The document provides tips for maintaining good financial health by being aware of cash flows, ensuring finances are improving over time, building a contingency fund, managing debt levels, diversifying investments appropriately based on age and risk tolerance, investing regularly through SIP, monitoring investments, and having adequate insurance. Key recommendations include knowing expenses and avoiding unnecessary spending, maintaining a contingency fund of 6-12 months of expenses, keeping EMIs below 40% of monthly income, diversifying investments, and regularly reviewing finances and investments.
4. 3
If your personal finances are getting…Better,
You are getting financially healthy!
5. 4
But if your personal finances are getting…Worse
You should seriously start worrying
… Why?
6. 5
Can you pay for your regular expenses without having any income?
So if your monthly expense is Rs 50,000/-
Your Contingency Reserve = Rs 50,000/- X 6* Months
(*The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor
to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile )
It’s Time you built a ‘Contingency Reserve’
= Rs 3,00,000/-
7. 6
Know the extent of your liabilities...
Do you have any loan?
If your monthly income is Rs 1,00,000/-
Ideally, Your EMI should not exceed 40%* of Rs 1,00,000/-
(*The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor
to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile )
= Rs 40,000/-
8. • Increase in Interest Rates can increase* your EMI
• High monthly expense will lead to low savings
• If you choose to increase the loan tenure by keeping
your EMI the same
*In case you have opted for a floating rate loan
What Can Lead To Financial Risks?
7
10. 9
Are You Overexposed To Equities?
Investment in Equity (%) = 100 – Your Age
The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to
help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile
Your Age = 25 years
Investment in Equity (%) = 100 – 25
= 75%
11. 10
Do You Have Enough Insurance Cover?
Your Life Insurance Requirement = Your Monthly Income X 12 Months X 10 times
The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to
help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile
Do you have enough Health Insurance for you and your family?
If your monthly income is Rs 1 Lac
Your Insurance Requirement = Rs 1,00,000 X 12 X 10
= Rs 1.2 crore
12. 11
How Do You Invest?
Lump sum or via Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)
14. Some Key Takeaway Points
13
• Know your cash flows and avoid making unnecessary expenses
• Create a contingency reserve of minimum 6 months and preferably
12 months
• EMI should not comprise more than 35-40% of your monthly income
• Diversify your investments
• Invest via Systematic Investment Plan vis-a-vis lump sum
investment in equity
15. Some Key Takeaway Points
14
• Monitor your investments regularly
• Have an adequate life insurance cover to financially protect your family
• Have an adequate health insurance cover for you and your family.
• Taking care of these small things with your finances can help keep you
financially healthy
The inflation bug as we learnt in our earlier learning session eats into our hard earned savings. So the value of our money reduces. Here in our today’s learning session let’s learn more about “Time Value of Money”, which can help you manage your finances better. Here’s an example.
(In order to check your financial health, you need to ask yourself a few questions related to your finances. So the 1st question that arises…)
Are you aware about your cash flows?
i.e. Your cash inflows and outflows
(If you are aware about your cash flows: Congratulations! You have got your 1st step right towards managing your finances, but if not, then you should immediately make a detailed chart of your income and expenses. It will enable you to know where you are spending your hard earned money and you may also come across some unnecessary expenses, which you could curtail to have better cash inflows.)
Are your finances getting better or worse every year?
(You see, as we all engage in an economic activity to make a living and have financial commitments to meet, we also need to assess if our personal finances are getting better or worse.)
If your personal finances are getting…Better
You are getting financially healthy!
(Congratulations! your income is increasing at a higher rate than your expenses and you are getting financially healthy with each year that goes by)
But if your personal finances are getting…Worse
You should seriously start worrying… Why?
(This is because your income is increasing at a lesser rate than your expenses and some day you may face a scenario where your income is insufficient to pay off all your expenses.
To avoid such a scenario you should either try to increase your income or reduce your expenses.)
Can you pay for your regular expenses without having any income? (In case you do not have a job for the next 6 months)
It’s Time you built a ‘Contingency Reserve’
(Well, you can build something called a “Contingency Reserve”. You see, we all need to set aside some portion of our income to take care of the rainy days. And if you haven’t done that, you could possibly face a financial crisis. So start building a Contingency Reserve of minimum 6 months of your regular expenses)
So if your monthly expense is Rs 50,000/-
Your Contingency Reserve = Rs 50,000/- X 6* Months
= Rs 3,00,000/-
(*The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile )
Know the extent of your liabilities...
