1) What is ePlan Customised?
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This is our flagship service. This a lifelong service for you and your family. This is a comprehensive approach to achieve all your financial goals. It quantifies goals and evinces how much one needs to save / invest to accomplish financial goals. Comprehensive Financial Planning gives you peace of mind and a solid sense of financial security. Plan uses scientific and pragmatic approach to achieve your lifetime financial objectives and uses concept and tools such as dynamic needs fulfilment, cashflow analysis, budgeting and gap analysis, hedging income and other liabilities, pensions management, wealth creation, personal risk management and investments. As needed we will also steer in the area of inheritance and succession planning. |
2) What are the salient features of financial planning?
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Financial planning is a holistic process of accomplishing your financial objectives. It is a blueprint which lays down a roadmap for all your financial goals.
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3) What are the benefits of financial planning?
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Financial planning is a comprehensive approach to achieve all your financial goals. It quantifies goals and evinces how much one needs to save / invest to accomplish financial goals. With financial planning an individual can improve cash flow and manage debt tactfully. Financial planning gives you peace of mind and financial security. |
4) Do I need financial planning?
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We suggest that each person should have a Personal Financial Strategy. The objective of this service is to create a roadmap for achievement of all financial goals of your life without having to worry about anything and without compromising on any expenses during your life. Financial planning is akin to health check up. We all need to undertake health checks ups regularly to abstain from maladies. Similarly, financial planning is necessary to assess your current financial health and take apt steps to mend your financial health.
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5) What is the difference between financial planners and agents?
| Majority of the advisors or agents sell financial products whereas financial planners are certified to give unbiased and right financial advice. Financial planning is a holistic approach towards managing money. The financial planner chooses products for the client based on his/her risk profile, needs etc. from different providers. |
6) Can anyone develop a financial plan?
| Such advice can ONLY be provided by qualified professionals such as CFP (Certified Financial Planner) or CWM (Chartered Wealth Manager) and not by agents and brokers. |
7) What does financial planning include?
| Financial planning is a wholesome service which spans over different areas of financial specialization like investment planning, retirement planning, wealth management and estate planning. Tax planning is also worked into the fabric of financial planning. |
8) Is it necessary to keep reviewing the plan?
| It is recommended to review the plan at constant intervals due to changing markets local and global, changing financial positions, and changes in regulations etc. which affect the viability of the plan. By reviewing the plan regularly with the financial planner, the plan continues to remain effective in changing times. |
9) Are returns guaranteed through financial planning?
| A financial plan lays out the strategy to invest to maximize returns. However returns are not based alone on the strategy deployed but also how the strategy is deployed and the situation in the economy at that point in time. |
10) Can I implement the plan myself?
| Yes, you can implement the plan yourself; however it would be better if you would let the planner handle it for you as he/she would have more experience in dealing with the different investment avenues. The planner would also have more information which is accurate and detailed thus improving the efficiency of your plan. You can make changes in the plan by meeting the financial planner and reviewing the existing plan then making changes in the plan considering all circumstances as a whole. |
11) Can my confidential information be misused anyway?
| Financial planners are bound by the same code of ethics which all professionals like doctors etc. are bound by. One aspect of this code is confidentiality. Anything discussed between the financial planner and the client is between them only and this information is not used for personal benefit. Information is not disclosed to anyone unless needed by law or with the client’s permission. |
12) Is my net worth is high enough to go in for financial planning?
| This service is meant for everybody viz., salaried, self employed, students, housewives, retired persons. It is NOT meant for just HNI’s (High Net-worth Individuals) as it is believed so… It does not matter what life stage you belong to viz.., single, family, single parent, unmarried, divorced, separated, widow etc as this service is a critical necessity for everyone! |
13) Can my CA do all these works?
| Such advice can ONLY be provided by qualified professionals such as CFP (Certified Financial Planner) or CWM (Chartered Wealth Manager) and not by agents and brokers. |
14) Do I need to plan for my retirement right now?
| The objective of our Retirement Planning consulting service is an attempt to open the doors to financial independence, no matter what stage of life one is at. |
15) What is offered under retirement planning?
