Are you always at a loss while planning your finances?
Are you aware of the investment options available in the market? How best can you plan your finances?
What are the crieria for evaluating an investment option?
Are mutual funds profitable investment options? When and how should one buy mutual funds?
In an hour-long chat on Wednesday, financial planning expert Vicky Mehta offered some valuable investment tips. Here is the transcript:
vicky says, hi, good afternoon everyone. let's begin the chat session.Manish asked, Hi, Is Gold funds a good bet at this time ??
vicky answers, at 2009-01-28 13:01:38hi, gold should form part of your portfolio from an asset allocation perspective. and gold etfs are a good means to invest in gold.
sandeep_svs asked, i don't want to invest in shares or mutual funds. what are the other good investments
vicky answers, hi, you can consider fixed income avenues like fixed deposits, bonds and small savings schemes.
Wanderer asked, If you want to keep some money in cash (which you think you may need in near future- also called emergency fund) is it better to keep it in bank or should we keep it in liquid debt funds? Also, what are good liquid debt funds that we can put our money in and are these safe?
vicky answers, hi, both liquid funds and savings bank accounts are good options. maybe you can consider splitting the emergency monies between the two.
Drajesh asked, which is the best life insurance plan in today's scenario?
vicky answers, hi, there is no such thing as a best insurance plan. maybe you should consider starting off by buying a term plan (it offers pure risk cover). endowment plans and other offerings can come in at a later stage depending on your needs.
sachin singh asked, Is guilt bond a good option to invest?
vicky answers, hi, you can invest in gilt securities by adding gilt funds to your investment portfolio. in times when interest rates are headed southwards, they can offer attractive returns. to know more, please click at http://www.personalfn.com/detail.asp?date=1/22/2009&story=1
Ragoth asked, Hi, is it good to invest now in long-term debt funds, esp DSP BR Gov-sec plan A?
vicky answers, hi, its an aggressively managed gilt fund and has an impressive track record to show for.
Bhatnagar asked, I have recently retired from an MNC. I want a steady monthly income of around 20k pm. I have 6 lacs to invest. Pls. advise.
vicky answers, hi, we have dealt with this topic in an article on www.personalfn.com. please read the same by clicking at http://www.personalfn.com/detail.asp?date=8/6/2008&story=3
Sagar asked, Hi Vicky, Please let us know the advantages of buying MutualFunds Online and how to buy ?
vicky answers, hi, an obvious benefit of making online investments with the fund house is that you can save on the entry load. fund houses like hdfc mutual fund, fidelity mutual fund, among others offer this service.
Dalveer asked, Hi, I and my wife are working as software professionals. We are investing in ulips, Mutual funds, and have taken child plan (both of us). To move further in investment we are looking to create a PPF. Please let me know if this is a good option. Also, suggest other venues to invest
vicky answers, hi, ppf is a good option. it can help you create a corpus over the long-term in a risk-free manner. also, contributions of upto rs 70,000 pa are eligible for tax benefits under section 80C.
amit asked, Sir, I want to invest in 80C Scheme to avail tax benefit for Rs. 100000, but i dont want to invest in PPF nor any Insurance Please suggest what to do?
vicky answers, hi, you can consider investing in tax-saving funds (elss). being market-linked avenues, they offer a high risk-high return investment proposition. also, 5-yr bank fixed deposits can be considered.
Vamsi asked, My questions never get answers in this forum... Can you please answer this one...I am having 5M cash and I am putting everything into liquid fund and returns generated out of it(Aproximately 40K per month) I am putting into equity diversified funds like Reliance regular Savings, HSBC equity, ICICI Infra, HDFC top 200. Is this a good idea? Is there a better way, at this moment?
vicky answers, hi, sorry if your questions haven't been answered earlier. opting for an sip from a liquid fund is not a bad idea. however, you must ensure that the liquid fund is a well-managed one and that the equity funds you are invested in are right for you i.e. they suit your risk profile.
pongo asked, Sir between PPF and SIP which is a better option
vicky answers, hi, ppf is a small saving scheme that runs over a 15-yr time frame. on the other hand, sip is a mode of investment in mutual funds i.e. it is not an investment avenue.
aaa asked, Hi Vicky, I need to invest around 70K as part of my tax saving this year, the time is running out,I'm not able to decide where I should invest,which one is good, u r suggestions pls
vicky answers, hi, investing for tax planning isnt very different from investing in the normal course. hence if you are a risk taking investor, avenues like tax saving funds should dominate your portfolio. on the other hand, for risk averse investors, the portfolio should be dominated by small savings schemes and other assured return avenues.
dkj asked, what is the best investment to save tax
vicky answers, hi, have replied to a similar query earlier in the chat. pls refer to the same.
Dipesh asked, Hi Vicky, I am 31 Years, married man having a daughter aged 05 Years. What are the best options available as of date for accumulating corpus for her marriage & higher studies?
vicky answers, hi, would recommend that you first set a target sum that you wish to accumulate and the time frame. the next step should be to have an independent investment plan for each of those objectives, comprised of various investment avenues. for more details, please write to me at info@personalfn.com
Ravan asked, Can you suggest some monthly saving schemes other than Postal RD's?
vicky answers, hi, the post office monthly income scheme (pomis) is an option. also you can select fixed deposits offering the monthly interest payout option.
amitblr asked, Is it a right time to invest in Mutual fund , with a time horizon on 3 years?
vicky answers, hi, would recommend that you have an investment horizon of at least 3-5 years for investing in equity funds. also, select the sip route rather than making lump sum investments.
Ravi_Grad asked, I have lost money in the stock market...everyone says it makes sense to invest for liong term in the equity market...but I see the short term bear market rallies a good option to invest...what do you suggest?
vicky answers, hi, notwithstanding the fact that at times short-term investors can make money on the markets, it is over longer time frames that equity markets are best equipped to deliver.
parag asked, Is schemes having Dividend payouts in Mutual Funds good in these market conditions
vicky answers, hi, dividend payout is simply an option in mutual funds. the choice between growth and dividend options should be made based on the investor's need for liquidity. the key lies in selecting the right fund.
vini asked, What is one question that should be asked to agents when we go for life insurence?
vicky answers, hi, ask him/her the rationale for recommending a given plan. also, how does that plan fare vis-a-vis similar offerings from other insurance cos.
Anurag9485 asked, what is the best option between Gold and MF to invest money.
vicky answers, hi, it need not be a choice between gold and mutual funds. both should be included in your portfolio.
bharat asked, Dear Vicky Sir, I want to invest 30,000 for 6-12 months horizon plz suggest various options available my risk apetite is medium
vicky answers, hi, 6-12 months is too short a time frame for making equity investments. you can consider investing in fixed deposits and debt funds.
vicky says, hi, looks like we have run out of time. thank you all for participating in the chat. if you have any further queries, please feel free to write to me at info@personalfn.com
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