Prajna Capital - An Investment Guide

Take SIP route for better long-term returns A systematic investment plan ( SIP ) is an investment option that involves investments on a systematic basis over a period of time. Under a SIP option, an investor commits making a regular investment in a particular mutual fund or deposit. Investing in mutual funds through this route is much easier, more efficient, and is one of the best ways to see your investments grow over time. In a SIP, the investor invests a specific amount of money for a continuous period, at regular intervals. By doing this, you can compulsorily save a fixed amount each month. Further, you can avail the advantage of rupee cost averaging. This is because you automatically participate in the market swings. The amount of investment remaining the same, you buy more units in a declining market and less in a rising market. By consistently investing the same amount at regular intervals, your average cost per unit will be lower than the average market price, irrespect...

systematic withdrawal plans (STPs) are for optimal and efficient investing EARLIER in this series, we discussed the investment and redemption strategies of systematic investment plans ( SIPs ) and systematic withdrawal plans ( SWPs ). SIPs let you invest a specified sum of money at specified intervals—generally weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly—irrespective of market conditions. SWPs let you withdraw money systematically from funds, as opposed to lump sum withdrawals. This week, we look at a plan that combines the best of systematic withdrawal and investing—the systematic transfer plan ( STP ). An STP withdraws a pre-specified sum of your money from one scheme, and invests it another within the same fund house, at regular intervals. It thus lets you re-allocate your from a liquid fund (a money market debt fund with low risk, but much higher returns than a bank savings account) to one or more equity schemes of the same fund house. As there is no exit load on a liquid fun...

‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.’ - Anonymous Most of us vow to do it early, but end up doing it in a hurry. Now is the time to start your tax savings investments. You can also use the ‘ Contrarian Style’ . Asset allocation While using tax saving investments, look at the overall asset allocation, since managing risk is the key to sustaining long term wealth creation. Tax saving avenues may restrict you to the available asset classes. While planning asset allocation, diversify across complementary avenues so that risks are managed better. A contrarian needs to study various asset cycles and accordingly choose the investment avenue where the trend is likely to change. For example, when interest rates are expected to fall, invest in a bank fixed deposit of about 7-10 years instead of just a 5-year deposit. To invest in equity or not? Most of us who have invested in equity linked saving scheme (ELSS) funds last year are likely t...

On the face of it such worries are understandable. Over the last few months, many big names have been revealed to be quite hollow. As I'm writing these words, news has come in that the AIG group, the world's largest insurer has, for all practical purposes, been nationalised by the US government, The company's top management is in the process of being sacked. Lehman Brothers has gone bankrupt and Merrill Lynch has been sold off in a distress sale to Bank of America. Who's next? Nobody knows. Here's what has been worrying investors: Tomorrow if Fidelity or Franklin or Prudential or Sun Life or BNP-Paribas or Morgan Stanley or any of the others go bankrupt or are nationalised or otherwise cease to exist, will there be any impact on the money that you've invested in their fund? The simple answer is that your money is safe. In Indian law and accounting, there's a sharp distinction between the fund company's own money and the investors' money that it is m...