Prerna has been working for 5 years now. The reason behind her slender investments is saving some tax, and some, she is generous enough to give away to the government for the economic development of the country. As far as her economics are concerned, she believes travelling and shopping in the mall till her last breath, are the only possible avenues where her hard earned money should go.

Prerna's investment summary:
2011 – Company EPF – Rs. 16,000 (She wasn't falling under a tax slab)
2012 – Company EPF – Rs. 24,000 (She joined the 10% league and paid some tax after the EPF)
2013 – Rs. 25,000 Bank FD in XYZ bank; Company EPF Rs. 24,000 (She paid Rs 9,000 in taxes)
2014 – Rs. 40,000 Bank FD in XYZ bank; Company EPF Rs. 24,000(She still paid Rs 16,000 in taxes)
2015 – Company EPF Rs. 24,000 (Since she got married, she had nothing left to invest; She paid Rs. 37,000 in taxes, as she entered the 20% slab this year)

Prerna could have saved her entire tax liability over these five years by investing smartly. Prerna after 5 years of employment has negligible bank balance, Bank FD's totaling Rs. 65,000 and EPF which she can't withdraw. She has entered into a new phase of life and is witnessing responsibilities falling one after the other on her head. She has realized that it is high time, she must get her act together and do something about her savings and investment. In fact, she has been thinking about this since 2013, but never took the pains to plan her finances. Prerna must follow these basic steps to step out of her dilemma:

• Educate yourself: The first step to investing is learning. There are various websites and journals, which host a powerhouse of information. Subject books on finance and government websites can also be referred. Prerna should familiarize herself with the basics of importance of saving, various investment options available and pros and cons of each. The advantage of acquiring knowledge is she won't be totally boggled when she takes the first step, there would be lesser chances of her falling into the trap of frauds, and her homework will be done when she seeks professional advice.
• Find your style: Though there are idol investment portfolios on the basis of age, income, family demographics, etc., but every individual has a different approach to life. Some may have the adventurous spirit and the aptitude to take risk, while others may be conservative and don't want to risk their money at all. So, Prerna should analyse her style, whether she wants to experience the thrill of equities or want to first build a safe harbour and then start exploring other options.
• Ice Breaker: Prerna has to shake herself up, since she is too comfortable with not bothering much for her future. She has been wondering that she wants to invest but kept on postponing. Procrastinating investments is delaying her financial security, all she needs is a "Start" button, she needs to lay the first stone in her investment plan.
• Start early: If Prerna would have started saving in 2011, she would have saved Rs 62,000 of taxes, that she paid, she would have saved at least Rs 3 – 4 Lac by now for saving these Rs 62,000, and if she directed small portions in monthly SIP's or RD's, she would have saved another Rs 1 – 2 Lac. She would have had a strong financial cushion for her now. However, better late than never, she should immediately start investing and make up for what she never did.
• Don't pay tax when you can save them: Prerna's taxes are equivalent to her total savings. The government has given us the benefit to not pay tax by saving for us. It has two benefits; one, we can save money by not paying tax and two, we are saving for our future in order to not pay tax. Rs. 150,000 can totally be saved under Section 80 C by investing the same amount and there are other sections as well, which can be used if applicable.
• Advice: Since Prerna is an amateur, she can make mistakes. She tends to get carried away, she may start doing, what her smarter friends are doing. She may start following what the anchor of the business news channel is saying without any research. Since she lacks exposure, she must seek professional advice. She may look up to an experienced family member, who is into savings and investments, or she may seek help from a professional financial advisor.

The advisor will help Prerna choose the right fit according to her profile and requirements. And all she needs is dedication, a control over her emotions and keep her basic necessities and investment commitments at the top. Let's bring a smile on Prerna's cute face by assuring her that she can continue shopping and traveling after providing for the above.

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Young adults are perhaps the richest amongst all of us. They have something more than all of us - "time", they are at an age when the possibilities are unlimited. In case you are a young adult in 30s or a parent / guardian with children approaching or are in their 20s, this article is for you. The article tells us few things which perhaps we were never told when we were young. We bring to you six valuable investment guidelines that can literally make a huge impact in lives of young adults.

1. Learn about Personal Finance & Investing :
Knowledge about personal Finance topics and investing at an early age is a great asset. Young adults must know about different asset classes, investment products, insurance, loans & credit, time value of money, inflation, savings, taxation, ¬financial planning, etc. Such knowledge, especially during early years of your career can really help you take great decisions for future. If you are a guardian, be sure to involve the young adults in your own investment decisions. There are many ways in which young adults can gain financial knowledge. Some of the ways are reading good investment books, reading ¬finance magazines, interacting with financial advisors, accountants, successful investors in family/friends, and so on.

