We are in the cowboy stage of financial advisers. Let us say something like the 1970s of the stock exchange or the 1940s of the banking industry! Let me list a few: 1. If you do not understand equity markets stay away: Correct advise only if you are so damn rich that you are not […]

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Let us look at a fictitious conversation between a ‘Super Senior Vice President – Strategy and Execution’ and an IFA: Sir my client, Subra, has invested in our company’s ULIP with the least fund management charges…but it is doing very badly…what should I do? Sir my client is not a  greedy or a crazy guy, […]

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  There is a provision to increase the expenses that the ‘aam aadmi’ will pay for the services of an asset management company…so welcome to the party. I mean the party that the AMCs will now start having. What are my objections to the new provisions? Frankly, I have no strong opinion on what the […]

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Here is a fictitious conversation between an asset-manager and an asset manager’s regulator. Asset Management Association: Good Morning, Mrs. Regulator. R: Good Morning, please take a seat. AMA: Sir, our business is not profitable at all, we need some help. Regulator: Oh yes, the Sarkar was also telling me that we need to help you. […]

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I do many of these things and keep wondering how to charge for it…However if you do have a FA he should do the following for you: 1. Do not choose that instrument: He should have the guts and knowledge to say what kind of financial instruments YOU as the client should not touch. This […]

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“Mutual funds are no longer profitable”; “It is not worth being in the life insurance business” – you have heard this and variants of this from the ad driven media, right? Well the truth is not very close to this. Let us take the case of Hdfc Mutual fund. Given the huge AUM already under […]

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  Recently when a friend asked me what are the risks in unit linked plans…I said Well Max New York Life has started a campaign saying “Our agents are different”..well I wish they say this to the client BEFORE the client signs up: Sir the following risks exist in a Unit linked Plan: 1. Buying […]

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