You may be wondering if there is some mistake out here. There isn't.

Advice is both vital and a bane.

This is a question that people ask, stunned by the happenings, exasperated by the events, or are plainly clueless about the mayhem the world finds itself in.

You feel sorry for yourself, angry that you are being pushed around, and hopefully would want to do something to push back the bully.

Take the case of Meera, who had been with her company for nearly a decade.

Challenges are opportunities in work clothes they say.

Trump has upset more than one Apple cart. It would not be wrong to say that he has overturned all apple carts, all over the world!

I had read a novel - A Man called Ove - about a man who was so unremarkable and self-effacing as tobe almost invisible. And then there is a contrast

We are in elegant company even most of the developed economies are shining beacons of profligacy so we are in good company!

People pride themselves on their rational decision-making, especially when it comes to their money. However, it has a way of leading us down wrong alleyways.

There is no one right way for the wealthy to manage their wealth.

A quality education is often regarded as the key to unlocking a brighter future.

Dedollarisation is underway, but the pace is slow for now. Based on this, small changes to the portfolio can be made.>

Giving money early can really help young adults. It gives them a head start as they face important moments in life where they actually need money.  This might be far superior to passing on money as a legacy much later on in life.

Retirement planning is a marathon, not a sprint.

Trump is now the President-elect in the US. He has come on the plank - Make America Great Again (MAGA). It is a laudable, nationalistic, patriotic thing to say this about ones own country.

We need to understand what we want to achieve and put in place a plan that helps to achieve that outcome. Such a plan will breakdown what needs to be done and in what sequence, so that the end objective is achieved.

Crypto have a polarising influence on people. There are sold-out fans who envisage a crypto led future, to skeptics who denounce Cryptos for the exaggerated sense of importance given to them without any true basis.

Planning is important in everything we do. Without a plan, there will be no structure and chaos will ensue.

Success is a measure decided by others, satisfaction is a measure decided by yourself, goes a quote on success. How so true?

Entrepreneurship has once again become a buzzword in the past decade or so. Startup has become a well-recognised term that has now come to symbolise the spirit of entrepreneurship. The top leadership, including PM Modi has been supportive of the startup culture.

Central Bank Digital Currency or CBDC is the new kid on the block. This is a digital currency issued by the Central bank of a country whose value will typically be equal to the fiat currency.

The world loves property. It is considered to be a solid asset that does not easily lose value. In fact, many aver that real estate is the only asset that always goes up and gives great returns!

It is a rare metal, available in limited quantities which ensures that it retains a certain value always.

When the dedollarisation gets truly underway, it is possible that companies and even entire ecosystems like the silicon valley ecosystem, relocate across the globe wherever it happens to be conducive.

The world is undergoing a dramatic transformation at this point. The Chinese Wuhan Virus has given the impetus and increased the velocity of change globally.

While the west led by the US may still be powerful, the world order is certainly changing. The US certainly lost some sheen when it exited Afghanistan abruptly and gifted it to the Taliban, which it was fighting against for 20 years!

The world is in transition and we could even say that this could be an inflection point where the current world order is coming into question and there is a good chance of a new world order emerging.

It is important not just to pay attention to your well-being, but also of your near & dear ones. We need to atleast ensure that they are not committing major blunders that will come back to bite them ( and us ).

Money is important in life and can help acquire things we want. However, money matters need to be handled properly for life to be smooth and tension free.

Going to an old age home still means uprooting from ones locality and transplanting in new environs. The only other option today is probably developing a community of similarly placed folks who are there for each other and support each other.

We need to expose children to right messages that will help them understand money in the right context.

We are mostly in the zone of what-could-have-been instead of being a helpful friend to ourselves. It is almost as if Hyde is in charge of our money most times!

Systematic withdrawal is a very useful tool to setup an income and is very tax efficient and flexible. Hence, we depend on this a lot for income setup in the retirement phase.

FIRE is not some new management concept to achieve financial nirvana and be transported to Shambhala ( aka Shangri-la )!

FIRE stands for Financially Independent Retire Early.

REITs, or real estate investment trusts, are entities that own, operate & manage income-generating real estate assets across a range of property sectors.

A fixed-fee may be good in some instances, for some clients and the same holds true for AUA fees. Taking sides in the charge model is hence unnecessary hair splitting and unproductive.

Gifting can be used thoughtfully to assist someone who may benefit immensely from the timely gift. In fact, the value of a gift is directly proportional to the need for it by the person receiving (donee) that gift. Timely gifting is priceless.

Other than Will & Trust, gifting is another option for wealth transfer. It is a discretionary exercise and beyond the call of duty. Hence, it is ones prerogative to gift or not to giftand if one does gift, how much to gift.

