{"id":24348,"date":"2022-05-30T14:23:02","date_gmt":"2022-05-30T14:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/?post_type=markets\u0026#038;p=24348"},"modified":"2024-08-02T16:58:35","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T11:28:35","slug":"funding-your-financial-plans","status":"publish","type":"markets","link":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/funding-your-financial-plans/","title":{"rendered":"Guide To Fund Your Financial Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\u003cdiv data-elementor-type=\u0022wp-post\u0022 data-elementor-id=\u002224348\u0022 class=\u0022elementor elementor-24348\u0022\u003e\u003csection class=\u0022elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0ac7e7a elementor-section-full_width tab_container elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\u0022 data-id=\u00220ac7e7a\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022section\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7931eb9\u0022 data-id=\u00227931eb9\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022column\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\u0022\u003e\u003csection class=\u0022elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-4185446 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\u0022 data-id=\u00224185446\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022section\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-container elementor-column-gap-wide\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-2012c43 chapters_list\u0022 data-id=\u00222012c43\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022column\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-element elementor-element-be6e8bb elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\u0022 data-id=\u0022be6e8bb\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022widget\u0022 data-widget_type=\u0022shortcode.default\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-widget-container\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-shortcode\u0022\u003e\u003cscript\u003ejQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(\u0022#post_chapters a[href*=\u0027\u0022  +  location.pathname  + \u0022\u0027]\u0022).addClass(\u0022current\u0022);})\u003c/script\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022desktop_chapters\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0022post_chapters\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022post_chapters-heading\u0022\u003eChapters\u003c/div\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/introduction-to-mutual-funds/\u0022\u003eIntroduction To Mutual Funds\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/funding-your-financial-plans/\u0022\u003eFunding Your Financial Plans\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/reaching-your-financial-goals-with-mutual-funds/\u0022\u003eReaching Your Financial Goals\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/understanding-money-market-fund/\u0022\u003eUnderstanding Money Market Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/understanding-bond-funds/\u0022\u003eUnderstanding Bond Funds\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/understanding-stock-funds/\u0022\u003eUnderstanding Stock Funds\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/know-what-your-fund-owns/\u0022\u003eKnow What Your Fund Owns\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/understanding-the-performance-of-your-fund/\u0022\u003eUnderstanding The Performance Of Your Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/understand-the-risks/\u0022\u003eUnderstand The Risks\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/know-your-fund-manager/\u0022\u003eKnow Your Fund Manager\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/assess-the-cost/\u0022\u003eAssess The Cost\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/monitoring-your-portfolio/\u0022\u003eMonitoring Your Portfolio\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/mutual-fund-myths/\u0022\u003eMutual Fund Myths\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/important-documents-in-a-mutual-fund/\u0022\u003eImportant Documents In A Mutual Fund\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022chapters_toggle\u0022 title=\u0022chapters\u0022\u003e\u003ca title=\u0022chapters\u0022 href=\u0022#\u0022 id=\u0022open_chapters\u0022\u003e\u003cspan\u003eView Chapters\u003c/span\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca title=\u0022chapters\u0022 href=\u0022#\u0022 id=\u0022close_chapters\u0022 style=\u0022display:none;\u0022\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHide Chapters\u003c/span\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003ci class=\u0022fa fa-chevron-right\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cscript\u003ejQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(\u0027.chapters_toggle #open_chapters\u0027).click(function(e){e.preventDefault();jQuery(\u0027.desktop_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022left\u0022,\u00220px\u0022);jQuery(\u0027#open_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022display\u0022,\u0022none\u0022);jQuery(\u0027#close_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022display\u0022,\u0022block\u0022);//jQuery(\u0027.chapters_toggle\u0027).css(\u0022width\u0022,\u0022200px\u0022);})jQuery(\u0027.chapters_toggle #close_chapters\u0027).click(function(e){e.preventDefault();jQuery(\u0027.desktop_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022left\u0022,\u0022-480px\u0022);jQuery(\u0027#open_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022display\u0022,\u0022block\u0022);jQuery(\u0027#close_chapters\u0027).css(\u0022display\u0022,\u0022none\u0022);//jQuery(\u0027.chapters_toggle\u0027).css(\u0022width\u0022,\u0022100%\u0022);})});\u003c/script\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-ddd5ba8 tabs_contents\u0022 data-id=\u0022ddd5ba8\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022column\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-element elementor-element-709dc22 market_content_tabs elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-adv-tabs\u0022 data-id=\u0022709dc22\u0022 data-element_type=\u0022widget\u0022 data-widget_type=\u0022eael-adv-tabs.default\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022elementor-widget-container\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv data-scroll-on-click=\u0022no\u0022 data-scroll-speed=\u0022300\u0022 id=\u0022eael-advance-tabs-709dc22\u0022 class=\u0022eael-advance-tabs eael-tabs-horizontal eael-tab-auto-active \u0022 data-tabid=\u0022709dc22\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022eael-tabs-nav\u0022\u003e\u003cul class=\u0022eael-tab-inline-icon\u0022 role=\u0022tablist\u0022\u003e\u003cli id=\u0022study\u0022 class=\u0022active-default eael-tab-item-trigger eael-tab-nav-item\u0022 aria-selected=\u0022true\u0022 data-tab=\u00221\u0022 role=\u0022tab\u0022 tabindex=\u00220\u0022 aria-controls=\u0022study-tab\u0022 aria-expanded=\u0022false\u0022\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022far fa-edit\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\u0022eael-tab-title title-after-icon\u0022\u003eStudy\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli id=\u0022slides\u0022 class=\u0022 eael-tab-item-trigger eael-tab-nav-item\u0022 aria-selected=\u0022false\u0022 data-tab=\u00222\u0022 role=\u0022tab\u0022 tabindex=\u0022-1\u0022 aria-controls=\u0022slides-tab\u0022 aria-expanded=\u0022false\u0022\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022fas fa-book-open\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\u0022eael-tab-title title-after-icon\u0022\u003eSlides\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli id=\u0022videos\u0022 class=\u0022 eael-tab-item-trigger eael-tab-nav-item\u0022 aria-selected=\u0022false\u0022 data-tab=\u00223\u0022 role=\u0022tab\u0022 tabindex=\u0022-1\u0022 aria-controls=\u0022videos-tab\u0022 aria-expanded=\u0022false\u0022\u003e\u003ci class=\u0022far fa-eye\u0022\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\u0022eael-tab-title title-after-icon\u0022\u003eVideos\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0022eael-tabs-content\u0022\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0022study-tab\u0022 class=\u0022clearfix eael-tab-content-item active-default\u0022 data-title-link=\u0022study-tab\u0022\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\u0027white\u0027 style=\u0027background:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:solid 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 1px;\u0027\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0027text_slider\u0027 class=\u0027owl-carousel sa_owl_theme owl-pagination-true\u0027 data-slider-id=\u0027text_slider\u0027 style=\u0027visibility: visible;visibility:visible;\u0027\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0027text_slider_slide01\u0027 class=\u0027sa_hover_container\u0027 data-hash=\u0027Financial-Plans\u0027 style=\u0027padding:4.9% 5%; margin:0px 0%; background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height:405px; \u0027\u003e\u003ch3 style=\u0022text-align: left;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #f1566d;\u0022\u003e2.1 Financial Plans\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg\u0022\u003e\u003cimg fetchpriority=\u0022high\u0022 decoding=\u0022async\u0022 class=\u0022size-full wp-image-17137 aligncenter\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 width=\u0022500\u0022 height=\u0022500\u0022 srcset=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 150w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 300w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 1024w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 1536w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 2048w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Data-points-amico.svg 500w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAkansha and Abhijeet, both in their 20s, recently married and excited about planning their life together, heard about a free financial-planning seminar taking place at the local hotel. A local financial planner taught the seminar. One of his points was, \u0026#8220;If you want to retire by the age of 65, you need to save at least 12 percent of your income every single year between now and retirement . . . the longer you wait to start saving, the more painful it’ll be.\u0026#8221;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the couple, the seminar was a wake-up call. On the drive home, they couldn’t stop thinking and talking about their finances and their future. They had big plans: They wanted to buy a home, they wanted to send the not-yet-born kiddies to college, and they definitely wanted to retire by age 65. And so it was resolved: A serious investment program must begin right away. Tomorrow, they\u0026#8217;d fill out two applications for mutual fund companies that the financial planner had distributed to them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithin a week, they\u0026#8217;d set up accounts in five different mutual funds at two firms. No more 3-percent-return bank savings accounts \u0026#8211; the funds they chose had been returning 10 or more percent per year! Unlike most of their 20-something friends who didn\u0026#8217;t own funds or understand what funds were, they believed they were well on their way to realizing their dreams.