a decade and a day…

This day 10 years back I got married to my best friend… and the joy cannot get any better.

 

Its a partnership that has had its bumps and puddles… but above all it has been a worthwhile ride, full of lovely memories and companionship that is hard to describe… and tomorrow when a dearest friend marries I just want to wish the best to the newly weds. Our wishes are with you two and hope you have a equally wonderful relationship ahead minus the bumps and puddles !

 

Am simply happy… ! **Touchwood**

 

Its just a day to be happy and play this song from a movie that is close to the heart …

 

 

 

 

Constructing an Investment portfolio #1

Pixie’s post got me started..

 

While she has just stated how she goes about her investments, I found quite a few places where I disagree. There are a lot of myths about investments floating around ! Not always is the right advice available and sellers always have ulterior motives. I thought maybe I bring some of my work to my blog for a change… Advising portfolio’s is my work, my work details can be found HERE

 

I thought maybe I should do a series of posts on how to construct a portfolio for yourself.

 

Here is part 1  :

When you start building your investment portfolio first up you should ensure enough protection for your life and for your loved one’s if you were not there… here are two things you must get for yourself first up.

 

1.) Mediclaim

First and foremost get yourself a very good comprehensive Mediclaim.  Before you worry about retirement, living too long, childrens marriage or education worry about your health and uncertainties. Get a good mediclaim as diseases can strike even the most healthiest of people. Ask plenty of questions and always insist to get the wordings of your Mediclaim policy and read it before buying it.

Look out for the Exclusions ! Be sure of what you buy ! Most of the dissatisfied customers are those who just trust the seller’s word and buy products without actually checking the product they are buying and then blame all and sundry.

You dont buy a Saree or a vegetable without feeling or seeing it do you ?

Don’t do it when you are buying any financial product either, infact they must be bought with extreme care and due diligence.

 

2.) Term Insurance

If you are the bread winner of your family, get yourself a very good term insurance. Generally opt for insurance cover that is 150 times your monthly income or expense as per your suitability. For Eg. Monthly exp Rs. 10000/- go for a term plan of Rs.15,00,000/-

 

* Today if a 35 year old male (non-smoker) wanted to buy Term Insurance worth Rs. 1 crore his annual premium for 35 years would be Rs. 10,949/- vonly !!!!!!

This will take care of your basic need of protection. Term Insurance Premiums are quite low and easy on the wallet. Do not buy insurance plans for kids or people who are not earning. Loss of loved one’s is an emotional loss that no Insurance policy can compensate, Insurance can only compensate for the loss of income, so only insure people who are earning money.

Insurance is basically an expense and should be treated that way.

PLEASE NOTE MOST IMPORTANT ADVISE : Do not mix Investment & Insurance

 

Investments only should feature once you have got protection for yourself.

 

There are various investment options like Bank FD’s, PPF, Recurring Deposits, Bonds, Stocks and Mutual Funds which we shall cover in due course.

 

There is a saying, Good advice does not come free… Well I am hell bent upon proving that cliche wrong. You can pester me with all your queries and I will advice

 

Its on the house folks !:D

 

 

If you had two extra hours in a day…

Oh Boy !

I can almost see people smacking their hands on their heads… !!!

2 more hours of hitchy !!!!

just the thought of it makes me go Buhahahahahahaha ala Vimmmuu !

But when I come to think of it, its the most perfect thing that can happen to me. It actually solves all my problems, today my net addiction is a serious disorder that I suffer from, I have to balance work and wordpress, mail and scrabble, presentations and facebook, reports and twitter and above all cricket and cricinfo !!!

That is not even taking bout one more second for Eating !!!! My other favorite pastime ! The mere thought sets me thinking so many lunatic things… consider a few possibilities like two extra buffet’s a day !!!!!! You cant believe how much joy that thought brings to me!!!!!

But since this is a serious contest, I will seriously list some of the random thoughts I got… !

1. Two hours in a Snooker parlor would be perfect, I can dethrone Pankaj Advani then..! (ego has never been my problem )
2. 2 hours sitting on the grass on the banks of river Narmada watching the Golden Bridge with the sun setting in the background accompanied by no… not my wife, yea I dont mind her but more importantly Sukhi Bhel that you get over there nimbu maarke !!!!
3. Its been decades since I saw a Morning Show!!!! They are two hours only aren’t they ….   !!!! Yes you dimwit… I mean the morning shows on TV only… !!!! No Jungli Jawani types !!!!
4. I could go back to college days and sit in the college campus and well stare… err… get some eye candy !
5. Two hours of wifey serving us goodies while we brothers are at it on… Heroes Armageddon or Cricket 2011 !!!! Sheer Bliss na… I know !!!
6. 2 hours of More spam on FB, Blogs and Twitter !!!!! Ideal I say !!!!

Some really worth while doing things !!!!!

I think those thoughts surely ought’a win me the prize for being the most candid contestant of them all !!!!

Just as I was about to hit the submit button, my humility resurfaced, I thought I should get my superlative thoughts be checked by my equally creative and wonderful copywriter…. ( err…. Equally creative means creative enough, but just a shade less than me… )

As soon as she reads my mail informing her about my winning entry and the contest I am jarred by a telephone ring and informed….

“Idiot, its a Family and Parenting category contest !!!! and you are writing about Jangli Jawani and College Campus !!!!!”

“Doomed….!!!!” (she shrieks way too much !!! I am gonna be killed for this I know !!! )

 ”Hitchu…. !!!!!” (that is one patented word I just love, now I have her Awwwwing all the way… )

“you gotta be get your number wala chashma out of the drawer and on your nose !!!!!”

err….

Now the reality sinks in…

Maybe the two hours extra I get should be spent playing another 2 hours of cricket or badminton with my son !!!! I already play around an hour everyday

or

Maybe I should be spending the two hours trying to discuss more cricket with him !!!! He is pretty adapt now though to search the cricinfo.com  statistics He knows who has the most number of ducks !!! The lil one is quite diligent too and studies quite well for an hour before his play hours begin so I don’t need to spend a minute of the extra two hours to make him study. I wish I could be that sincere & disciplined someday.

Maybe those two hours extra could be transferred to him. So that we dont have to make him sleep at 9pm (he has to wake up at 6) and use those hours to play more ludo or chess which he is learning to play and help him beat his Dadaji !

Now, it would be really unfair to say that I didn’t think of spending two hours sitting on our swing on our verandah gazing at each other in the moonlight and not saying much and just entwining fingers and exchanging contented smiles… ! What else do you expect !!! this is a Family Blog !!!!!!

Now before the Surf Excel Guys ban me from entering their contest…. Please let me submit my entry !!!!

Post to “Surf Excel Matic #GetSmart Contest”, a current trending topic.