of retirement planning, the need for investors to start planning early and the role of mutual funds in the journey of financially securing their future.

“Like in the fable of the Hare and the Tortoise, investors have to be focused on their long-term goal and move persistently towards that goal. In long-term investing, we should not get distracted from our long-term goal and must not give in to temptations like short-term market movements.” Kanika Kapur, Founder of Spin Wealth, has over a decade’s experience in the investment industry and is passionate about empowering women financially by helping them take control of their journey towards financial freedom.In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Kanika sketches the timeless tale of the Hare and the Tortoise, highlighting how investors can plan their investment journey and work towards accomplishing their goals, comparable to the victorious turtle, who was focused and did not take a break.

“You need to start early. It is 5% brain and 95% consistency. There's a doha by Kabir about this: Dheere dheere re mana, dheere sab kuch hoye; maali seenche sau ghada, rtu aaye phal hoye. So, you need to have patience. The ingredients of creating wealth - serious wealth - are patience and discipline. Only then will you derive the benefits of compounding." Vinayak Sapre is a financial coach and speaker on a mission to spread financial literacy to 10 million fellow Indians. His book Dohanomics is a unique, unconventional take on finance that draws influence from poets like Kabir and Rahim to share financial wisdom. Vinayak has trained close to 3000 MFDS across the country.In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Vinayak talks about the successful investing habits and other values that investors must cultivate if they want to achieve success in their journey towards wealth creation.  

‘The financial market is about people; therefore, there is sentiment around it – at times, very positive; at times, very depressed. The idea behind balanced advantage funds is, “How do we cushion the journey of an investor over a long period of time wherein the volatility impact can be smoothened?” That is important, therefore this dynamic asset allocation comes into play. So, you’re trying to cushion the downside. At the same time, it also tries to take advantage of the sentiment factor.” Sachin Relekar, Senior Fund Manager – Equity at Bandhan AMC Ltd., has over two decades of rich experience in the industry. After several years of managing funds that span the full spectrum of market caps, he now focuses on quality companies that are likely to generate superior returns over the long term.In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Sachin helps us understand the concept of Balanced Advantage Funds, the benefits of investing and how the dynamic asset allocation strategy could help investors tide over market volatility while leveraging opportunities in the market. 

“One important thing is to instill a habit of saving from a very early age, because most kids’ early interactions with money usually involve only spending. While most women are definitely good at saving...I would like to tell them: It’s time to start your investment journey. Goal setting gives clarity and purpose on what you want to do with your money. Inflation is something that should be considered at all times. Budgeting gives a lot of control to people. The next step is having an investment strategy with help from an investment/finance professional.”Hinal Kuvadia is a Co-Founder and Principal Financial Planner at InvestorKart. She is a Chartered Accountant(CA) and also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). With over 13 years of experience as a Financial Planner, she regularly writes on personal finances for the Hindustan Times & the Mint. She is passionate about helping people deal with their personal finances and achieving financial freedom at an early age.In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Hinal highlights how investors can plan their financial journey and avoid common pitfalls while achieving desired outcomes. 

“Financial services are a wide spectrum of investment opportunities. The segment has broadened in the last five to ten years. It’s a wide sector and growing, not just restricted to banks. Fintech has also grown at a rapid pace and is enabling people to take advantage of the technology platforms etc. And all this is only going to grow.”  How do financial services benefit an investor? We are joined by Sumit Agrawal, Senior Fund Manager with Bandhan AMC, on The Moneywise Podcast. He has a very strong technical background in equity research, fundamental analysis, business valuation and portfolio management. In this podcast episode, Sumit helps us understand the financial services sector, its role in economic growth and how investors can benefit from the vast investment opportunities provided by this sector.

“Discipline is underrated when it comes to one’s financial journey. I call it the most important ingredient for your financial success. If you don’t do it (take care of your finances) in a disciplined manner regularly, you’re not going to able to see any considerable results. And then people come back and say, this is only for people who already have a lot of money and not something for them.”  Khyati Mashru Vasani is the Founder and Chief Financial Coach at Plantrich and VamaPlantrich LLP. She has a passion for discovering the financial DNA of individuals and helping people achieve their financial goals. She won the award for “Young Innovator in Finance” from the International Women Leaders Forum for three consecutive years.In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Khyati helps us understand the importance of discipline in investing and all financial matters. She also shares practical aspects that could help investors become more disciplined in all matters related to finance and investing.  

“It starts by being financially conscious, which would mean being cognizant of one’s own finances first, be it earnings, savings, spending or allocating, and investing. Where are you financially positioned at the current juncture? And where do you realistically want to be, say, 10-15 years from now? Traditionally, finances were...handled by male members of the family. This led to conservatism...on the part of women, due to such exclusion. Women need to understand that financial freedom opens up a world of possibilities! With the right kind of investments, I think a woman can really secure the financial future for herself and her loved ones.”In this podcast, we’re joined by Shifali Satsangee, founder and CEO of Funds Ve’daa, an award-winning financial advisory firm from Agra with a footprint across geographies. In this episode of The Moneywise Podcast, Shifali explains how women can take charge of their investment journey, set goals and create wealth. Moreover, she busts popular investment myths that dissuade potential investors. Listen to this interesting episode as Shifali highlights how people can realize their investment goals and become ‘financially conscious’.

“For me, it started with taking printouts of investment reports (for my dad) and in that process, I started understanding those reports, and began doing my own research on the same. For us, investing has been simple and goal-based. The goal and timeline of every investment is decided first. Women are great learners! We are great housemakers, we’re very good at doing the things we do. With a little effort, I’m sure we can master the art of investing and do wonders for ourselves.”Kesha Shah, Co-founder of Tyche Financial Planners, is a certified financial planner from Mumbai with several years of experience, giving financial advice to diverse audiences on various platforms like FM radio, Facebook Live and in newspaper columns.In The Moneywise Podcast, Kesha talks about her journey as a woman investor, the lessons she learnt along the way and the role women play in households when it comes to investments. 

“Geographical diversification simply means investing in international markets, and that helps improve the risk as well as the return possibilities of an overall portfolio. In India, we are exposed to one country, one currency opportunities and risks, per se. When we spread our investments across different countries, we tend to benefit from the global investment opportunities, hedge our risk, and move towards achieving better portfolio returns over a period of time. US govt bonds are safer assets, globally, and any investment for a short time – say, up to 1 year – would perfectly fit the bill of an investor who wants a high-quality, low-risk, low-volatility investment.” In this episode of the Moneywise Podcast, Sirshendu Basu, Product Head, emphasizes the importance of diversifying beyond your geography and creating a USD asset to meet potential USD expenses.

“An ELSS is a product that provides a diversified equity exposure, with a professional asset management team that is there to assess risks and help you with an appropriate risk/reward strategy. The larger opportunity in ELSS that people don’t focus on, is long-term wealth creation. ELSS offers the best of both worlds (tax benefit and potential wealth creation opportunity). If you have patience, you will be rewarded.”Daylynn Pinto, Senior Fund Manager – Equity with IDFC Asset Management, highlights ELSS’ as tax benefit and the potential to create wealth over the long term. In this podcast, Daylynn explains why ELSS is a good option for investors, the need to invest and the reason it is a popular tax-saving instrument.