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough I have to admire Akansha and Abhijeet\u0026#8217;s initiative (that\u0026#8217;s often the biggest hurdle to starting an investment program), I must point out the mistakes they made by investing the way they did. The funds themselves weren\u0026#8217;t poor choices \u0026#8211; in fact, the funds they chose were solid: Each had competent managers, good historic performance, and reasonable fees\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0027text_slider_slide02\u0027 class=\u0027sa_hover_container\u0027 data-hash=\u0027Mistakes-Made\u0027 style=\u0027padding:4.9% 5%; margin:0px 0%; background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height:405px; \u0027\u003e\u003ch3 style=\u0022text-align: left;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #f1566d;\u0022\u003e2.2 Mistakes Made\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg decoding=\u0022async\u0022 width=\u0022500\u0022 height=\u0022500\u0022 class=\u0022aligncenter wp-image-17138 size-full\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 srcset=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 150w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 300w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 1024w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 1536w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 2048w, https:/www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Presentation-rafiki.svg 500w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #000080;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following points are the biggest mistakes they made:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThey completely neglected investing in their employers\u0026#8217; Provident Fund plans. They missed out on making tax-deductible contributions. By investing in mutual funds outside provident fund and tax saving funds, they received no tax deductions.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThey were steered into funds that didn\u0026#8217;t fit their goals. They ended up with bond funds, which were decent funds as far as bond funds go. But bond funds are designed to produce current income, not growth. Justine and Max, looking to a retirement decades away, were trying to save and grow their money, not produce more current income\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eTo add tax insult to injury, the income generated by their bond funds was fully taxable because the funds were held outside of tax-sheltered funds. The last thing Akansha and Abhijeet needed was more taxable income, not because they were rolling in money \u0026#8211; neither Akansha nor Abhijeet had a high salary \u0026#8211; but because, as a two-income couple, they already paid significant taxes.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eThey didn\u0026#8217;t adjust their spending habits to allow for their increased savings rate. In their enthusiasm to get serious about their savings, they made this error \u0026#8211; probably the biggest one of all. Akansha and Abhijeet thought they were saving more \u0026#8211; 12 percent of their income was going into the mutual funds versus the 5 percent they\u0026#8217;d been saving in a bank account. However, as the months rolled by, their outstanding balances on credit cards grew. In fact, when they started to invest in mutual funds, Akansha and Abhijeet had Rs.100000 of revolving debt on a credit card at a 14 percent interest rate. Six months later, their debt had grown to Rs.200000. The extra money for investment had to come from somewhere \u0026#8211; and in Akansha and Abhijeet\u0026#8217;s case, it was coming from building up their credit card debt. But, because their investments were highly unlikely to return 14 percent per year, Justine and Max were actually losing money in the process. No real additional saving was going on \u0026#8211; just borrowing from Visa to invest in the mutual funds.\u003cbr /\u003eThis story is not to discourage you but to caution you against buying mutual funds in haste or out of fear before you have your own financial goals in mind.\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne thing to remember before you dive in: Don\u0026#8217;t become obsessed with making, saving, and investing money that you neglect what money can\u0026#8217;t buy: your health, friends, family, and exploration of career options and hobbies\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0027text_slider_slide03\u0027 class=\u0027sa_hover_container\u0027 data-hash=\u0027Plans-Before-Investing\u0027 style=\u0027padding:4.9% 5%; margin:0px 0%; background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height:405px; \u0027\u003e\u003ch3 style=\u0022text-align: left;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #f1566d;\u0022\u003e2.3. Plan Before Investing\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Site-Stats-pana-1.svg\u0022\u003e\u003cimg decoding=\u0022async\u0022 class=\u0022size-full wp-image-17139 aligncenter\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Site-Stats-pana-1.svg\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 width=\u0022750\u0022 height=\u0022500\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe single biggest mistake that mutual fund investors make is investing in funds before they\u0026#8217;re even ready to. It\u0026#8217;s like trying to build the walls of a house without a proper foundation. You have to get your financial ship in shape \u0026#8211; sailing out of port with leaks in the hull is sure to lead to an early, unpleasant end to your journey. And you have to figure out what you\u0026#8217;re trying to accomplish with your investing.