A Financial Plan creates a path to your Financial Freedom

A financial plan is a road map, of sorts − as clear and accurate as possible − that can help you determine:

• Where you’re situated financially
• The direction you should be heading
• What it might take to reach your destination

After all, you wouldn’t set off on a journey through a strange land without some kind of help − a map, a compass, even a guide.

It’s never too late to plan

Regardless of how near or far you may be from retirement, it’s never too late to create a financial plan.

The future is too important − and many people make poor financial decisions because they don’t know where they are or if they’re headed in the right direction.

What a plan should include

A financial plan can be either loosely structured or highly detailed, based on your individual needs. Written on a legal pad or imported onto a spreadsheet. With either approach, your financial plan should be a true picture of your current financial health and a realistic view of your goals (short-term, intermediate and long-term).

To be useful, it also should be updated as your needs and life situation changes and reviewed at least annually.

More than a list of investments

A realistic financial plan is not simply a list of your investments.

Investing may be a major part, but a comprehensive plan also should address such things as insurance, debt, cash flow management and estate planning and the seemingly mundane, as well − taxes, inflation, investment expenses, etc.

The investment professional as guide

Sound overwhelming?

Your investment professional can help you create a comprehensive financial plan and − just as importantly − work with you to keep it updated as your lifestyle, conditions and objectives change.

Getting started on your plan

Here are 10 things to consider or questions to answer as you prepare your financial plan:

1. Your goals. Where do you want to be − and expect to be − in 10, 20, 30 years? Remember that you may be living in retirement longer than you think.
2. An estimate of your longevity. There’s a 50-50 chance that at least one partner from a couple in their 60s today will live to age 95, so be optimistic.
3. Your wages, debt payments and living/household expenses and other budget items. You’ll need to figure out how much you can afford to contribute to your plan.
4. A list of your assets. Take stock of, well, stocks, bonds and other pieces of your investment portfolio, as well as savings accounts, retirement plans and the equity in your home.
5. The kind of lifestyle you have now and what will you want or need later on. How will you be able to pay for the lifestyle you want?
6. Your current savings plan. How much money are you saving now? Where is it going − savings account, Roth IRA, etc. Is it enough to help fund your future? And at what point do you expect to start using your savings for living expenses.
7. Your level of investment risk − now and in the future. Are you comfortable with the investment risk you’re taking with your investments? Or does it need to change to better reflect your own situation or the state of the economy?
8. Take a hard look at what income you may have in retirement. Research your Social Security benefits and look into any dividend, pension or other income.
9. An estate plan. More than a will, an estate plan can ease the burden on your loved ones, ensure your assets are distributed as you wish, reduce taxes and plan your own personal and health care.
10. An emergency fund. How would you pay for an unexpected event − flooded basement, extended illness, job loss, etc.?

Eurozone crisis may affect Indian banks

Though Indian banks' exposure to the troubled eurozone is negligible, funding pressure could impact them, according to the Economic Survey 2011-12. 

"The recent regulatory prescriptions for European banks have raised fears of deleveraging. Indian banks are not expected to bear any direct impact on account of their negligible exposure to the troubled zone," according to the survey tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The scope for countercyclical financial policy could be explored in financial regulations in order to minimise negative impact of accumulated financial risks, it said. 

This will go a long way in providing needed stability to the financial system, it added. 

The survey noted sovereign risk concerns, particularly in the euro area, affected financial markets for the greater part of the year, with the contagion of Greece's sovereign debt problem spreading to India and other economies by way of higher-than-normal levels of volatility. 

Despite the demanding operational environment, it said, the Indian banking sector demonstrated continued revival from the peripheral spill over effects of the recent global financial turmoil. 

Highlighting the importance of financial inclusion in the financial sector, the Survey said it is seen as an important determinant of economic growth. 

Banks need to take into account various behavioural and motivational attributes of potential consumers for a financial inclusion strategy to succeed, it said. 

Besides, it said, access to financial products is constrained by lack of awareness, unaffordable products, high transaction costs, and products which are not customised and are of low quality. 

A major challenge in the times ahead would be to meet financing requirements, particularly of the unorganised sector and the self-employed in the micro and small business sector, it said.

