Eight-step guide to financial planning

When you start earning, there is this rush of power you get by seeing money accumulate in your account month-on-month. And this can be quite addictive. More often than not, most people, especially those in their early twenties on their first jobs don't do much with the salary credited to their account, besides spending it.

If any money is left after the splurging, it usually lies in the account idle. This happens for two reasons: One, you don't know how to go about investing and two, you haven't really thought about investing any money as you have no need for it at the moment.

Now the latter reason is more dangerous because there is no such thing as too early when it comes to investments. The sooner you start the better. As for the former reason, here's a step-by-step guide to assist you in sorting your investment priorities.

Life, Health and Medical:
That investments are a must is a given, All you have to do now is to work out how you intend to invest your money, i.e. what are your priorities, where you will invest money and how much. Now, this needn't be compulsory, but for those unsure of where to start from, insuring life and health (mediclaims) is usually a good idea. This is the most basic investment. It's one way of ensuring you don’t make your family liable in case something happens to you. A mediclaim even offers cover for family, so it's security during troubled times.

Save judiciously:
This is a matter of discipline. Each month, there has to be a set amount of money from your salary that is saved. It could be any amount, Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000. The point is, each month, this amount has to be saved no matter how many birthdays or anniversaries happen. As the saying goes, A penny saved is a penny earned – so start saving!

What's your goal?
You need to indentify this early. Each person has a financial goal. For some it is a three bedroom apartment in the suburbs, some others it's a car, or child's education or marriage, etc. The goals vary but these need to be identified quickly. First time earners may not really have an immediate goal, but this is where some thought is required. It's important as soon as you start earning to have some sort of an idea of what you intend to achieve with the money you make. This helps plan your finances immensely.

Prepare to invest:
Once you know your financial goals, it helps to draw a basic sketch of the amount of money you will need to invest/save in order to achieve it. The investment options one chooses has a lot to do with a person's risk appetite. You need to gauge your risk-taking abilities. Some people prefer playing it safe, yet others like a bit of a gamble, if it means they can earn some quick bucks. The ideal approach is of course a balance of the two. But either way, investments are crucial. So be it, sedate and secure debt funds or aggressive and unpredictable equity funds, it's never too early to put in some money on these.

Repaying loans:
It's unavoidable! At some point or the other, everyone finds themselves in some sort of debt. It could be your house, car, education or even your credit card. Whatever it is, your financial plan must include provision for paying off these debts. If you have more than one, then naturally, the priority will be the high-cost followed by the rest in that order. However, an early understanding of never spending more than you earn should ensure that you don't have to pay off bills and EMIs after the due date.

SOS provision:
Emergencies don't call in before knocking on your doorstep. And while there's no guarantee of the degree of damage it brings, it is nevertheless important to have some provision for the same. Say an FD kept safe in the bank or shares of a popular stock or gold in the locker or any other investment that you can dig into if the situation calls for it. The important thing is to identify the funds you will use during emergencies.

Allocating assets:
When you are making an investment plan, it's necessary to understand your money needs. Say, you will need money on hand in two years time to pay for your daughter's MBA, or money for down-payment of a car loan the next year. Identifying these needs will help you allocate your assets accordingly, such that you have liquid funds at the appropriate time. So, planning is not just about the end financial destination, it is also about accounting for the little stop-overs on the way. Your dream may be a duplex apartment, but on the way to getting there, you'll find yourself wanting a car, a vacation every year and perhaps some retirement provision as well. And your financial planning has to accordingly have assets distributed such that you can achieve those goals

Ask for help:
This is the most important part of planning your own finances. You may have a good head for numbers, but it still doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Planning your finances, allocating assets and monitoring their performance constantly is a huge task and you will definitely need assistance. So, never shy away from looking for that help. And it’s a lot easier now. All you need is a relationship manager from your bank who will supervise and monitor your investments. This person will also guide you on various investment options. You should listen closely to all the advice, but never take action on any until you've done your own research.
So, do save, make a plan and start investing now!