Prior to World War II most people in the world were happy living in rented houses. This gave rise to concepts like ‘pagdi’ where you paid a sizeable deposit and a small rent. Mumbai used to be full of such properties . In fact this gave rise to sayings like ‘Fools build (buy?) houses, Wise […]
The Rules of Money are changing. Are you adapting? This of course could be a fantastic tag line for a financial education business! However I have been convinced about a few things. The old Macaulay system of education in India – and perhaps around the world was created by the ‘Ruler’ who wanted to have […]
Real estate broker: Your house is the best asset that you can expect to create in your life. You can expect it to appreciate well over the long run. What to do: Your home will not appreciate. It is not a wealth creating asset. It will not make you rich. Remember it is an important […]
Retirement Financial Planner: Retiring early is a great thing to aim for. Client reaction: Retiring early is a problem. Retiring at 52 will mean 45 years at home. This for my wife will mean more husband and less income! I have no hobbies, what do I do? Americans at least need to develop some hobbies […]
Why we do things and why we do not do things is largely a function of our habits. We do not do things we like – we may have liked it the first time around, but now we do it because it is a habit. Most Americans do not contribute to a 401(k) plan because […]
Gallup had done a poll in US to find out the attitude towards retirement. Here is what they have to report: “A majority of non-retired Americans now doubt they will have enough money to live comfortably once they retire, representing an 18-point drop from just five years ago. According to the Gallup’s annual Economy and […]
Americans do things in style. So whether it is getting into a financial debt trap, chapter 11 bankruptcy claims, or living far beyond their means, they have a term for all of that. Like subprime. Like lending $700,000 to a person earning $ 17,000 per annum. They create products like “interest only”, “balloon repayments” or […]