CHITTI, the Financial ROBOT , answers you " What is Foreign Direct Investment"

Authored By: Ajit Panicker

Foreign Direct Investment is an investment which is made in a country by company or a group from some other country either by buying out the company from the target country completely or by buying a percentage of it or by expanding its operations into the target country in the line of existing business.
Foreign Direct Investment or FDI, is done in either of the ways:

• By incorporating a wholly owned subsidiary or company
• by buying out shares of the company
• by mergers or acquisitions
• through an equity joint venture

According to the Ernst & Young (E&Y)'s 2012 India Attractiveness Survey, investors view India as an attractive investment destination. India stands as the fourth most attractive destination for FDI in the survey's global ranking. Domestic market's high potential driven by an emerging middle class, cost competitiveness and access to a highly qualified workforce are the major factors that has been the magnet force to attract global investors.

But of late, in past few months due to delayed political and economic decisions by the Indian government, there has been an outflow of the foreign investment and together with other  factors the investment picture is looking bleak as of now. It is just a passing phase , wherein a number of external, global and internal factors have impacted the country, but there would soon be a turnaround and in next 2 years , the growth story would be right back on the track.

Real Estate Market Attraction: Greater Noida Edition

Edited By: Ajit Panicker 

 Greater Noida is shaping up as India's smartest city, the National Capital Region’s most modern urban development. And the fastest-developing center of attraction for people from Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Greater Noida has emerged as a modern model of farsighted town planning. Availability of basic infrastructure is planned to exceed demand at all stages of development and inter-flowing green spaces, a grid iron pattern of wide roads for an efficient transport system, and a unique integration of industrial, commercial, institutional and residential zones.

There's even an 18-hole, 236-acre PGA-standard golf course designed by renowned-golfer Greg Norman. And an endless supply of unpolluted, fresh air!

Just 35 minutes from Delhi by the state-of-the-art Taj Expressway, Greater Noida boasts of smart differentials:

Privatized power, Smooth and wide road, Abundant clean sweet water. Underground drainage, Unfailing optical fibre-based telephone network, Trade Mart for handicraft promotion, Impeccable law and order

Residential Destination: It is the kind of living in a prime suburban neighbourhood that you've always dreamt of - in your own home with large rooms amidst open spaces that encompass lawns, gardens and a driveway. Also, where you enjoy 24-hour power and water supply and plenty of fresh air. Now, it's within your reach. Just a half-hour drive from Delhi - via the DND Flyway and six-lane expressway to Greater Noida, in an uncongested, pollution-free environment with world-class facilities for better living.

Being developed on 20,000 hectares with wide roads, underground cabling and drainage system, the city offers amenities and infrastructural facilities of international standards. Among them : Reputed Educational Institutions, Shopping Centres, Medical facilities, Aesthetically-developed Theme Parks and Entertainment Complexes- and even a 222 acre international designer Golf Course. You couldn't ask for more!

With an expected population of 3 lakhs up to 2001, 7 lakhs up to 2011 and 12 lakhs up to 2021, Greater Noida City has been designed for planned growth to ensure supply will always exceed demand.

As many as 25,000 plots have already been allotted to various professionals and senior executives. To join this exclusive neighbourhood, you can now buy affordable plots in prime locations of Greater Noida.

Remember, only a city of the future can bring back the lifestyle of the past.

Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) is the nodal agency responsible for overall development of the Greater Noida City. The GNIDA was established in Jan. 1991 under the UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976.The Act mandates Planning, Development, Operations & Maintenance and Regulatory functions to a single agency – GNIDA.

Industrial Destination

Ecotech is Greater Noida's exclusive Industrial area where rights of admission are reserved. In fact, polluting industries are prohibited from setting up here. However, for those allowed in, the Authority ensures not just speedy clearances and approvals but also incentives to promote early commissioning of projects. An effective single-table functioning guarantees project clearance within a month and an empowered committee continuously monitors the progress of these projects.
Industrial investment taking place in Greater Noida is now over Rs. 10,000 crores. It has now become one of the favoured locations for good industrial investment specially of multinational investment because of its good infrastructure near Delhi and effective single window system of speedy decision making and clearances.

Ecotech Exclusives

• Early production incentives in the form of Rs. 50/- per sq. mtr. rebate on land cost if production starts within 18 months of land possession or 24 months of land allotment


• Single-table clearances


• No case pending beyond one month


• Weekly allotment of plots


• Monthly meetings of Udyog Bandhu, a collective forum of all concerned agencies, to troubleshoot entrepreneur related problems on the spot


• Technical Training and Vocational guidance Institutes for adequate supply of skilled and semi skilled work force


• Inland Container Depot to handle storage of goods


• Round-the-clock patrolling by mobile police vans for law and order maintenance


• Adjacent residential township with housing sectors, hospitals, schools, commercial complexes, recreational parks and even a 18-hole Greg Norman Signature PGA Level Golf course on 222 acres.