2. Control Your Spendings :
Young adults are perhaps the most valued consumers hunted by every big brand ranging from cars to shoes to laptops to even holiday packages. With the newly gained earning power and lack of big responsibilities, it is natural that spendings on entertainment, gadgets, accessories, hanging out / parties, etc. form a big chunk of the spendings. Surely it is the time to enjoy life but young adults are advised to control their urge to spurge and not make impulsive decisions. It would be great if one can budget such spendings and avoid taking big decisions like buying motorbikes, cars, laptops, etc. without adequate thinking and research.

3. Start Investing Immediately
We have often spoken on this topic. The benefits of saving early can never be under estimated. Even if the savings is small, due to the power of compounding, the wealth created by you can be enormous. This may easily surpass the wealth created even with increased savings but started after a few years. You may be surprised how much difference will be there in the end value just by starting early.

4. Get PAN & Start Filing Tax Returns:
Filling of ITR has many advantages as they are considered standard income proofs globally and they help you while applying for loans, visa applications for jobs abroad, requesting tax refunds, etc. The PAN issued by IT authority is a prerequisite for filling ITR and is also mandatory for many financial ¬transactions. There is a perception that if the taxes are paid, there is no need to file ITR. This is a misconception and it is essential to know that it is our obligation to file the ITR when you are required to do so. Further, still many believe that their incomes are too small to attract the attention of IT authorities and get tax scrutiny and hence may indulge in non filing of returns or understating income. You may note that IT authorities uses a system whereby cases are picked up randomly on certain criteria. You may never like to be the one to get short-listed and invite unnecessary hassles. Remember that you are permitted to save taxes, but not evade taxes.

5. Get Health & Life Cover:
Getting adequate protection at a young age, where people tend to be more adventurous, is highly advised, even if there aren't any dependents on you. Buying health or life cover at a younger age is also considerably cheaper than buying the same after few years. Such protection can really help one in case there is any unforeseen emergency and financial burden on parents will be avoided.

6. Start Thinking About Home:
The average age of home & car buyers has decreased drastically in the last 20 years. Powered by easy availability of loans, fat pay packages & growing aspirations, the first time home buyer today is often around the age of 30. The first time car buyers are even younger. It would thus be best advised that young adults keep these goals in mind and start saving as much as possible for home & car goals, if any, from now onwards. It would really benefit you a lot when the time comes for purchase in near future. Often young adults delay saving for the goal and end up paying lesser down-payments and taking higher amount of loans which should be avoided. Lastly, even if you have a home of your own, it is advisable to think of buying a home as an investment for future and also enjoy tax benefits on same. Having time on your side is a great advantage and never to be missed. Few young adults may choose to ignore & not act on 6 guidelines shared above at their own peril. Experience has shown that wise decisions, actions and discipline in these formative years go a long way in securing a better ¬financial future down the line. Simple actions taken today can help you avoid taking tough decisions at times when you have family to support and lot of responsibilities on your hands. So go ahead and make the best that this time has be offer, smartly.

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As an investor, one should have the basic understanding of asset allocation, irrespective of how literate or experienced you may be. It is at the heart of portfolio management for investors and as studies have indicated, it is also the primary determinant of portfolio returns over time. In this article, we take a closer look at this key element that we all must adopt, manage & track in our overall investment portfolio.

Why Asset Allocation?
As a definition, asset allocation means an investment strategy that aims to balance risk and reward by distributing a portfolio's assets according to individual needs & profile. There are three main asset classes - equities, ¬fixed-income and cash & equivalents.

A clear justification for asset allocation is the logic that different asset classes having different characteristics will offer returns that are less correlated to each other. Thus, essentially with asset allocation we are 'diversifying' and reducing the overall risks of the portfolio as one asset class may outperform the other and thereby reducing the volatility of returns for a given level of returns expectation. Asset allocation is based on the principle that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions.

Many ¬financial experts also argue that asset allocation is the most important factor in determining returns for an investment portfolio. Various studies done by expert point to the fact that asset allocation could explain over 90% of the returns from a portfolio in long term as opposed to superior product selection or market timing.

Determining Your Asset Allocation :
While there may be guiding lights, there is no standard rule or ratio of asset allocation which can easily ¬t everyone. Determining the asset allocation is a personal decision much like tailoring your own suit. There are many factors that play an important role in determining asset allocation but the following are the most important ones...

Investor Risk Profile:
Your risk profile or tolerance level is your ability and willingness to absorb large fluctuations in the value of your investments. It is kind of an indicator that measures your comfort, patience and con¬confidence to not panic and sell at the wrong time while continuing to be ¬financially sound. There are a lot of things that impact your profile, including awareness, understanding of markets, your ¬financial soundness, earnings capacity and lastly the ability to keep your emotions under control.

Investment Horizon:
The investment horizon is an important determinant of asset allocation as different asset classes have different ideal investment horizons. They may be expected to behave in a certain manner with reasonable confidence based on their own characteristics & market cycles. For e.g., the equity asset class, being volatile in short term should only be looked at if investment horizons extend long enough in the future.

