Though the Vedas divided our lives into four ashramas or stages of that of a student, a householder, a retiree and a renouncer, our lived reality breaks it down to three — the learning, earning and harvesting stages. The first 20-25 years of an average life are spent in learning to earn. The next 35-40 in earning and the...
Stock markets go up and down. Investors who enjoyed the 20% plus a year returns for four years ending September 2024 are seeing red in their one-year returns on the Sensex but returns of two years are still in the 10% plus range. Held for five years, the returns are an impressive 16% average annual....
If you were to read the news reports about your own earning, spending and saving patterns, you would think that you are earning less due to stagnant wages, spending less due to inflation, and saving less due to repayment of loans. And this is contributing to a slowing economy and therefore, the cue is to...
I have answered reader, viewer, and listener questions about money for a long time. I have seen them change over time. There used to be entry-level questions about what to do with ₹50,000 in the bank, what stocks and funds to buy, portfolio questions around asset allocation, strategy questions — a whole range of questions around...
The interim Budget 2024 has few policy announcements. Given the coming elections, a work-in-progress budget is better than a freebie laden one. he average middle-class person has two expectations from the budget. One, to get a lower tax burden and two, to see proposals that lead to lower inflation. In Budget 2024, being an interim...
Hello! My blog hopes to empower you on your money journey. Each week I will decode, demystify and mark a trend that has to do with your money life. The format is one explainer and three questions answered. Write to me at mailme@monikahalan.com with questions you would like answered or things you want explained. Or...
Hello! My blog hopes to empower you on your money journey. Each week I will decode, demystify and mark a trend that has to do with your money life. The format is one explainer and three questions answered. Write to me at mailme@monikahalan.com with questions you would like answered or things you want explained. Or...
Data released by the Income Tax Department last week had some points of headline news, but hidden in the pdfs were stats that, when analysed, show the growth roar of the Indian middle class. The headline numbers map the rise in income tax returns which have more than doubled starting financial year 2011-12 and ending...
In praise of growth that lifts all the boats | Hindustan Times | Article There is no evidence that suggest that India’s economic growth has furthered inequality. The argument that India’s growth is at the cost of equality is heard across the world in the plush rooms of the elite. It is also heard...
Money Wrinkles Must not Mar your Old Age | Hindustan Times | Article Elderly individuals in India, with substantial property holdings, are vulnerable to scams, family disputes, and financial exploitation. To protect themselves, they should maintain open communication with family and communities, opt for conservative financial strategies, and beware of fraudulent schemes. Read...