Monthly Contest – Comment & Win is Back

By
Hemant Beniwal
66

I Believe that learning can happen through interaction & if we talk about TFL – this could be done in the comments. This is why every comment on this blog receives a reply from me. (may be sometime bit late) But unfortunately, I have observed that most of the times when a comment is posted asking a question or raising an observation and a reply is made, the person who posted the comment in the first place never follow up. This shows that that person never really posted the question expecting a reply or there can be one more reason “People don’t look for advice… they only search for someone to agree with them” If your views are same as above quote then you are at wrong place.

I hope you will start adding more comments & queries now – I promise from now onwards you will get a reply (either by me or some other reader who understand particular thing) in maximum 2 days.

Let’s talk about Monthly Contest:

Hope you have seen new top commentator list in left hand bar – this will have top 7 commentators from last 1 month. Out of these there will be 2 winners.

Top Commentator: This prize is not going to a person who will add most comments in a month. Then?? There will be a random selection from top 7 commentators using RANDOM .org  – only benefit to the top 3 commentators will be that they will have 2 entries for their name. To give everyone an equal chance – winner of this prize will skip next 2 months entries. E.g. If X wins this prize in July – his name will not be considered in August & September but he still have chance to win best commentator award.

Best Commentator: Person who will add most value to the discussions or topics. Winner in this case will be judged by me but he should be part of top 7 commentators in that month.

Please note that for “value addition” my choice will be based on:

1. A clear indication that the commenter has read the post. This will show from his comment or relevant query.

2. Valuable inputs that build on the post’s subject matter. If you have some good ideas based on the post subject matter and you’re sure this will help others you can use this to increase your chance.

3. Level of interaction with other readers – solving their queries or supporting their views.

What will be the prize?

Don’t expect any ipod or t-shirt from this contest. Winner will get 1 book related to personal finance/investment planning/financial planning or Finametrica Risk Profiling. Hope these books or risk profiling will help you to increase your chance to win the bigger game – your money game.

Winners will be announced on 1st of every month on this post, so be sure to check back. But I believe everyone is going to be winner by commenting – either you will win blessings by helping others or win knowledge by asking questions or discussions.

Only 1 Rule

Leave a RELEVANT COMMENT: Stay on topic and offer value. NO SPAMMY COMMENTS like “nice post”, “thanks for sharing” or similar comments – such comments are only relevant when they are combined with more valuable content.

HAPPY COMMENTING and good luck!  I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you.

Note: You’re allowed to comment on ANY post within the blog, not just the new ones. So check achieves.
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Hemant Beniwal
Hemant Beniwal is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and his Company Ark Primary Advisors Pvt Ltd is registered as an Investment Adviser with SEBI. Hemant is also a member of the Financial Planning Association, U.S.A and registered as a life planner with Kinder Institute of Life Planning, U.S.A. He started his Financial Planning Practice & TFL Guide Blog in 2009. "The Financial Literates" is a dream & mission to make Indians Financial Literate.

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66 COMMENTS

    • Congratulations to both Tinks and Purvesh. This is a good opportunity to grab a nice book from Hemantji 🙂 The book is totally worth the comments.

        • Dear Tinks and Purvesh,
          Congratulations on winning the book from Hemant ji. I have read somewhere that “The real excitement in not in winning but in playing the game”. When I try to apply this to investing/financial planning I find it all the more suitable as LIFE does not end when you achieve one financial goal of yours, it sets a bigger and more fulfilling goal for itself. Therefore the journey continues and the game as well.
          game ON!!!!
          Best wishes

    • Hi Hemant
      No surprises, Purvesh was easily the best commentator for the month of October. Congratulations Purvesh and Tinks.
      We are going to miss this contest which provided a nice platform to discover good commentators.

        • yes.
          so bad for who were there but could not grab one of the gems from Hemant. But he has promised to start something for us very soon.
          Till then Just Do It (Investing wisely)!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. September 2011 Winners
    Best Commentator: Mudit
    Top Commentator: Anil kumar Kapila
    *as random . org was not working I have selected Anil as top commentator for adding maximum comments in month of September.

    • Thanks Hemant! There were no surprises as far as the choice of best commentator is concerned. I consider myself lucky to be top commentator as this would have not been possible had random. org been working.

