Prajna Capital - An Investment Guide

In the current financial turmoil, lets take a look at different investment options for NRIs The financial turmoil in the West has resulted in the 34-yearold non-resident Indian ( NRI ) losing more than $1 million in investments in the last six months. A financial consultant by profession, Sharma has now decided to change his asset allocation to diversify its portfolio. Keen to make investments in India, he is unsure of which asset class to park his funds with. Sharma isn’t alone. There are many NRIs who are now wondering what they can do in the current scenario. Here’s an insight into investment avenues for NRIs in the present market situation. FIXED INCOME For risk-averse investors, traditional fixed income products such as Foreign Currency Non Resident ( FCNR ) fixed deposits and Non Resident External ( NRE ) fixed deposits are the safest bet. While FCNR account can be opened in foreign currency, the NRE deposit account is maintained only in Indian rupee. It is advisable to inv...

Any emerging investor, would have studied all the avenues of investments and understands cash based investments like FDs have a fixed term and a fixed return but at times the returns do not match inflation. Debt investments like income funds yield a moderate rate of return but again though there is a high level of capital protection the investment may still lose out to inflation. Equities and equity mutual funds give a superior return over time but can be highly volatile. Gold works well with high inflation but gold allocation is limited. Real estate has been an excellent investment avenue but requires higher investments and liquidity could be a problem. How to control risk and yet generate a positive return over inflation? The first step would be to determine the ideal asset allocation; this could be derived by deciding what time horizon is and how much volatility. Further concern about what would be the right strategy for investing quarterly surplus and his cash in bank. As...

IF the bull run during the last few years had encouraged retail investors to shed their apprehension regarding equities, the subsequent downturn has made them retreat to traditional safe havens like gold and fixed deposits. While it’s not surprising, this short-term view may prove to be detrimental when investing for a long-term goal such as creating a retirement corpus, which necessitates an investment horizon of at least 15-20 years. For those who are comfortable with this kind of horizon, there is no need to look beyond equities, as it is the ideal wealth creation tool, feel market experts. As per data provided by IDFC Mutual Fund, top-rated diversified equity funds have outperformed other asset classes over a period of 15 years. Between January 1994 and January 2009 , they delivered a return of 14.22% against 6.09% from gold, 8.64% from fixed deposits and 9.97% from real estate. Equities have always earned a premium over other investments options over a longer period of ti...

THE real dilemma today is how to protect wealth from erosion and make it grow sufficiently to at least beat inflation. The volatility has been unnerving and is not restricted to equities; even bonds have seen swings never experienced before. So much so that there was a run on liquid funds in October as risk aversion touched an unprecedented high. Real estate, which witnessed a price spiral in the last three years, is also a major victim of the market slump. Also, compression of time for market moves means shorter window of opportunity to react. Risk aversion and risk premium is at its peak and investments flows have evaporated. So does the turmoil in the markets mean that investors remain passive and wait for the troubled times to pass? Inaction may not be the best solution for one’s portfolio. As adages go, “ Invest when there is blood on the street, sell when there is greed, buy when there is panic .” These words of wisdom which have stood the test of time suggest well thought–out...

A further drop in home loan interest rates is not expected as the inflation rate is under control now The unpredictable rate movements, the Reserve Bank of India's ( RBI ) moves and mixed response from the lenders has put borrowers in some confusion. The inflation monster which had pushed prices to unimaginable highs has finally been tamed. From as high as 12.91 percent this year, the inflation rate has almost come down to half of that. Does this mean borrowers can expect banks to reduce their home loan rates, if this trend persists? What is inflation? Inflation is an increase in prices and/or decline in purchasing power. An increase in the amount of currency in circulation results in a relatively sharp and sudden fall in its value, and rise in prices. It can also be defined as a persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money, caused by an increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of availab...

Background There are mainly two approaches to asset allocation — The Bandwagon Approach and The Contrarian Approach. In the bandwagon approach - one chases the best performing assets and broadly follows the crowd. In the contrarian approach one focuses more on core value and enters assets that may be out of favour. The contrarian approach to asset allocation, if followed judiciously, can be rewarding. It combines a full range of fundamental and technical analysis, evaluating assets continuously — in the search for assets that are likely to reverse its past trend . It is not about just blindly doing the opposite of what the market is doing. It is about identifying assets that offer true value . Rationale One of the key reasons for using a contrarian approach to asset allocation is the cyclicality of asset classes. There are also some asset classes that are complementary to the others. For instance, when interest rates go up, it hurts the bottom line of companies and hence equitie...