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #000080;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome Important Point:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #000080;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA. Payoff Debt\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026#8211;\u003c/span\u003e Consumer debts include balances on such items as credit cards and auto loans. If you carry these types of debts, do not invest in mutual funds until these consumer debts are paid off. I realize that investing money may make you feel like you’re making progress; paying off debt, on the other hand, just feels like you’re treading water. Shatter this illusion. Paying credit card interest at 14 or 18 percent while making an investment that generates only an 8 percent return isn’t even treading water; it’s sinking.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou won\u0026#8217;t be able to earn a consistently high enough rate of return in mutual funds to exceed the interest rate you\u0026#8217;re paying on consumer debt. Although some financial gurus claim that they can make you 15 to 20 percent per year, they can\u0026#8217;t \u0026#8211; not year after year. Besides, in order to try and earn these high returns, you have to take great risk. If you have consumer debt and little savings, you\u0026#8217;re not in a position to take that much risk. Not only should you delay any investing until your consumer debts are paid off, but also you should seriously consider tapping into any existing savings (presuming you\u0026#8217;d still have adequate emergency funds at your disposal) to pay off your debts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #000080;\u0022\u003eB. Figure out your financial goals\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e– Mutual funds are goal-specific tools (, and humans are goal-driven animals, which is perhaps why the two make such a good match. Most people find that saving money is easier when they save with a purpose or goal in mind – even if their goal is as undefined as a “rainy day.” Because mutual funds tend to be pretty specific in what they’re designed to do, the more defined your goal, the more capable you are to make the most of your mutual fund money.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGranted, your goals and needs will change over time, so these determinations don\u0026#8217;t have to be carved in stone. But unless you have a general idea of what you\u0026#8217;re going to do with the savings down the road, you won\u0026#8217;t really be able to thoughtfully choose suitable mutual funds. Common financial goals include saving for retirement, a home purchase, an emergency reserve, and stuff like that.\u003cbr /\u003eAnother benefit of pondering your goals is that you better understand how much risk you need to take to accomplish your goals. Seeing the amount you need to save to achieve your dreams may encourage you to invest in more growth-oriented funds. Conversely, if you find that your nest egg is substantial, given what your aspirations are, you may scale back on the riskiness of your fund investments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #000080;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnalyse Savings\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe vast majority of Indian\u0026#8217;s haven\u0026#8217;t a clue what their savings rate is. By savings rate, I mean, over a calendar year, how did your spending compare with your income? For example, if you earned Rs. 4,00,000 last year, and 3,80,000 of it got spent on taxes, food, clothing, rent, insurance, and other fun things, you saved Rs.20,000. Your savings rate then would be 5 percent (Rs20,000 of savings divided by your income of Rs.400000). If you already know that your rate is low, nonexistent, or negative, you can safely skip this step because you also already know that you need to save much more. But figuring out your savings rate can be a real eye-opener and wallet closer.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo save more, reduce your spending, increase your income, or both. This isn\u0026#8217;t rocket science, but it\u0026#8217;s easier said than done.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0027text_slider_slide04\u0027 class=\u0027sa_hover_container\u0027 data-hash=\u0027Assess-the-risk-you’re-comfortable-with\u0027 style=\u0027padding:4.9% 5%; margin:0px 0%; background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height:405px; \u0027\u003e\u003ch3 style=\u0022text-align: left;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022color: #f1566d;\u0022\u003e2.4.Access the risk you\u0026#8217;re comfortable with\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Site-Stats-pana-1.svg\u0022\u003e\u003cimg decoding=\u0022async\u0022 class=\u0022size-full wp-image-17139 aligncenter\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Site-Stats-pana-1.svg\u0022 alt=\u0022\u0022 width=\u0022750\u0022 height=\u0022500\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThink back over your investing career. You may not be a star money manager, but you\u0026#8217;ve already made some investing decisions. For instance, leaving your excess money in a bank savings or checking account is a decision \u0026#8211; it may indicate that you\u0026#8217;re afraid of volatile investments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow would you deal with an investment that dropped 10 to 50 percent in a year? Some of the more aggressive mutual funds that specialize in volatile securities like growth stocks, small company stocks, emerging market stocks, and long-term and low-quality bonds can quickly fall. If you can\u0026#8217;t stomach big waves in the financial markets, don\u0026#8217;t get in a small boat that you\u0026#8217;ll want to bail out of in a big storm. Selling after a big drop is the equivalent of jumping into the frothing sea at the peak of a pounding storm.