Do you have any loan?
(If you have a loan, you need to pay EMI on your loans and EMI is one of the major portions of your regular expenses…
If such EMI accounts for more than 40% of your monthly income then you are inviting financial risk…
If your monthly income is Rs 1,00,000/-
Ideally, Your EMI should not exceed 40%* of Rs 1,00,000/-, i.e. Rs 40,000/-
(*The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile )
What can lead to Financial Risks?
Increase in Interest Rates can increase* your EMI (which will overstretch your monthly expenses)
High monthly expense will lead to low savings (which may even have an impact on your commitment towards your financial goals)
If you choose to increase the loan tenure by keeping your EMI the same (you will have an extended repayment term and will have to carry your liabilities for some more years. And, maybe, postpone some of your financial goals)
(…You see this is something for which you may not be financially ready...
So it is advisable that your expenses towards EMI never be more than 35-40% of your monthly salary or income. Do not overburden yourself)
*In case you have opted for a floating rate loan
(Diversification can be done across many asset classes such as equity, debt, gold and real estate. It is one of the basic tenets of investing that helps you reduce the overall risk to your portfolio. Thus it is important that you diversify wisely)
Are you overexposed to Equities?
(Equity as an asset class carries high risk; when you are young, your ability to take risk is high…
But as your age increases, your ability to take risk decreases. So consider your age.)
(Theoretically as a thumb rule you can invest 100 minus Your Age as a percentage into Equity and the rest can be in debt.)
Investment in Equity (%) = 100 – Your Age
For Example:
(If) Your Age (is) = 25 years
Investment in Equity (%) = 100 – 25
= 75%
(Your Investment in Equity should be 100% -25% i.e.75% and the rest 25% can be in debt. As your age increases, and you approach your goals with more commitment, your risk taking ability reduces. So with each passing year you will need to gradually reduce your exposure to equities)
The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile
Do you have enough Life Insurance cover?
(Life insurance cover protects the family financially in case of demise of the breadwinner of the family.)
Your Life Insurance Requirement = Your Monthly Income X 12 Months X 10 times
(You should at least have 10* times your annual income as a life insurance cover.)
(For example) If your monthly income is Rs 1 Lac
Your Insurance Requirement = Rs 1,00,000 X 12 X 10
= Rs 1.2 crore
(If you don’t have the life insurance cover then you should immediately buy one and protect the financial future of your family. And we believe, the prudent way to buy a life insurance cover is through term plans; because the sole objective in insurance is to indemnify risk.
The figures used are for illustration purpose only. We would urge you to speak to your financial advisor to help you arrive at an appropriate number based on your risk profile
Do you have enough Health Insurance for you and your family?
(Like life insurance it is imperative to have a health insurance cover as well.
Health insurance cover reimburses the hospitalisation bills in case the insured has to be hospitalised for any illness. So it’s always better to take a health insurance cover at an early age because as age increases, the chances of being diagnosed with some disease increases and if that happens then it may be difficult to get an adequate health insurance cover)
How do you invest?
Lump sum or via Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)
(Investment habits can have a big impact on your returns especially in Equity…
As it is almost difficult for anyone to time the market correctly, it is advisable to invest via SIP rather than lump sum in Equity markets, as they offer you the advantage of rupee-cost averaging and compounding. Disciplined investment is good for your financial health)
(Investing whatever you save does not mean that you will be able to earn good returns, you also need to monitor your investments regularly.
If your investments are not in line with your asset allocation or are not performing well then you may have to do alterations to your investment portfolio as well.)
Know your cash flows and avoid making unnecessary expenses (stay within your means)
Create a contingency reserve of minimum 6 months and preferably 12 months (it will take care during emergencies)
EMI should not comprise more than 35-40% of your monthly income (else you may be overburdened with your liabilities and invite financial risk)
Diversify your investments (it will help reduce risk in your portfolio)
Invest via Systematic Investment Plan vis-a-vis lump sum investment in equity (SIPs can help inculcate discipline in your investments and keep you financially healthy besides helping you not to time the market)
Monitor your investments regularly (It is important to track your investments and take timely action)
Have an adequate life insurance cover to financially protect your family (your family will not have to face any financial difficulties in your absence)
Have an adequate health insurance cover for you and your family.
Taking care of these small things with your finances can help keep you financially healthy