*_Debt, Slavery & Choice_*

_Debt is slavery_ - a statement from Ben Franklin's time.

I agree too 🙂

But, let's take a step back & disect it a bit; there is a difference between Debt & Slavery.

It's in the *choice* one makes.

*No Individual, in all sanity of mind will ever choose SLAVERY as an option in life*

But

*Many Individuals choose DEBT (needed or not) from their heart & mind.....just because it is available or there is a genuine need, want or a luxury*

We think we control debt, but once into it, in reality, debt controls us.

If one can avoid choosing slavery, debt too can be avoided...

_CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES_

_MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE_

Else, debt slavery can't be avoided.

*_Great Indian Festivals, Spending & Festivals_*

Once upon a time, *great indian festivals* referred to the really fantastic indian festivals celebrated culturally across the length & breadth of the country.

We've now equated a festival's benchmark to *e com's discounted sales programs*

What else can we say when we end up with the *3rd great indian festival* within a month's time.

_Swiping credit cards to the available credit limits?_

_Swiping debit cards to the available balance in the savings bank account?_

_Borrowing from family & friends, just to buy a new gadget?_

_Loading up homes just because there is something selling at a discounted price?_

Where are we headed? 🤔

*If there is a no need of something in our life, there is no need to buy it*

*If there is a genuine need for something, there is a need to buy it; and yes, in the great indian sale*

_Spending money, needs a lot of clarity in mind_

Clarity to differentiate between a 

_Necessity_

_Comfort_

& a 

_Luxury_

The issue is....we've messed up our brains with no line of differentiation among the three variables.

So, there is *_utter chaos in today's reckless spending  which leads us to utter chaos in tomorrow's survival_*

The Good, Bad & Ugly; Earning Vs Spending

The Good
The Bad
The Ugly

Not only a classic movie, but also the Classic tale of Earning Vs Spending  with all of us.

Which one is the most comfortable situation to be in?

The Good...future secure

The Bad...future at stake

The Ugly...present and future at stake / struggle

Life / Time, Money / Wealth, Allocations

How do we allocate our resources?

*Time in Life*

Or

*Money in Wealth*

_The % allocations of time will define our life_

_The % allocations of money will define our Wealth_

Focussing too much on any one or two variables will definitely bleed the others

*Allocate resourcefully for a happiness filled money & life*

_*Viral Fevers, Aches & Markets*_

Every now and then we are struck with these so called *viral fevers* .

These fevers keep evolving with time, getting more and more resistant to drugs.

Symptoms of the latest viral -

_High body temperature for 3 to 4 days_

_Acute joint pains_

_Extreme body weakness_

_No other external symptom seen - like cold or cough_

_*Markets also go through these Viral Fevers, every now and then*_

Symptoms of a market viral -

_High volatility in stocks with some of them falling way beyond_

_Acute pain for investors_

_Extreme negative sentiment_

_External symptoms of an investor - Fear of Investing, holding onto the current investments & extreme withdrawal symptoms on current holdings_

No drugs are working on these latest viral fevers 🤷🏼‍♂

No govt impetus is working on the latest market viral 🤷🏼‍♂

Recourse -

_take the prescribed drugs (whether they work or not) / keep investing & stay invested_

_drink lots of fluids / lots of equity purchases have to be made_

_control the fever / control emotions_

_take rest / stay calm_

*Eventually, the viral will be taken care of, but takes time* 🙂

_*Things don't go OUR way?…What to do?*_

Sometimes, our decisions based on all the information & wisdom at that moment, just don't get the end result the way we expect 🤷🏼‍♂

It happens all the time....

Food
Movie
Politics
Travel
Purchases
Experiences
Spending
Investing
Life

What are we supposed to do?

*Just keep moving ahead*

No point in looking back but learning helps 🙂 to understand on the *why it went wrong*..... Does it help in the future.... yes & no

Yes...when a similar situation with all similar variables in play (but we can still make the same error again)

No....with all the information, knowledge & wisdom, variables beyond our control play a major havoc.

