Planning for Retirement

“Retirement” .Do we need to think about it at all? If no, then perhaps now is the time to stop giving a cold shoulder to it.

Being ignorant does not help carve a secure future.

Though we are young and quite able at this stage in our lives. But do we think of times when “un” gets added to our ability.

Reality covering us from all four sides has changed now. We cannot wait till the RIGHT age.

Money control and Money management is imperative and so is wise investment.

We would want to jot down some essential tips that would assist you better with financial planning.

Compounding it is!
One of the strongest instruments in the financial world is compounding.
So how do we go about the process?

Start investing early, even if it is Rs10,000 a month, go for it. Putting in a small amount is okay, what is critical here is the interest that compounds with the passing time.

Also,Save your bucks! Saving is always a great idea to keep. Saving not only for retirement but for other purposes aids at various stages of our lives. The sooner you start saving , the more time your money has to bloom. Pooling in some money for retirement should be your utmost priority. Financial Goal setting is important, however sticking to those goals, and not wavering is even more critical.

It is time to go digital!

Start using an e-wallet!
This has advantages of cash back and it is safer
The flexibility, security and the usability of the wallets have cemented faith in the people using them.
You can put an amount as tiny as Rs 10 to Rs10,000.
Convenience blended with rewards incites people to use it again and again.

Sail the boat of Direct mutual funds!
Investing in direct plans of mutual funds renders higher returns. The difference in returns is more pronounced in case of equity funds. In debt funds the the returns are moderate in amount. And the returns are the lowest in liquid funds out of the three.

Swap Fixed Deposits with Debt Funds!!
Safety and Fixed deposits go hand in hand. However when it comes to tax benefits, they are not very efficient. A better path to tread on is Short-term debts, that has the combined credit risk almost equal to FD’s. Though there is not a vast difference on the interest rates generated on short-term debt funds, however the actual return on these is much if they are held for a span of more than three years

Brick a building of buferable cash!
The economic conditions waver like the wind. For example, a hike in prices in the US can subsequently leads to a market fall in India!
Having some cash as buffer, will be handy in such situations. This money can be used to buy at cheap rates and sell at higher rates.

Be wary of Debts/Mortgages!
Being freed of mortgages or any lingering mortgages is a fantastic step towards retirement planning. You do not want to get nightmares of debts when you are greying.

Also lets chart out a plan for someone who is close to us and has just entered his/her retirement phase
We will go step by step.
1. Firstly we need to calculate their monthly expenses and needs
2. We then come to her various sources of income
3. Changing their status in the bank is a wise option. Transfer their corpus to a senior citizen savings account. That gets better interest.
4. Get their 15H form signed and deposited at the Bank so TDS in not deduced at source on her FDs. This also reduces agony of chasing for Tax refund.
5. Go for opening a Mutual Fund Folio. Do you know once you have done a KYC with one Mutual fund, it is valid for all investment across all Mutual funds.
6. Divide their portfolio into Four segments
6. 1 Monthly income (if pension is not there or less) – In Fixed Income Mutual funds go for a standing instruction to transfer a fixed sum to their saving account monthly.
6.2 Diversify Equity Mutual funds for long-term steady income
6.3 Invest 10% of the corpus in Blue chip companies
6.4 Build an Emergency fund
7. Activate confirmation emails and SMS on your and their phones
8. Make sure their health insurance plan is secured.
9. Ensure all assets have nominees as per their wish.
10. Make their will

Retirement is the a faraway destination, but we need to cement a path from now to reach there in a financially healthier state.
We hope that our recommendations will help you in deciding clearly and taking informed steps.

Image Source:Nursing Care