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou can invest in the riskier types of securities by selecting well-diversified mutual funds that mix a dash of riskier securities with a healthy helping of more stable investments. For example, you can purchase an international fund that invests the bulk of its money in companies of varying sizes in established economies and that has a small portion invested in riskier, emerging economies. That would be safer than investing the same chunk in a fund that invests solely in small companies that are just in emerging countries.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cscript type=\u0027text/javascript\u0027\u003ejQuery(document).ready(function()  {jQuery(\u0027#text_slider\u0027).owlCarousel({items  :  1,smartSpeed  :  400,autoplay  :  false,autoplayHoverPause  :  false,smartSpeed  :  400,fluidSpeed  :  400,autoplaySpeed  :  400,navSpeed  :  400,dotsSpeed  :  400,dotsEach  :  1,loop  :  false,nav  :  true,navText  :  [\u0027Previous\u0027,\u0027Next\u0027],dots  :  true,responsiveRefreshRate  :  200,slideBy  :  1,mergeFit  :  true,autoHeight  :  true,mouseDrag  :  false,touchDrag  :  true});jQuery(\u0027#text_slider\u0027).css(\u0027visibility\u0027, \u0027visible\u0027);var  owl_goto  =  jQuery(\u0027#text_slider\u0027);jQuery(\u0027.text_slider_goto1\u0027).click(function(event){owl_goto.trigger(\u0027to.owl.carousel\u0027,  0);});jQuery(\u0027.text_slider_goto2\u0027).click(function(event){owl_goto.trigger(\u0027to.owl.carousel\u0027,  1);});jQuery(\u0027.text_slider_goto3\u0027).click(function(event){owl_goto.trigger(\u0027to.owl.carousel\u0027,  2);});jQuery(\u0027.text_slider_goto4\u0027).click(function(event){owl_goto.trigger(\u0027to.owl.carousel\u0027,  3);});var  resize_22661  =  jQuery(\u0027.owl-carousel\u0027);resize_22661.on(\u0027initialized.owl.carousel\u0027,  function(e)  {if  (typeof(Event)  === \u0027function\u0027)  {window.dispatchEvent(new  Event(\u0027resize\u0027));}  else  {var  evt  =  window.document.createEvent(\u0027UIEvents\u0027);evt.initUIEvent(\u0027resize\u0027,  true,  false,  window,  0);window.dispatchEvent(evt);}});});\u003c/script\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0022slides-tab\u0022 class=\u0022clearfix eael-tab-content-item \u0022 data-title-link=\u0022slides-tab\u0022\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg decoding=\u0022async\u0022 class=\u0022aligncenter\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/coming-soon-person-g8026473a8_1920-removebg-preview.png\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\u0022videos-tab\u0022 class=\u0022clearfix eael-tab-content-item \u0022 data-title-link=\u0022videos-tab\u0022\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg decoding=\u0022async\u0022 class=\u0022aligncenter\u0022 src=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/coming-soon-person-g8026473a8_1920-removebg-preview.png\u0022 /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/section\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/section\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u003cp\u003eStudy Slides Videos 2.1 Financial Plans  Akansha and Abhijeet, both in their 20s, recently married and excited about planning their life together, heard about a free financial-planning seminar taking place at the local hotel. A local financial planner taught the seminar. One of his points was, “If you want to retire by the age … \u003ca title=\u0022Guide To Fund Your Financial Plans\u0022 class=\u0022read-more\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.5paisa.com/marathi/finschool/course/financial-planning-through-mutual-funds-course/funding-your-financial-plans/\u0022 aria-label=\u0022Read more about Guide To Fund Your Financial Plans\u0022\u003eRead more\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":11088,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-24348","markets","type-markets","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/markets/24348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/markets"}],"about":[{"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/types/markets"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/users/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/comments?post=24348"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/markets/24348/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59604,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/markets/24348/revisions/59604"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/markets/11088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/media?parent=24348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https://www.5paisa.com/finschool/wp-json/wp/v2/categories?post=24348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https://api.w.org/{rel}","templated":true}]}}