BE SELFISH! MASK FOR YOU FIRST, ONLY LATER FOR YOUR CHILD

FLIGHT MODE FOR RETIREMENT KITTY !

An announcement is made by the Air-Hostess 

“ Should there be a drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from above your seat. If you are traveling with children, make sure that your own mask is on first before helping your children”.

How selfish of her to say that you ignore your dear child’s safety and think of ourselves?

Surely, every parent would be anxious to secure their child’s safety first.

 

NO. Not at all.  The Air Hostess does not mean ignoring your child’s safety. What she intends to mean is that FIRST YOU PROTECT YOURSELF SO THAT YOU ARE IN A GOOD SHAPE TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD. 

What they mean is that only when you are in your best physical shape, you can help your dear child.

But without you putting on the mask yourself, you may struggle for air and could become unconscious and you would be physically incapable of putting the mask on your child. Obviously, you cannot pour from an empty cup! In fact, you could well end up being in need of help yourself!

 

Putting the mask on yourself first doesn't mean you don't care about others. It means you're smart enough to know you can't help others if you don't help yourself first.

 

To be a good parent, you need to take care of yourself so that you can have the physical and emotional energy to take care of your family.”

Michelle Obama

 

CONNECTION WITH INVESTMENT :

Similarly, when it comes to Financial Independence, you need to help yourself first by investing for your own retirement. First, you can help others only if your future is secured.

Of course, You are indeed working/earning for your family and yes, your family means the World to you.
And yes, education for your dear is absolutely critical.

But so should be your Retirement!

In a recent survey by MONEY and Barnes & Noble College, 41% of US parents said they sacrificed their retirement savings so they could pay for their kids’ college. That’s not a good financial strategy.

A similar survey in India may well reveal similar numbers.

But is also indeed an undeniable fact that you can get a loan for your Child’s education but not for your retirement.
Anytime you invest/deal in money, ensure that it does not hinder your own Financial Goals and actually compliments it.  Now even if a loan for retirement was indeed available (It may be in the future, you never know) but wouldn’t it be wise for your young earning child to pay THEIR loan rather than a retired non-earning YOU paying from your retirement Kitty!

Moreover, your child EARNING due to that Management Degree is not guaranteed but your RETIRING IS GUARANTEED!

 

Save yourself from both the emotional and financial stress post retirement by focusing on YOUR RETIREMENT KITTY now.

Prioritywise, YOUR RETIREMENT should come right at the top, yes, even above your child’s education!

Indians have tended to rely heavily on their children post Retirement. The unwritten agreement seems to be “I promise to leave my wealth to you in return for care and financial support in my old age”. Joint families used to instill a sense of financial security but as the young migrate and nuclear families are becoming the order of the day….You having to spend your Retirement Days all with yourself with no support from children is a sad reality and has to faced with no escape.

 

When it comes to Your Retirement, it is indeed a good thing to be SELFISH !!

BTW, this applies not just to your Finances, but to even your Health (Mental and Physical).

Don’t slog without a break struggling with depression. Focus on your growth, your happiness first and then help others become healthy, physically, mentally and financially.

Your dear child can always get help from scholarships, study jobs, grants, and if nothing works, EDUCATION LOANS. 

Remember, our Life span is growing longer and longer. Hence the Retirement Years (non-earning years) are also getting longer and hence the Retirement Kitty needs to be bigger and you cannot afford to be dependent on your dear children who will have their own financial challenges burdening them.

Your dear child’s college life could be about 5 years and your Retirement could be in excess of 25 years !!

 

 

Make sure that your Retirement Kitty is good enough to sustain your expenses (and unforeseen health bills) for all those years. Remember, post retirement, your retirement fund cannot afford to play in Equity Small caps and similar high-risk high return assets and could thus be generating sub-par returns.

 

 

As Dave Ramsey says, “Only the strong can help the weak.” 

When your financial position is indeed stable and a retirement investment plan is in perfect place, go ahead and even plan for a super luxury education for your child and a Marriage in a Swiss Castle!

So, the priority above your dear child’s Education fund should always be YOUR RETIREMENT FUND.

 Regards, 

Srikanth Matrubai

Author - DONT RETIRE RICH.

and a PROUD MUTUAL FUND DISTRIBUTOR 

 

   You are strongly encouraged to consult your financial planner before making any decision regarding this investment. The views expressed here is the author's personal views and should not be intrepresented as a recommendation to invest/avoid.

Srikanth Matrubai Author of the Amazon Best Seller DON'T RETIRE RICH

Do read the book and give your valuable feedback and request you to post positive comments on the Amazon. https://amzn.to/3cHUM6M/ You can purchase the book on amazon and flipkart Please subscribe to my TELEGRAM channel https://t.me/MutualFundWORLD/

IS MY MONEY SAFE IN MUTUAL FUNDs ?

