How to plan your finances if you have an irregular income?

Listen up professionals and start-up owners!

Every individual has a passion and a dream. Many wish to break free from their mundane work life to pursue their passions. However, it can be difficult to break the shackles of comfort and security that a well paying job offers and venture into unchartered territory that your dream might lead you to. For those who manage to do so, we tip our hats to you and offer these words of advice.

 

Being a business ourselves, we understand the trials and tribulations that a professional or a start-up founder goes through. The fact is that it can take a while before you break even and start drawing an income. Even the revenues generated can be irregular so how do you manage your personal finances and ensure neither your nor your family’s dreams are compromised.

 

1. Know your expenses– With a job that gives you a fat paycheck your lifestyle expenses are bound to be high. Now with an irregular salary keeping up with the same expenses will get challenging. You and your family should be prepared to adapt to your new financial situation and trim down your expenses wherever possible. It might make sense to set up a SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan) that provides the necessary income and help you stick to a budget without going bust.
2. Keep those SIPS going through the good and the bad days-As the case is with most businesses, the revenues are not steady. There will be times when the business would have done well and the receivables have also come in and then there would be not such great times. With such irregular and unsteady income how do you manage to keep your family’s dreams alive. The Key is to invest the surplus in a liquid fund which will then systematically transfer the money on a regular basis in an equity fund. This will ensure that you keep saving and investing towards your future goals unhindered by the ups and downs of your business.
3. Insurance, your protection shield– The job of a life insurance policy is to not only provide for your family in case of an unforeseen event, it is supposed to also cover your outstanding loans and the financial goals such as kid’s higher education, comfortable life for your dependents etc. So ensure you have taken a cover large enough to meet your family’s needs. A simple term plan will do the needful.
4. Health is wealth– With the medical inflation rising at 10-15% annually, the importance of a medical insurance can not be stressed enough. Health is indeed wealth but you don’t want to lose your wealth due to any illness or accidents. You might also want to consider taking an accidental and critical illness policy as a safe guard measure along with a regular medical cover.
5. Contingency fund- This fund should be large enough to cover your 6-8 months expenses. Since you do not have a regular income, it is optimum to consider expenses over a longer period. You could even consider including your SIPs amounts for those many months, this will ensure your goals are right on track and are not hampered by the volatility in your income.
6. Keep personal and business expenses separate– This is the most important advice as it is very easy for the business expenses to spill over and be paid for from your family kitty. This is especially possible if you use the same credit card for both personal and business use. This can further stress your family budget over time.

With an irregular income it becomes essential to plan and channelize your money to ensure your family is well secured financially and their goals and dreams have wings. You might want to consult a financial planner to see how to fund your family goals if you choose to launch your start-up.

 

Read Full Post »

It’s raining IPOs, 7 things you need to know before you subscribe

The year so far has not been going well for the equity market yet India has seen a flurry of IPOs getting launched. Between January to June 2018, India has recorded as many as 90 IPO launches, the highest globally so far. The latest to join the band wagon was HDFC AMC and coming up next is Lodha.

Does it make sense to invest in the IPOs? And if yes how do you pick one? Read to find out more.

What is an IPO?

For a company to grow and expand it requires huge amounts of capital; an IPO helps them raise much more money than what they can raise through borrowing or private equity investors. An IPO stands for Initial Public Offering; it is the very first time a company offers its stocks to the public. Prior to an IPO the company is considered private with a relatively small number of shareholders. With the IPO the company becomes public and thereafter, it’s shares can be traded through an Exchange.

Why is there a frenzy around IPOs?

Every investor is looking for a diamond in the rough. Through an IPO the investors tries to purchase the shares at an IPO price which may be significantly lower than it’s future market price when it eventually starts trading on an exchange. This is where huge capital gains can be made.

As per data, the HDFC AMC offer was over subscribed 83 times by the end of the 1^st day. What this means is that there was a demand of over 83 times for the shares offered by the company. The investors saw huge growth potential in the company and every one wanted to get a piece of it. Unfortunately, getting an allotment of a hot IPO can be very difficult, if not impossible.

Understanding the IPO process

A company that wishes to launch an IPO has to first register itself with Securities and Exchange Board of INDIA (SEBI) and submit its prospectus for approval. Once the SEBI gives a go ahead, the company fixes the price and the number of shares it plans to issue through the IPO.

 There are two types of IPO issues: fixed price and book building. In the former, the price of the share is decided in advance. In the latter the company offers a prices range and the investor needs to bid for the share within that range. The upper limit is known as the cap price while the lower is called floor price.

While applying for shares the investor needs to bid as per the lot size mentioned in the prospectus. Lot size is the minimum number of shares you have to apply for during an IPO.

For eg: If the you wished to buy 50 shares of XYZ company and the lot size is 10 shares/lot then you would have to bid for 5 lots. As per the SEBI rules, one can’t bid in decimals.

It is important to note that even if you have successfully subscribed to an IPO there is no guarantee that you will receive your lot. If the issue is popular and gets oversubscribed then it becomes difficult to issue even 1 lot to each successful applicant. In such cases the lots are allotted based on a computerized lucky draw.