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The salient features of retirement planning are as follows; Retirement Planning Experienced Professionals create a customised Retirement Strategy for you. Find out, if you have ENOUGH pension provision? Obtain an increasing pension income, so as to manage inflation. How much more will you need to maintain a similar standard of living? Your strategy is reviewed & monitored continuously to accommodate retirement aspects such as;
Managing a regular & stable & INCREASING monthly income in an uncertain financial environment |
16) What is the difference between financial planning and private banking?
| Private banking services are provided by any bank to their high net worth customers. These services are the regular services provided by the bank to the public at large however with a certain degree of customization to some specific customers. Financial planning on the other hand does not deal with any of the banking services like loans etc. but offers a wholesome approach to plan for financial goals. These services can be availed of by any individual – salaried, self employed, student etc. Financial planning involves investment planning in various instruments like mutual funds, insurance, etc., retirement planning, wealth management and estate planning. |
17) Is financial planning the same as portfolio management?
| No, financial planning and portfolio management are two different things. Portfolio management just deals with managing investments while financial planning provides a holistic approach to solving an individual’s financial problems right from investment management to retirement planning to wealth management and estate planning. Thus financial planning includes portfolio management. |
18) How will the financial plan work for me?
| The financial plan aims at increasing an individual’s wealth as per his/her financial goals. It is prepared by the application of professional methods and cannot be made by just anyone. The plan is also not standard for all clients. A financial plan is customized to suit individual needs and goals and thus created to work for the individual only. |
19) How accurate is it?
| In this world of technological development, financial planning makes use of technology. All calculations are performed by computers. Financial advice is also given after running varied simulations of what could happen to the markets. |
20) Is my money safe? Is my money in safe hands?
| Yes, your money is in safe hands if it is with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). The CFP is a professional bound by a code of ethics which require him/her to maintain a high standard of honesty in conducting the financial planning business. |
21) How long will financial planning help me?
| Financial planning will help you as long as you want. Financial planning is an on going process which requires the plan to be constantly reviewed and revised by the planner. If the client wants to discontinue the relationship between the planner and him/herself, the unrevised and unreviewed plan will not help the client. |
22) What plans are you going to use?
| The plans developed by the financial planner are not the same for every client. Each client is different with different needs and goals. Thus each client has a separate plan to suit his/her goals, needs and investment capabilities. |
23) How will you plan for me?
| There is a specified process for financial planning right from information gathering to constructing a plan for the client. The planner will need you to provide all information regarding your income and expenses, cash flows, current investments, assets and liabilities etc. Once this information is obtained, the client’s needs, priorities and goals are determined. Taking into consideration all this information the planner will then construct the financial plan for the client. |
24) What are the charges for consultation?
| Consultation charges are different for each service availed of. For Comprehensive Financial Plan: Upfront consultation fees can range between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 75,000 (exclusive of 12.36% service tax). This is need & situation based. |
25) Can I withdraw my money anytime?
| Yes, you can end your relationship with your planner anytime you please if you are not satisfied with the services offered. |
26) What will happen if the performance of the investments is not upto the mark?
| Investments are continuously monitored by the planner. If the investments do not perform upto the mark, the financial planner after thorough analysis will change the current strategy. |
27) What is my goal amount? What is goal based or need based investing?
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You need to follow 3 basic steps;
Once you do this it provides ample clarity to both you and your wealth manager, on the strategy to be adopted for achieving this objective.The Wealth Manager will then assess how much you need to save on a regular basis (one time basis if you have exiting funds) to ensue that you have funds as required and when required. |
28) What are the typical types of services you offer to your client’s w.r.t. financial planning?
