The NIFTY is poised for another correction and I remember the time in 2008
when the Stock markets were tumbling and taking their worst fall all over ...
when the Stock markets were tumbling and taking their worst fall all over ...
Along with the families who had substantial funds invested in it
The price of this free fall was paid by many families and the example
that comes to mind was of one Karthik Rajaram,
an NRI who shot his wife and three sons
that comes to mind was of one Karthik Rajaram,
an NRI who shot his wife and three sons
after his funds were wiped out in the 2008 collapse ...
An IIT Chennai graduate and an MBA from the University of California,
Kartik had gone bankrupt after the stock market crash....
There are many I know personally who have lost money in the stock maket
And My sympathies are with those who have lost a good amount of funds
And My sympathies are with those who have lost a good amount of funds
in the stock market, but only to an extent ...
It ends where common sense was/is deliberately disregarded
to fulfill lust for short term gains and
It ends where common sense was/is deliberately disregarded
to fulfill lust for short term gains and
where risks taken are not calculated ......
The lives lost cannot be regained, but their deaths can at least
be used to salvage some redemption for them if we were all to learn lessons
in common sense from this tragedy ...
in common sense from this tragedy ...
Lesson no. 1 - Do no put all your eggs in one basket.
A cardinal priniciple of survival is having a contingency plan
That means having options or creating them where they don't exist ..
And if it is not possible to do that, then the venture shouldn't be
attempted unilaterally, but only after taking everyone into confidence
who are bound to be affected by taking such a big risk ...
And if one is a family Man, such ventures without contingency plans
are a strict No No ...howsoever tempting and attractive the offer may seem ...
Always consider the "what if" scenario ...
What if it fails ??
where does that leave you??
and more importantly, where soes it leave those
who depend upon you to provide for their needs,
where does that leave you??
and more importantly, where soes it leave those
who depend upon you to provide for their needs,
especially if you have no options or
have not prepared for one.
have not prepared for one.
If you can handle the odds,
If you feel confident of handling the odds,
And most importantly, if the rest who are going to be affected
are with you in all of this, then and even then ...
reconsider before going full steam ahead ...
Lesson no 2 - Save for the rainy day until you break even
As you keep on earning a profit, set some aside until you break even
before you start taking bigger risks ... A good rally or a good
break initially shouldn't result in going all out ....
Believe me, Not even if the gut feeling is right
Because when you are on a roll, every feeling feels like a gut feeling
Unless you are a person who has grown up listening to his conscience
a LOT, believe me again, you won't be able to distinguish
between the feeling of confidence due to euphoria of success
and a real solid gut feeling ......
SAVE until you break even and then go with your gut if you have to
For then even if you lose, you will at least be back to square one rather
than in the hole from where you won't be able to pull yourself up ...
and where suddenly suicide looks a very inviting option ...
Its Not the kind of option you wanna work with ...
Lesson 3 - INVEST
Invest some of the profits in guilt edged securities ...
Once you break even, you may take bigger risks ...
If they pay out and you make a profit, set some aside for
investing in safe securities ...
Your financial adviser would be able to guide you in this ..
GET ONE - You won't regret it ....
These people spend their working day studying the Financial
markets and the economy ... they have a better hold on the
pulse of the market and economy ...
Just one caveat - Get someone who who you trust and
someone who knows the value of hard earned money
and how to manage it .....
This short article is by no means to serve as a portfolio of finance
But just an outpouring of thoughts brought on by tragedies
like those of Rajaram, which could have been totally avoidable
The biggest loss is of lives of Rajaram's children
which were yet to flower and were snuffed out for no fault of theirs ....
They were the one Investment that would have paid off all of His debts
If only Rajaram had invested some of his funds to give them a future
away from the burning pyres ....
May God bless their souls ....
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