With a B.Com (Hons) and a PG Diploma in Marketing from the Delhi University, Bhagya Mehrotra is an Associate Financial Planner - Insurance, Investment Planning and Retirement Planning with International Money Matters Pvt. Ltd. She has been in the finance industry for the last 5 years and has been servicing clients for most part of it. She loves writing articles and interacting with people.

bhagya.mehrotra:025650 : Hi Yogita
Yogita.khatri:025917 : Good Afternoon Mam.. Welcome to myiris live chat...
Skuwad:025221 : Hi,need to know best invst plan for 2010
bhagya.mehrotra:030141 : Good afternoon, Yogita
bhagya.mehrotra:030231 : There isnt a standard 'best' investment plan for 2010 that can be applied across the board however
bhagya.mehrotra:030302 : there are tips generally speaking which one should keep in mind while managing finances
bhagya.mehrotra:030339 : Such as to take life cover, to take medical cover if not provided by your employer,
bhagya.mehrotra:030404 : to start retirement planning at the very least through contribution to a PF
bhagya.mehrotra:030427 : to invest in equity either directly or through mutual funds and so on
Rita:040228 : Can you tell explain why the basic trend of gold/sensex/oil is going hay wire right now?
bhagya.mehrotra:030741 : Most economic/business cycles follow patterns. There is a period of tremendous eco activity then a peak, then a crash..
bhagya.mehrotra:030824 : followed by some time when everything is down. Then again there is a period of revival and development
bhagya.mehrotra:031217 : 2008 was a period of financial crisis through most of the developed world, which is when typically gold became a safe haven and saw prices rising. 2009 has been a period of recouping and revival more so in the emerging economies. 2010 should see further consolidation and move towards stability albeit there may be few more disasters before the final climb back to stability. So this whole period would be marked with uncertainity in various asset classes, therefore it would be prudent to proceed with caution
bhagya.mehrotra:031313 : Though there is general inverse relation b/w gold vs sensex/oil the same cannot be said to be holding true for all times. This inverse relationship could break if there are unusual factors, such as those existing now. For instance at the moment there seems to be money (excess USD) chasing all asset classes. Therefore gold is increasing on inflation fears, while high liquidity seem to chase equities (sensex) and oil (though there is fall in demand)
rita:031420 : What are the cautions one should take care of for the year ahead??
bhagya.mehrotra:031834 : On a micro level, First ensure that you are budgeting well and staying well within your means and saving. Then these savings need to be invested well. Depending on what ur goals are, look at a mix of equity and debt. Do SIPs regularly, contribute to a PF/PPF or pension plan, Insure yourself and take medical cover.Some of the things to avoid in 2010 would be: Dont invest in ULIPs for 3-5 years, Dont invest in equity for 3 months; Invest in each asset class accdg to their time frames so that your investments match your goals
sonam:032004 : Do you expect any major scare for the market due to the interest rate pressures and high inflation numbers which are coming out on the food front?
bhagya.mehrotra:032520 : rate sensitive sector such as Banking, autos and real estate might be the ones impacted the most. as a corollary therefore it could make sense to add, FMCG and retail (though at right valuations). Agro as a theme can be played. However, cautions needs to be exercised in terms of choice of companies. Not all companies are good
bhagya.mehrotra:032608 : In general, Stick to large cap companies and leaders in the sectors - avoid thematic funds/ hve limited exposure to them
yogi:032714 : How do you see the year ahead for MF industry after a revolutionary year 2009 for it?
bhagya.mehrotra:033050 : 2009 has been a big year for MF industry, after the abolition of entry loads; people would want to invest in Mutual funds. as the costs are lesser; there will be platforms which will allow ppl to access MFs much easier than before. New funds are coming in the industry; there might be some consolidation as well. Overall, there should be more interest from retail investors as well
yogi:033200 : what abt distributors???
harsha:032240 : Which sectors according to you are likely to perform better in 2010? Which sectors should one avoid at this point of time?
bhagya.mehrotra:033732 : it is a challenging time for distributors. they need to figure out a revenue model which will work for them keeping customer's interest paramount. First would be to increase service levels, along with knowledge and expertise so as to justify the fees they can then ask the investors/clients. Those not serious about this will automatically fall back
bhagya.mehrotra:034035 : while banking, auto and real estate are to be considered with caution, one could look at Consumer sectors - FMCG, Retail, Select industrials, Media
seema:034258 : What should be the ideal portfolio in 2010 for average investor?
bhagya.mehrotra:034830 : Allocate your resources accdg to ur goals. For goals in the horizon 3 years look at investing in debt to fulfil these, those beyond and withing 7-8 years look at a combination of debt and equity and for goal beyond 8 years look at equity through monthly SIPs or ULIPs for specific goals like children's education/marriage etc
kapoor:035021 : What are the challenges overall in the year 2010?
bhagya.mehrotra:035400 : From an investor point of view, it would be to not get carried away. These are times of acute volatility - so you would see swings in the markets. My advise would be to take the emotion out and invest in a disciplined manner. From an individual point of view, gone are the days of 30% and 40% increments, and 100% and 200% gain on real estate. it is a time for prudence, of consolidation
bhagya.mehrotra:035455 : with india growth story intact, there is still money to be made on money though not like 2005-07. So invest wisely
yogita.khatri:035724 : Thank you so much for participating in our live chat session.. Very nice to have you.. :)
bhagya.mehrotra:035918 : Thannk you everybody,
yogita.khatri:035922 : We thank Ms. Mehrotra for answering all of your questions. Thank you all for participating in the live chat. We welcome you all to our future chat sessions.
bhagya.mehrotra:040057 : I would just like to add a few Money matters mantras – Determine your goals and link your investments to them. Start retirement planning with through a PF or through a pension plan. Don’t be stingy on insurance – India is a county with one of the most under insured population. Remember insurance is not a cost but a transfer of risk. lastly despite volatility equity remains an asset class with one of the most attractive long term returns. so systematuically invest in equity.That is the end of the chat session for today.
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Till then its bye from us.