Things you should consider before applying for an IPO

• Read the Red Herring prospectus. It can be difficult to analyze the performance of a private company since there is no historical data to draw on. So the red herring becomes an important document to gauge the business prospect and operations of the company.
• Look closely at the management team; they should be capable of steering the company towards growth after it goes public. Look for how they plan to utilize the funds received from the IPO.
• Compare it’s bid price to that of the competitors in the market. That will give you a fair idea as to if the IPO is over priced or a value purchase.
• You will need to have a Demat account since the shares can not be received in the physical mode.
• Some investors like to subscribe to an IPO because some lucky people had bought shares in the IPOs of companies that went on to pay huge dividends or soar in value. But just because investing in IPOs has worked for some in the past doesn’t mean you’ll get the same returns.
• The target investor for an IPO are the institutional investors and a big part of the shares are reserved for them. This leaves a small percentage of shares available to the retail investor. Your best chance to get an allotment would be to check the “cut-off price” option in your application form. This way if the IPO is oversubscribed, then you have a better chance of getting a subscription.
• Since you will need to block the money required while bidding, you can use an ASBA (Application Sorted by Blocked Amount)account while applying for shares. The blocked amount stays in the ASBA account and earns interest till the allotment can happen. And only an amount equivalent to the allotment is deducted.

Going back to the main question, should you invest in an IPO? The answer depends on your investment outlook. IPOs are definitely a good investment option if you are looking for value investing or under the radar deals but then so is everyone else.

If the company has been in the business for long, has good performance history and management team then it definitely is worth the shot but then again there is no guarantee that you would be able to get your hands on a lot or two.

If you’re not sure whether investing in an IPO will be a good move for your portfolio, consider talking to a financial advisor. A financial advisor can evaluate your investment decisions in the context of your overall financial situation and goals.

Read Full Post »

What is a Living Will

 

 

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Friday recognized that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state can execute an “advance medical directive” or a “living will” to refuse medical treatment, saying the right to live with dignity also includes “smoothening” the process of dying.

What is a Living Will?

It is essentially a document that sets out a patient’s wishes regarding how they want to be treated if they are seriously ill or in a permanently vegetative state. With this judgment, the right to die with dignity has been recognized as a fundamental right.

As regards personal finances, perhaps a big critical function that a living will performs is that it allows the maker of the will to prevent their family from financially overburdening themselves, sometimes to the extent of bankruptcy. Usually family members are spurred on out of love, guilt or a sense of duty to keep the patient alive, often at any cost. This results in the family’s financials going into disarray and jeopardizing their financial future and important life goals.

Who qualifies to write down a Living Will?

• An adult who is of a sound and healthy mind and in a position to communicate, relate and comprehend the purpose and consequences of executing the document.
• An adult must make such a will voluntarily 

What are the important items to cover in the document?

The judiciary has laid down guidelines on how such a document can be formed. They are as follows:

• It should clearly indicate the decision relating to the circumstances in which medical treatment can be withdrawn.
• Instructions must be absolutely clear and unambiguous.
• It should mention whether the patient would like torevoke the instructions/authority at any time.
• It should specifythat the patient has understood the consequences of executing such a document.
• It should specify the name of a guardian or close relative who, in the event of the patient becoming incapable of taking decision at the relevant time, will be authorized to give consent to refuse or withdraw medical treatment
• It should be in writing and should clearly state as to when medical treatment may be withdrawn or if specific medical treatment that will have the effect of delaying the process of death should be given.
• If there is more than one valid Advance Directive, the most recently signed Advance Directive will be considered as the last expression of the patient‘s wishes and will be implemented.

How should this document be stored? 

The Supreme court has further laid down a road map on how the Living Will needs to be stored safely:

• The living will should be signed by the maker in the presence of two witnesses. It should be countersigned by the judicial magistrate of first class (JMFC), confirming that the will has been drawn up voluntarily.
• The JMFC will maintain a copy of the will and forward a copy to the registry of the district court of that jurisdiction.

Implementation of a Living Will 

The Supreme Court has described various checks on how a living will may be implemented:

• Execution of the will can only be done if the medical board approves it. The medical board will consist of the head of the treating department and at least three experts from various specialized medical fields with at least 20 years of experience. The board can only give their certification (or not) in presence of the closest relatives. Furthermore, the board’s certification is only preliminary.
• Once the board approves, the hospital has to inform the jurisdictional collector of the same. The collector will then appoint a separate board consisting of the Chief District Medical Office and three other experts from specialized medical fields. If this board approves the same, the chief medical officer will relay the decision to the jurisdictional magistrate who will then have to visit the patient at the earliest and authorize the implementation.

Any advantages of a Living Will?

• Providesrespect towards a human being’s fundamental right to live and die smoothly
• Doctors are likely to suggest appropriate procedures and medication knowing what the patient wantsas per his living will
• A living willspares both the doctor and immediate relatives from taking difficult decisions
• A living will could also spare the immediate family from the financial burden that comes up in cases of unnecessarilyprolonged medical procedures for a terminally ill family member

While Living Wills are common in the west, it is a very new concept in India. Although the general verdict, by and large is that this is a positive step in the right direction the complexity is still something that needs to be addressed.

 

Read Full Post »