Investment Goals/Targets:
Another determinant of asset allocation is the returns expectation or requirement you may have from your investment in order to achieve a financial/life goal or target. You may be end up up deciding an asset allocation solely from the point of view of achieving that goal. For e.g., a person in late 40s may suddenly realize that he needs to save for retirement in just 12 years. Now, the only way to maximize the retirement kitty would be to invest in equities which have the highest returns potential, irrespective of his risk profile but keeping in mind the horizon which is long enough for equity returns to be more realistic.

The Asset Classes : Asset classes can be seen as buckets of investment products /avenues which display similar risk-return characteristics. There is three basic 'traditional' asset classes as already highlighted earlier which you may look at for investing – depending your need & profile. For private circulation only

1. Equities:
   

   This includes direct equity stocks, equity mutual fund schemes, equity PMS and ETFs. Some experts also include private equity and business investments in this asset class. Equities are risky but also hold promise for higher returns. One may reduce the risk of direct equities by investing in equity mutual fund schemes which have diversified portfolios of stocks managed by experts.

   • Within equities, asset allocation may be done on basis of the size of the company or it's market capitalization. Thus one can diversify into large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap stocks or funds. There are also diversified and blend (two or more market caps) funds available for investors to choose from.
   • One may even have diversification based on country with funds investing in domestic markets and in foreign markets. But with India, being the fastest growing economy globally, there is little sense to look for opportunities elsewhere.
2. Fixed Income:
   

   This asset class gives more assured form of returns that accrue in form of interest income and due to fluctuations in bond prices triggered by interest rate cycles. It covers instruments like time deposits, government small savings schemes, bonds, corporate deposits, government papers, etc. While it may not be easy for everyone to participate in bond markets in India just like they do in equity markets, mutual funds do present us with a very easy and familiar route to invest in such products.

   • Your total asset allocation should include the debt portion of your traditional investments into bank time deposits, PPF, EPF, small saving schemes, etc. along with investments into mutual fund debt schemes.
   • Mutual fund debt schemes offer lot of options with a wide range of fund types that offer different sets of risk-return horizon within debt asset class. One can do a deeper level asset allocation of debt into these broad category of funds. This will be meaningful only if you have debt, especially mutual fund debt schemes, as a significant part of your portfolio.
3. Cash & Equivalents:
   

   This asset class is the least riskiest but also one that gives the least /no returns. It broadly includes Cash and equivalents like deposit account with banks and money market mutual fund schemes. Some amount of investments should be made into this asset class to have liquidity for emergency purposes and for meeting maturing goals.

   • Alternative Asset Classes: Apart from the above three primary asset classes, many ¬financial planning experts also consider few other asset classes depending on the investors they advice.
   • Commodities: A popular avenue for Indians, this includes precious metals (like gold, silver), agriculture, energy, etc.
   • Real Estate: Again an important 'investment' avenue for us, it includes commercial or residential real estate and REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts.
   • Collectibles: A slow emerging category for wealthy Indians, collectibles includes things like art, paintings, coins, stamps, wine, etc.
   • Others: Foreign currency, derivatives, etc. also can be considered as asset classes but which are not recommended or suitable for individual investors.

Managing Your Asset Allocation :

1. Do It Your-self
   

   If you had been investing and trying to manage your funds yourself, and want to keep it that way, you will need to take care of the following:

   • Maintain consolidated records for all investment classes. And remember not to skip anything as most of us ignore our traditional /realty investments and only consider stocks & mutual funds for asset allocation which gives us a very misleading picture.
   • Find the right asset allocation suitable for you and/or decide asset allocation for each of your -financial goals. This is not easy even though there many risk pro¬ling tools available on-line. Execute the asset allocation and regularly review the same over time. Again this may require a lot of your involvement and time commitment.
2. Do It Through Your Advisor
   

   Investing through your ¬financial advisor /planner or wealth manager seems to be a very logical and the right thing to do. Your ¬financial advisor who ideally would be experienced in assessing risk profile and determining asset allocation would easily guide you to knowing your ideal and existing asset allocation. He/she would also be in a position to monitor and recommend changes in your portfolio on a regular basis. Your ¬financial advisor also has access to more refined product like MARS which manage your asset allocation through an automated process making things much more easier for you.

   The value which a - financial advisor may add in terms of managing your asset allocation is immense. Here are a few things that he/she can offer..

   • Access to a much wider range of asset classes and product choices.
   • Timely /regular portfolio reporting & tracking services for all your assets.
   • Regular review and re-balancing of asset allocation.
   • Discipline & commitment to follow asset allocation for achieving life goals

   We believe, based on our experience, it is very difficult for individual investors to follow asset allocation with discipline without ¬financial advisors. With a good advisor on your side, your portfolio should too potentially outperform a portfolio which does not follow the asset allocation approach to managing investments.

Conclusion :
There is no doubt that asset allocation brings discipline and gives the answer to the big question – when to buy & sell at an asset class level. Following an asset allocation approach to managing investments can yield great results over time. Taking the active help of your ¬financial advisor in managing the asset allocation is the way to go forward.