Halan’s writing throughout the book is erudite yet engaging, and she peppers her prose with pithy insights and witty observations
Indian stock markets are touching new highs at the time of writing this article. From a family gathering to a hangout with friends, markets have, again, become the talk of the town. Friends have started asking for a tip to invest. Newspaper front pages are filled with the news of markets. Instagram feed and message section is full of reels on stock-picking.
As we have often heard, stock markets have made riches from the rags and vice versa. However, we have not listened to the success story of an Indian retail investor who kept investing consistently by being agnostic to markets. For example, if someone had been investing just ₹5000 every month, with a 10 per cent annual increment, in any index mutual fund, for the last 20 years, he would be a crorepati now. That’s the power of discipline, compounding, and the India story!
Mutual fund–alas, for many Indians, this word is new or something no-no. Many people are unaware of the financial products available to meet their short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. The discussion about finances is also discouraged. “After the sex conversation, it is the money talk that is the most difficult in families,” Monika Halan writes in her recent book Let’s Talk Mutual Funds.