IT & BIOTECH Destination

Globally, the Information Technology (IT) industry is expected to be the engine for economic growth and social development for a long time to come. The advent of Internet and E-commerce has transformed and revolutionised traditional businesses and is significantly impacting industry, government and the society at large. India is rapidly emerging as one of the top global powerhouses in the IT sector.

The market openings have primarily been identified, by Greater Noida across four broad sectors:

• IT services,


• Software products,


• IT enabled services and


• E-business

These would constitute lucrative opportunities for Indian Companies. In addition to the export market, all of these segments have a domestic market component as well. NASSCOM forecasts revenues of US $87 billion and employment of two million people by the year 2008 by the Indian IT Industry.

• National Capital Region (NCR) ranks no. 3 in terms of the number of software firms companies based in it after Mumbai and Bangalore. In case of the ITES sector, the NCR leads with 20% of the total number of companies located in this region.


• Since the NCR has emerged as a hub for IT industry, Greater Noida could emerge as an IT destination of the future leveraging its proximity to the national capital and availability of quality urban infrastructure including housing.

Lesson of Sincere Sales Pitch

Authored By: Ajit Panicker


Lesson of Sincere Sales Pitch:
Yesterday, in a coffee shop waiting for my client to arrive, i met a real estate executive. He must be around 25 years old. seeing me wait for my client and scribbling some notes in my diary, he called up an invitation to sit with him and chat. During our talks i realized that this 25 year old has a path to follow to reach his destination. Focused sincerely on his work was carrying two mobiles, a usual phenomenon in metros, to show that you are a busy guy. I asked him why does he need two mobiles, his answer was "sir, i make appointments by calling people, and the day the charge of both my mobiles do not finish during the day, i consider the day , that my work is unfinished.
Impressive", i thought. While talking he understood that i am a financial planner, but he did not make any effort to make link up with me for future business prospecting. it was a soft call on me while i was leaving the table, when he said "why don't you book an apartment, for yourself, when you are doing for others".
I said, we have planned and would soon take up a flat. He was just not pushy and kept a decent sales pitch throughout the conversation, showing interests and knowledge on varied topics.
What i want to share with my fellow financial planners, advisors, working in banks or self employed, to make sincere efforts to reach to your customer.

"Plan your day and the day will unfold according to you"


As you design your presentation, develop both a strong opening and a powerful closing. After your opening, preview your main points and then provide enough specific information to support your message. 

The following S-S-S formula helps your listeners retain important information and prompts them to act: 

State State your main points clearly and concisely. 
Support Provide enough supporting information to address your listeners' needs adequately. 
Summarize Summarize each main point of your message.

Real Estate Market Attraction: Delhi Report

Owning a house is every family's dream and if one wishes to own house in delhi NCR, it becomes all the more challenging.
Who doesn’t want to own a property in the city that is the heart of India-Delhi? Almost all who wish to make maximum profit out of property deals invest in the property of Delhi and NCR.

Why Delhi enjoys a prominent position in the Real Estate market?

√ It is the capital city of India loaded with all that is technologically advanced
√ It offers countless job opportunities that attracts people
√ The rates of residential as well as commercial property escalates at a constant rate
√ The residential locations have proper basic amenities like electricity, health care, schools, colleges, etc.
√ Lavish lifestyle of the place has also attracted people from all states

How has NCR gained prominence?

NCR or the national capital region includes Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, etc. NCR has developed at a rocket speed in the last two decades. What has brought about this growth?
√ The shift of various industries from Delhi to its surrounding areas
√ Coming up of various builder projects in Delhi
√ Setting up of schools, Institutions, Hospitals, etc.
√ Advanced transportation facilities
√ Increased demand of rented properties

New attractions in the Real Estate market in Delhi:

• The 2010 Commonwealth Games has transformed the face of Delhi and NCR and thus have brought about a marked hike in the rates of the property. Roads have been developed, various flyovers have been built and transportation system has become more efficient.
• Apart from this Metro Rail has been an important factor that has added a charm to Delhi and has taken it a step ahead in the course of development. The property of the areas where the metro route is laid is consistently shooting up.
• Rental property has a great demand that attracts investors.
• The highly lucrative developer projects in NCR have also attracted foreign investors.
•The Recent event of FORMULA-1 racing which was organized last year in Greater Noida, the extension of Noida, which comes under the National Capital Region of Delhi, has shot up the prices of all areas adjoining it.

Real Estate Market Delhi and NCR has something to offer to all sectors of the society. Right from the low income groups, Medium sector to Multi Millionaires, every sector finds suitable accommodation in Delhi.