      • Thank you Hemant. And thanks to all other readers too…Without the animated discussion between some of us (Anil Kapila ji especially) this would not have happened. I really look forward to be of any kind of help to any one as far as my strength will take me.
        I had heard something that seems to be very contrarian but is very true in life. It goes like this “Swarthi banna achcha hai kyunki parmarth ke liye shakti wahi se aayegi” .. It is good to be selfish to be more generous/kind.
        regards and thank you

          • Hi Anil ji,
            thank you for giving me your best wishes.
            thank you hemant for a such an interesting platform.
            regards

              • thank you very much Mansoor.
                Hope that you will point to mistakes that may have occurred in my posts due to errors of omissions/commissions.
                With best wishes for Deepawali and Eid-ul-juha and every day that brings us new hopes, joy and enthusiasm.
                regards,

    • Thank you Hemantji, I am honored to be a part of your recognition system, but the articles are really awesome that keeps me coming back to TFL. Keep blogging and rocking. Thanks again.

  8. Hi Hemant
    You have made a very good observation :
    “People don’t look for advice… they only search for someone to agree with them”
    While no two persons can be expected to give the same advice, we have to learn to respect the views of others.I have also observed from the comments that some persons have very strange views regarding financial planning and investment.They always try to impose their views on you.If they find that your views do not match with their views they start arguing in a manner which looks like a fight.I think there is no point in arguing with such persons.

  9. Hi Hemant,

    I am regular reader of tflguide.com and learning financial planning slowly and implementing one by one.

    Thank & Regards
    Mohan R

  11. Dear Hemant,
    I really appreciate your efforts to educate the ppl on financial planning.
    I am 43 years old eager to start financial planning.
    having two kids 13, & 10 yrs old. i m looking for advice on how should i plan for their education , wedding, & my retirement.
    I have insured for around 70 lac. I am looking for advice on best mutual funds with whom i can start SIP

  12. Hello Hemant,

    I have been reading the articles of TFL with keen interst and gathering usefull information about investment. There is distinct difference between savings and investment as propagated by you.
    I have been investing in Mutual Funds of different AMC’s since last four years. It had been a bumpy ride, because just after investing for around a year there came the slump of global economy and the crash of stock market around the globe. I have seen my investment depleted to 50% or less and got very worried. I had been reading carefully the magazine ‘Mutual Fund Insight’ since I started investment in MF. I decided to keep on investing by SIP route being convinced by the logic of power of compounding. Today I know well how powerfull is the tool of SIP. Your fund selection guide exactly matches with that of mine.
    I have got following queries on the basis of my observation and seek your advice in the forum –
    1. It had been a general observation that the stock market dips on most of the months during the end of settlement day. Is it prudent to select the investment date of SIP on the last day of the stipulated dates of AMCs?
    2. The market is going through a roller coster ride since last November – How about investment by daily SIP which is being oferred by few AMCs?
    This may yield a few percentile more in the long run.
    Thanks and regards

    Somnath

    • Hi Somnath
      It is the time in the market not timing the market that is important as for as investment in mutual funds is concerned.SIP date is not important.Monthly SIP is good enough, daily SIP does not serve any purpose.

      • hi Somnath ji and Anil ji,
        Anil ji’s advise is EKDUM CORRECT as timing the market is completely unrealistic dream and a trap that an investor can lay for himself. Secondly, if you go for daily SIPs then also you will over do the overall goal of disciplined investing. There are few things one should consider even while choosing the appropriate date for a SIP.
        1) The frequency and date of income – As one of the thumb rules of investing is to carve out investments before spending from income, the date and frequency of your income plays a crucial choice in deciding your date of investments. Mostly in case of salaried persons, like me, the date of SIP must coincide with the date of salary being transferred into bank a/c. Like in my case salary is generally credited between 12-14th of every month so most of my SIPs are on or after 15th of every month.
        If you have irregular income like in case of business/professional income, you can start a separate bank account which may maintain sufficient balance only to meet your monthly SIP/insurance obligations. It is similar to the envelop strategy suggested by many financial planners and I think Hemant has also suggested it in one of his posts.
        2) Market falls near to settlement days – In case of human memory we are more influenced by recent events rather that events that occurred long ago. We have been going through a mostly volatile market for last 3-4 years since Feb-08. Therefore the speculative traders take positions during the month and try to square off their losses at settlement. I DID NOT SAY INVESTORS. If you look at monthly charts available on sites of BSE and NSE for a period of 2-3 years covering the duration before May-08, you will most likely see that markets did not corrected sharply on these days but actually gained. Therefore markets are more of a barometer of the sentimental (and not rational) mood swings of speculators during a bull or bear cycle.
        3) Daily SIP – In the end the total monthly investible corpus of most individuals remain static for a usually a period betweeen 6 months to 12 months (especially in case of salraied persons) as their expenditures increase instantly but usually incomes increase after a lag. Therefore, if one has say Rs. 10,000/- pm for investments as SIP in each month, and he is investing it equally in 5 MFs, then probably either he will have to invest more or less if he goes for daily SIPs. Take the following example, assuming a daily SIP of Rs. 100/- (I think it is the least you can invest through daily SIPs):
        Ex 3.a) Suppose a month has 23 trading sessions then you will end up paying Rs. 2,300/- for each of you SIPs compounding to an excess of Rs. 1,500/- for that month.
        Ex 3.a) Suppose due to more holidays etc., a month has only 17 trading sessions then you will end up paying Rs. 1,700/- for each of you SIPs leading to a shortfall of Rs. 1,500/- for that month.
        Therefore in any case it not remain that much disciplined. Even the companies that were offering daily/weekly SIP options are taking a hard look at these as the ration of overheads to investment is very high. Mostly in case of overheads such as bank charges and record keeping the costs are static and do not vary with the amount of SIP.
        ———
        A suggestion that could be well in line with your intent of timing the market while avoiding the pitfalls of such timing: If you have 3 or more SIPs, then you can stagger them on different dates like one each on 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of the month. BUT, again having too many funds may not serve the best interest of the goals you may have set. Select a few good funds and spread them over the month.