 

One reader asked me about the safety of Mutual funds. 

His questions was like this :

Sir,

👉🏼 Is there any security for the capital amount 

 

👉🏼 How the money are safe in MF

 

👉🏼 Y it's mentioned that MF are subject to market risk.

Regards,
D.B.
Rourkela, Odisha

 

 

 

SRIKANTH MATUBAI replies :
Dear D.B….
Firstly I congratulate for asking the right questions. It's always good to clear doubts about ANY investments for that matter.

Also, I am glad that you asked this question to me than your friend or a layman who knows very little about mutual funds.
Being in the Mutual fund industry for more than 20 years….I can say I have fairly good knowledge about mutual funds!!

No one wants to lose their hard-earned money and I can certainly understand your concern.

Every single investment has Risk

1. Even FD has risk......(Principle risk upwards of 5 lakhs and most importantly, REINVESTMENT RISK)
In fact, REINVESTMENT RISK is the MOST IGNORED RISK. 

2. Land has Risk

3. Gold has Risk

4. Business has Risk

5. Even an employee's fu

ture salary is at Risk. If the company he is working goes bust, the salary is doubtful and its indeed a Risk !!!

Yes. Mutual funds have risk ….Your capital is also at risk

Like any other investment mutual fund too could result in loss.
I am not scaring you but putting out plain facts.

 

 

WHAT DOES SAFE MEAN ?

 

SAFE can mean many things

1.    Capital Protection

2.    Assured Returns

3.    Returns higher than Inflation

4.    Any time liquidity.

So, safety could mean anything and you need to define YOUR safety concern and you will get the answer.

For me personally, SAFETY means not Zero Risk, but those investments which will help me achieve my goals with reasonable risk in reasonable time.  

*IF YOU DO WANT ABSOLUTE SAFETY IN MUTUAL FUND, YOU CAN LOOK AT OVERNIGHT FUNDS*

 

Risk and return go hand in hand.

Want more return, be ready for more risk.....

And risk may not necessarily mean capital erosion......especially in mutual funds, its underlying investments could see WILD SWINGS

 

 

 

 

SAFETY ASPECTS :
Each of the Mutual fund company is registered under SEBI and will be under the watchful eyes of the Regulator and AMFI whose priority is PROTECTION OF INVESTOR'S INTERESTS.

 

 

When you invest any money, the Fund Manager *MANAGES* the money and he is obligated to FOLLOW the already written guidelines for investment and cannot deviate from the same. Failing to do so, they stand to lose their license too.

 

Yes....Some Mutual funds can close down! (Hard Fact) but note the schemes will be either merged or taken over by some other company.

We have seen so many fund houses closing

Lotus Mutual fund

Apple Mutual Fund

Zurich Mutual fund

PINEBRIDGE,

AIG,

DBS Chola,

Morgan Stanley,

 

each of their schemes were either taken over or merged and the investors in these funds were least affected.

 

 

In fact, you will get a detailed report of WHERE exactly your money is invested by these Mutual funds via their Monthly Disclosoures.

 

 

In fact, to help investors, SEBI has put high transparency, stringent disclosure in place.

All funds carry product labeling and have to report Daily NAV and many other regulations in place.

 

 

 

FINALLY,

If you handle an IRON BOX carefully, adjusting the temperatures based on the fabric placed underneath it, it can yield wonderful results. 

But when you fail to abide by its usage instructions the results can be disastrous. You not only risk your clothes being ruined but can also harm yourself. So, is using an iron box safe or unsafe?

 The answer is both!

So....is investing in Mutual funds safe ?

Both !!!!!!

Note, that even your OPERATION by the MOST REPUTED DOCTOR does not guarantee that the operation will be successful.

 

They even take a *declaration* from your family members before the operation that in case the operation fails, the doctor is not responsible !

 

Right ?

 

Likewise....

A disclaimer is given at the bottom of all mutual fund communication to inform investors about the potential risks in investments and hence the need for HAND-HOLDING is paramount.

 

And because Mutual funds, by default, invest in a variety of stocks/bonds,, the diversification is guaranteed which mitigates risks to a large extent and safer than going directly into Direct Equity.

 

 

I would say that Mutual funds gives this disclaimer because they follow the principle of a proverb that says “Better a thousand times careful than once dead”.

 

Most investors tend to believe that Mutual funds invest in Equities.....

Yes, mutual funds do invest in Equities but thats only a part of their allocation.

They also  invest in a wide variety of investments, ranging from Bonds, Gold ETf,  REITs, International Equity, etc.

More than safety, what you should actually try to understand is YOUR APPETITE FOR RISK. Once you understand that, then choosing investment option or asset class will be easier than ever.  

Hope this clears the doubts…
If you still have any clarification, do share in the Comment Box below

 

Regards,

Srikanth Matrubai,

Author – Don’t Retire Rich