Smallcase is a new kid on the block, with a slightly different offering. It is interesting for some as there are enticing themes, which appeal to the investors.

There are some basic principles to follow while building wealth. They are simple and yet many find it difficult to follow them; reason why many keep talking wistfully of being wealthy but never getting there!

There is a love affair with real estate, worldwide. But one needs to be sensible and should know what & how much to retain and what to dispose. This is even more true in retirement phase if one values peace and quiet during this time.

We need to come to terms with our mortality and get sensible and practical if we want to protect our families from unwanted chaos and turmoil.

Senior Living Homes or Assisted Living centres have a secure environment that ensures a serene and safe environment for elders to live without a care. It is a suitable option for the elderly who have children staying abroad & they live by themselves.

Immigration into many countries is time consuming and the queue can be long. To get into a country faster, there is a fast-track avenue available today Immigration by Investment.

Anything that offers very high returns attracts attention. Crypto currencies( or Cryptos ) like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple XRP, Litecoin etc. have been lighting up the horizon. While most people do not know their Bitcoin from an UFO, it is something that has generated tremendous interest, thanks to triple digit returns it has given at certain points.

There are many situations we face in life and we are not always prepared for them. I have written this piece about the trials and tribulations of those who have special children and what they could do.

Major changes are expected in the future it is inevitable. The velocity of change has increased too. Some of them can even be difficult. But as they will present themselves over time, we will mostly adjust to them quite well. This is the new tech age we need to prepare ourselves to embrace it.

Parents need to be careful to help their wards acquire life & money skills to survive in the real world. The real world is not as cozy and forgiving like home.

Like Gold, the interest in Real estate would probably never fade away. Let us just hope that we get a sense of proportion here and not be blindsided by our caveman instincts!

We need to make Philanthropy a part of our lives. And experience the warm glow in our hearts, which no amount of money can ever give. Dont you want to experience such bliss? Why not give it a try?

Can we not focus on what we want from life? Dont we all want to be happy enjoy peace, above all? Dont we all want to pursue a meaningful life, full of vibrant energy amazing possibilities?

Over time, Environmental, Social Corporate Governance (ESG) aspects have also become very important parameters to evaluate a companys investment worthiness its inclusion in the portfolio.

There are generally two approaches followed while investing, to meet goals.

Getting hold of competent, high quality advisers on an ongoing, retainer basis is a winner for everyone.

As our client, you derive a plethora of benefits tremendous value from your advisory engagement with us.The biggest benefit is that you are dealing with a fee-only, fiduciary advisor.

Distributor (Agent) represents the Principal (not Client), has inherent conflict of interest and follows a lower suitability standard. Fee only advisors represent their client, have no conflict or lower conflict of interest and follow a fiduciary standard.

A Financial Advisor, who is a true fiduciary acts only in their clients best interests. They act with ethics integrity avoid conflicts of interest. But, find out if your advisor is a true fiduciary!

Life planning helps in planning for those goals that can bring meaning happiness to our lives, instaed of focusing on just the monetary goals

The value of the advisor is not just the extra return that they are able to generate for their clients. There are multiple ways by which they add value thats what clients need to understand.

Perception of risk is one pivotal aspect of consumer behavior because risk is often perceived to be painful in that it may produce anxiety, in which case it must be dealt with informed choice.

When we talk of investments, what comes to our mind is investments through FDs, NCDs, Bonds, Equities, Mutual Funds, Real Estate, etc. all within India. However, we may be missing out on investment opportunities in other parts of the world.

Retirement means different things to different people. For some, it is the culmination of a lifetime of working & a chance to relax and take it easy.

There is a strong conviction among investors that investing directly into equity is going to offer them extremely high returns. There is also an equally strong opinion that Mutual Funds offer decent, though comparatively modest returns especially compared to direct equity investment.

It is an article of faith that one should have ones own residence as soon as possible. There is tremendous pressure in our society to have ones own house as soon as possible to be considered as having arrived, settled. There is pressure from ones own parents, relatives, friends, peers, etc. to own a home.

We are in a market where MF awareness is now only beginning to gain hold. The Mutual Fund Sahi Hai campaign can take a lot of credit for this. Still, the number of people who invest in Mutual Funds is still a very small percentage under 2%.

The only certainty in life are taxes and death we have heard this. You can add one more to that Expenses. As long as we live, there would be expenses.

Retirement period is bittersweet for most people. Almost everyone is looking forward to retirement. However, once there, time seems to be looming large on the horizon, with very little to do.

Almost all professions require a high level of professional competence diligence. In most other professions, there is no equivalent of the hippocratic oath. But, what the Hippocratic oath signifies is important to every profession.

Isnt it an irony that we spend so much time to plan a holiday or a birthday party, but would not spend time to manage our own finances? Many find managing finances to be an exercise in drudgery.