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Our services are varied and include comprehensive financial planning, financial planning for particular goals in life retirement planning, education fund corpus building. Our other services include Debt management, Salary restructuring, Tax planning, etc. For a detail on this please visit us at www.transcend-india.com/FP_Guide.htm. |
29) How do you ensure frequent to and fro communication happens between you and your clients?
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Our clients are in constant touch with us globally through phone, email, Yahoo talk, Google talk, Skype. Show My PC, Team Viewer etc. Our systematic approach ensures that documents to and fro are reduced to bare minimum or negligible. |
30) Can you give me some references of your clients?
| I can’t do that as it is against our business policy and also immoral. Also it is against the FPSB code of ethics. |
1) How much am I saving? How much should I save? How I can create wealth?
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A standard rule of thumb is, “If you want to create wealth over a long term you should be saving at the least 25% of you monthly/annual income. Nevertheless 20% is also quite a healthy scenario.” So if you are unable to save as mentioned above, one or more of the following may be true;
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2) I have some investments, how are my current investments doing? Are they good investments?
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The starting point for the answer to this lies within yourself. Firstly, have you been able to save 20-25% of your income? If you have, then like most people you may be having your investments in bank time deposits, bonds, insurance policies, pension plans & pension funds, perhaps mutual funds, unit trusts & equity shares. Essentially they would be geared to “safe” type of investments. Secondly and more importantly, the question to consider is, Are your investments at least earning are rate of interest higher than the rate of inflation? If not, be sure the value of your saving is unfortunately eroding!! Let’s take another popular way of looking at things, “The younger you are and the lesser responsibilities you have, you can take more risks.” The same applies to investment philosophy. A standard rule of thumb is, “Subtract your age from the number 100 and the answer that you get is the amount of allocation you can consider towards higher risk investments. High risk offers higher rewards if you are patient and willing to follow good wealth creation principles.”What we can do for you is review your investment and advise you if they best suited for the achievements of your long term objectives. |
3) How can I multiply my savings? How can I build wealth quickly? What are the time horizons we are talking about?
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There are no short cuts in life! There are 2 facets to this; Time Factor Wealth creation is a long term process. You keep investing, earning, using, reinvesting etc and the process continues lifelong. Risk Profile An age old maxim, which says, “Higher the risk, higher the return…Lower the risk, lower return…No risk, no return.” Having said this risk management is quite a complex subject, as our attitude to risk changes with changing life circumstances. So one needs to either take a stand on the level of risk one is willing to take or let the Wealth Manager decide that for you from time to time. Either ways the Wealth Manager will facilitate your decision. Yes money will then multiply and will multiply regularly provided you plan prudently, let the Wealth Manager advice you on investment risk management on a continual basis and then you patiently watch your investment grow. |
4) How can I channelise my funds?
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You can deploy money in 2 steps;
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5) What are the investment & risk management instruments are available to me?
| We shall consider all the investment instruments available in the Indian financial environment as on today and years to come. The universe of instruments would constitute Bonds, Mutual Funds, Unit Trusts, Pension Funds, Life & Non-Life Insurance, Bank’s Time Deposits and any other instrument available for retail investment. |
6) How can I plan my investments? Basically, what is the next step?
| Allow us to prepare a Financial Plan for you. This is a unique strategy document customized to suit your requirements. It takes into consideration your risk profile, investment objectives, state of financial markets and makes appropriate investment recommendations for you. The investment strategy is then reviewed from time to time to ensure that the investments are on the right track & are doing well to fulfill your financial objectives. |
7) What are the different types of investments?
| There are different types of investment avenues like equity, bonds, mutual funds, insurance, government securities, real estate etc. Please check with your financial planner for a comprehensive list of available investments. |
8) What are your charges?
| We charge on the basis of funds that we provide advice on, typically it would be 1% of the funds we are advising on and of course if the value of investment corpus is higher the fees would be appropriately discounted. Please note that our fees are 100% performance linked. |