        hope this helps you strategise your investments and TIME-THE-MARKET!!!!
        ;D
        regards,

        • Hi Mudit
          I have recently read an article by a financial planner in which the author advises all types of investors whether salaried or professionals to have separate bank account for their investments and expenses like insurance premiums etc. Investors are advised to transfer every month funds from their savings account to this account. I think this approach forces one to save before one can think of spending.
          I agree with you that markets are driven more by sentiments and less by fundamentals. So there is no point in trying to time the markets.

  13. Hi Hemant,
    Really you are doing a great job for investors as well as advisors.I am a IFA and learning so many investment ideas to your website and your regular email is very knowledgeable for me.
    Thank u.

  14. Hi Hemant,

    I just got a proposal to invest in Bajaj Allianz recently launched Shield Plus, a unit linked insurance plan (ULIP). By my broker . But as per your earlier publish article on ULIP its not good to invest in ULIP . What you suggest on that Bajaj Allianz shield plus will give me good return. They told me if i invest rs 1 lakh after 5yrs will get 1.80 lakh surely & it can be more as per that time NAV.

    Plz guide me should i opt for it or not for a lumsum investment of Rs 50000/-

    Regards

  15. Hi Hemant
    Have you discontinued the monthly contest? I have thoroughly enjoyed the book you sent.

    • Hi Anil,
      No – its ON.
      But actually Random . org that I use for selecting top commentator is not working. 🙁

  16. Dear Hemant,
    I have a couple of queries.
    1.Although i am a Convert to the Mutual Fund SIP philosophy, I chanced to read this article in firstpost which has disturbed me a bit. Your comments.
    2.Can you give your opinion on ICICI G-SIP (Guaranteed Savings Insurance Plan)?
    Thanks !

  17. Hi Hemant
    It is good that after a gap of almost six months we are going to see more comments on this post.

  18. Hi Hemant,

    It is good to see this contest. Hope this will increase the quantity and quality of discussion on this blog. Looking forward to it.

    Cheers,
    Vivek

      • Definitely sir, TFLguide is the reason I got into personal finance. Its e-course has taught me so much and increased my knowledge. I keep visiting the site to understand about new products in the market but never thought I am qualified enough to advise people. But yea I can share what I know.
        Thanks for the encouragement.

  20. Dear Sir

    What is the impact of (a) increasing Crude Oil prices on our economy; & (b) Burden of subsidies- How it impacts us?

    • Hi Girish
      Due to political compulsions the government is not allowing petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG prices to increase. But as soon as the current session of the parliament is over there is bound to be a steep hike in the price of all petroleum products.

  22. Dear Sir As far as i know many CFP would recommend 3 or 4 fund

    hdfc200
    idfc prem. equity
    dspr 100
    bsl div. yeild

    bt i analyses there are many fund to invest in the market.

    Expenses ratio also matter Quantum mutual fund have least exp. ratio and they have also good fund.

    dspbr world energy fund
    bsl global agri plan is also good.

    I think most of financial planner see past 3 or 5 yrs gd return.

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