But the biggest lesson.....

*Everything reverts to the mean in the long run; just that we need to keep moving forward*

_Investing or Life, it's the same_

_*The forgotten Asset & Investing*_

_Interest rates are low_ ....I've forgotten about the Fixed / Term deposits

_Interest rates are high_ ....I've forgotten about buying a home

_Equity markets moved down_ ....I've forgotten about investing into Equities

_Companies which borrowed heavily are defaulting_ ....I've forgotten about investing into Bonds

_Equities are doing quite well_....I've forgotten about my allocation to other assets

_I'm getting so much of a good advice from my well wishing friends, peers, family & extended family, boss etc_ ... That, I've forgotten every basic detail of my money that I need to be thoughtful about

But.....

_I'll never forget to keep buying Land / the next apartment or home_

_I'll never forget to keep thinking about Gold_

These are the bread & butter of my life 🤷🏼‍♂

_*Noblest Profession & Money*_

Which is the noblest profession in the world? 🤔

Many professions come to the mind but, probably there is only one..... *Teaching*

Where there is no learning, there is no progress

Where there is no guru (one who imparts the learning & takes the darkness away), there is no learning

Whether it was the Gurukul style or today's web style.....

There is a seeker of knowledge & wisdom

There is a giver of knowledge & wisdom

Unfortunately, from times immemorial, there is one aspect in life where the presence of a guru is absolutely essential but unfortunately missing.

Yes..... for *Money Management*

I hope there is more structure given to the learning of this most essential commodity of life.

Human life revolves around this Money Management, but, no one imparts the true value of this to the NextGen.

Parents

Family & Friends

Teachers @ School, College, University

Peers & Mentors @ work place

Kids @ home (lots of learning from them as well 😀)

_*Anyone from whom one can learn even a bit of knowledge or a byte of wisdom*_

_Happy Teachers' Day_

_Happy Teachers' Day to all who impart Money Virtues to the NextGen_ 🙂

_*Rivers, Ponds & Wealth*_

_A flowing river always goes though uphill, downhill & flatbeds but eventually makes it way into the sea / ocean_

_A pond stays a pond as it's surrounded by land on all the sides. It can never flow into a larger water body but only waits for the rains & showers to fill it up. It can never end up in the sea_

*Equities are like a flowing river*. They go uphill, downhill & sometimes run over flatbeds; wherein, it's difficult to see with our naked eye if the river is actually flowing or not. Many streams keep filling up the river.

And because _equities keep running & never stop moving, they have the best chance of ending their journey into the Sea of Wealth_

A pond on the other side looks full & brimming with all excitement when there are fresh thundershowers.

*But, it can hold only that much amount of water*. When it's summer time, the pond dries up faster & their is no external source to fill it up. We'll have to wait till the next thundershowers.

*Equities are the flowing rivers into the Sea of Wealth*

Other Asset Classes are mostly like ponds. They never add wealth like the equities but help in basic survival (fixed income, parts of real estate etc).

*We need both Rivers & Ponds*

*Allocation %s* 🤷🏼‍♂

_*Smarter, Better & Markets*_

Many mortals have an iron faith in themselves that, they can beat the market at its own game.

Alas, it's a fool's paradise to be in....
Because the *market* does

What it has to do
When it has to do
How it has to do
Where it has to do
&
Who, it has to do it to

There is no escape there.

The faster one realises that, one can't be ahead of the market....the better.

The only way an investor's hand can be above the market is....when it's beaten down or getting beaten down. But only as long as one can have cash to handle it.

Every investor who thought to be smarter & invested last Friday (the 2nd weekend press briefing of our FM & team)...thinking that the market is going to go up today (Tuesday)… due to various measures which were to be announced - *the reality seeped in today*

*One can't be ahead of the market*.....definitely not in the short end

Maybe in the longer term....Yes...if and only if we stay inside the market and not trying to *play around it*