It doesn’t matter which road you take if you are unsure of your destination, the Cheshire Cat tells Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. That encapsulates financial planning in a nutshell. Setting financial goals and creating a plan to reach them are both important. When done correctly, it makes you financially fit, enabling you to meet life’s challenges and quickly, safely, and surely take pleasure in the rewards of your labour.
Dream and assign a value to it
A dream that has a specific deadline is a goal. Your dream might be to declare your intention to retire at age 50. When you figure out how much money you’ll need in your bank account to make it happen, it turns into a goal. You should think about how much money you will need each month for the next 30 or 40 years, how much inflation will eat away at it, and what other major goals will consume it. Whatever the amount, knowing it in front of you will help you determine what you need to do to get there, whether it be Rs. 2 crore or 10.
Reduce your high-cost debt
Taking out loans is equivalent to giving away your entire tree in order to get 3 fruits today. You won’t achieve your objectives if you pay a credit card interest rate of 35% and a personal loan interest rate of 22%. A 22% loan repayment rate is equivalent to a 22% return on investment. Consider an investment that guarantees a 22% return. Your money’s fitness plan is no different from any other fitness plan in that it eliminates unhealthy consumption. When you stop using plastic, your financial fitness starts to improve.
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Making an emergency fund
We learned in school that there is uncertainty everywhere. It was delivered right to your door by the pandemic. Exigences cannot be avoided, but they can be planned for. How do you set up a reserve fund? As an emergency fund, set aside 6 to 12 months of your gross monthly income. Let it be placed in readily accessible liquid deposits or liquid funds. You have the security net of your emergency fund to make risk-free investments with the rest of your money. In your emergency fund, lower returns are acceptable as long as you don’t risk capital loss. Refill it first if your emergency fund is empty.
Purchase enough insurance to protect against serious risks
In general, we think of insurance as a form of health and life protection. However, insurance actually costs much more. Your savings could be wiped out by a significant unfortunate event, leaving you and your family vulnerable. In order to ensure that your loved ones’ needs are met even in the worst case, you must first insure yourself for a set period of time. Make sure your entire family is covered by health insurance. Make sure your priceless assets are insured next. Liabilities such as home loans, auto loans, personal loans, etc., should be insured above all. You do not want your family to lose their home due to mounting EMI debt.
To achieve your goals, put money into SIPs
There are two considerations when setting financial goals. First, make medium- and long-term goals part of your systematic investment plans (SIPs). To avoid becoming like Alice in Wonderland, connect each SIP to a particular objective.
However, how much should you put aside? Follow the principle of saving money first and then spending it later as you work backwards from your goals. Spend more on your necessities while reducing your spending on wants. Save now, rather than waiting until you have enough money. It never takes place. Over a 25-year period, an equity fund SIP of Rs 20,000 per month earning 14% annually would have grown to Rs 5.50 crore. Make money work harder to achieve your financial objectives.
If you combine getting an early start with discipline and careful monitoring, it’s simple to live frugally. Investments are only one aspect of being financially fit. You are prepared to live the life of your dreams if you keep the pillars of debt repayment, liquidity, and insurance in mind.