The earlier you buy property in your earning years, the better it is for you financially The high economic growth in the past five years has brought about a big change in the life of the average person. Many young people are joining work early and earning high salaries. Many of them are either single or newly-married with lower financial commitments. There is higher disposable income in their hands. Home loans are relatively easy to get and mortgage rates are getting cheaper. So, the journey of wealth creation now starts in early 20s. Property as an asset Easy availability of home loans, declining loan rates and tax concessions imply that with the right amount of planning you can easily buy that dream home early in life. When you analyse it thoroughly, the first house purchase is not just to fulfill your dreams but also to provide for a secure place to live in through the golden years of your life - after retirement. Due to the improved living conditions and access to better m...

Mr & Mrs Achar, both in their early thirties, have a long list of want to-do things post-retirement. While Achar, a private banker, wants to travel a lot and write a book, Mrs Achar wants to look after their children and do some social work. The interesting part, however, is that they want to do this after 10 years, when they plan to retire! Yes, you are right, they do want to retire in their early forties and wish to pursue their passions. Wait a minute... did we hear similar voices from you too. Alright, so let's see how this can be achieved with systematic planning that includes having reasonably aggressive investment plan, regular savings and may be a slight change in lifestyle to ensure a better and safe tomorrow. Early retirement is essentially a lifestyle issue and is proportionate to one's income and consumption pattern. To retire early one needs have to do careful planning and calibrated thinking. Before making any retire plan, one should first prepare a balance sh...

The last few quarters have been quite tough for the people dreaming of buying a home. The interest rates on housing loans have gone up from the 2004-05 levels. Many people thought that property prices will come down significantly due to the rise in home loan interest rates. However, contrary to expectations, property prices have never come down significantly, and in fact, have gone up in many areas. So what affects property prices? Some factors that dictate property prices: Rise in input costs With the inflation ruling high globally (especially here), the prices of all basic commodities has increased quite significantly over the last few quarters. For example, the cost of labour, steel and cement has gone up quite significantly in the last few quarters. Due to higher input costs, builders cannot reduce property prices in their newly-launched projects. Investments by foreign investors Many foreign investors believe that there is huge potential in real estate and the returns will be q...

When it comes to investing, it is commonly observed that investors tend to replicate the investment strategy followed by their colleagues, friends or relatives. It is generally believed that an investment strategy that has worked for one will also work for others. However, this is the wrong approach, simply because 'one size does not fit all' while investing. Instead, investors need to build an investment portfolio that is right for them. Building an investment portfolio requires the investor to put in a fair degree of thought and time. The need for the latter is only accentuated in light of the overwhelming choices available. In this article, we present a 4-step strategy that will help investors build an investment portfolio. 1) The investment objective The first step should be to identify the investment objective and tenure. In our view, no investment must be undertaken without defining these parameters. For this, you need to ask yourself - "what am I investing for"...

Some options for the risk-averse in times of rising inflation The term inflation refers to a rise in the general price levels. Inflation is measured by an index which is calculated by taking into consideration a set of goods and services, and then the prices of the items in that set are compared to prices one year ago. In India, inflation is measured based on the wholesale price index ( WPI ) which measures the change in prices of a selection of goods at wholesale rates. Inflation gradually reduces the purchasing power of your money and therefore it becomes very important for investors to understand the impact of inflation on their investments. Investors, especially senior citizens, put a lot of emphasis on the safety of their principal amount and in the process they sacrifice the yield on investments. For example, if an investor deposits his money in a savings bank account which generates 3.5 percent per annum and the inflation rate in the market is around seven percent, he is making ...

Planning to buy your dream house? Take a look at rental rationale as well BUYING a house is “simple”. All you have to do is to ask for an advice. And voila, they come in dime-a-dozen. Besides, if you look around, you’ll find real estate portals, hoardings and various self-styled real estate gurus advising you where and how to buy your dream house. But in this commotion, you may often overlook a simple calculation — the buy v/s rent comparison. Here’s a reality check on what should really influence your decision. ARE YOU READY TO BUY? Personal finance experts believe that emotions, family and personal reasons all come into play in any home-buying decision. Also, there are lots of non-financial factors that affect this decision, including your hobbies, lifestyle, and personal psychology. Even before you plan to buy a house, it’s better to assess if you want to live in that city. If it’s your first house, then you should see it as a long term investment. After all, you want to spend your...

Should you put your surplus into real estate or financial instruments? SO YOU are a young Indian who earns well, has spent wisely and drive your own car, live in your own house and are able to meet daily expenses without too much effort. Now you are concerned with the surplus that you have in hand and are confused whether to put it into financial instruments such as mutual funds and unit-linked insurance policies ( ULIP ) or whether you should buy a second house to capitalize on the current real estate boom. Anybody looking at real estate as an investment option is currently at least in the post 35 year age group. In the current scenario, other financial instruments score over real estate as a long-term investment option. The returns in the short and long term are more attractive. Portfolio advisor too agree. Investment in mutual funds and stock markets is liquid. But investments in the property market are not. Mutual funds yield at least 40% year-on-year returns. If a investors puts ...