26 Inspiration Lessons from the book 'Ikigai' by 'Hector Gracia & Francesc Miralles'

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being." The word "ikigai" is usually used to indicate the source of value in one's life or the things that make one's life worthwhile. The word roughly means "thing that you live for" or "the reason for which you wake up in the morning." Each individual's ikigai is personal to them and specific to their lives, values and beliefs.

I, hereby, list down the 26 inspirational lessons that i learnt from this awesome book. I know that I need to keep practicing these learning day in and day out. These learning are worded and appended in a way that makes it easier for most of us to understand and absorb...

Treasury, Outstanding, Floating and Restricted Shares

A thing as simple as number of shares of a company can get as complicated as understanding the different types of shares company is reporting viz Treasury, Outstanding, Floating or Restricted Shares. Let us understand the difference between all these types of shares and their significance.

10 Insightful Lessons from the Documentary 'Inside Bill's Brain'

We have been publishing life lessons from various best-selling books for a long time now. Acknowledging that we must change with changing times, this is our first attempt on publishing lessons from a Netflix documentary. 

Statement of Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow

A Cash Flow Statement gives a good clue on company's financial health. But understanding Free Cash Flow (FCF) is even more penetrating. Read on..

Analysing Promoter Shareholding Patterns for your Stocks with Real Examples

It makes sense to keep track of what promoters are doing with their shares. It may give you a clue about where the company is headed. Let us see how to look at promoters shareholding patterns (and beyond just the data) with real life examples.

7 Reasons why Kalpavriksha is one of the World's Most Transparent Organisations

This was a dream project, and one of my strongest reasons to take Financial Freedom. Started in 2016 with 2 trees in a nearby park, today we have reached close to 2,000 trees spread across the length and breadth of this great nation - with donations landing from across the globe.

What makes Kalpavriskha one of the most trusted and transparent organisations, not only in India, but across the globe?

What is Economic Moat and 5 Ways to Spot Companies with Moat

You can crunch all the numbers, but numbers will always represent history. Ironically, you are buying Stocks for future gains. And history can never guarantee future. Fortunately, MOAT is one of the factors that tries to defend the historical numbers - in the future.

Inflation - A Destructive Reciprocal of Compounding

Albert Einstein once defined Compounding as the 8th Wonder of the World. 100% agreed. 

I would define Inflation as a 'Destructive Reciprocal of Compounding'. 

Inflation is as powerful as Compounding (assuming you understand the power of compounding) - just that it is destructive in nature, and is ignored even more than Compounding. 

If you think that you understand Inflation even today, you might just be making the biggest mistake of your financial life.

Read on...

Repo Rate vs MCLR linked Home Loans

With the recent introduction of 'Repo Rate' based Home Loans from the existing 'MCLR based' Home Loans, the Home Loans are set to change - yet again.
Read on to know more..

The Cost of Lost Opportunity

During vacations, you may decide to visit a hill station, but it comes at the cost of losing the charm of a serene beach. Alternatively, you might decide to go and explore the historical monuments to marvel at their architecture, but it also comes at the cost of losing the fun and awesomeness of visiting a modern theme park.

Here is another one. You might not take any decision, or decide not to go anywhere, but at the cost of all the fun, excitement, serenity, chillness, awesomeness and everything above.

There is a cost attached with every decision, or even a 'no-decision'. And that is the Cost of 'Lost Opportunity'. Let us study how it applies to your personal finance.

Announcing 2 National Bestsellers, exemplifying the beauty of Delayed Gratification

                      

 

There is something about delayed gratification that pulls a person desperately towards it, and pushes the other person out to the extent that one tends to hate it. 

The difference lies, perhaps, in whether you have understood how nature plays delayed gratification in every walk of life. 

Once you understand it, and start to love it - you will be the biggest beneficiary, as it unfolds its magic in your life..

What are Quant Funds, and why are they NOT an outright success?

Automation is taking over many highly paid jobs around the world and money management may be no exception. One illustration of this phenomenon is Quant funds.

Holding Mutual Funds in Demat Vs SOA Format

Mutual Funds can be held either in de-materialized account or as statement of account (SOA). Both forms are digitized. There are no paper certificates. Then, how do we know which form is better for us.

KEEP INVESTING is an INEFFICIENT Approach to Wealth Building

A Mutual Fund SIP is supposed to be the simplest and most powerful investment option in the market even today. Though old fashioned, it needs almost negligible time investment from an investor post its setting up. But if you are just continuing to invest regularly, then you are missing one of the most vital aspects of wealth management...

9+3 Criteria in Evaluating Company's Management before buying a Stock

You may see the best of Earnings, cash flow, growth and business potential. This may just be your dream stock that you always wanted to buy. But it can all come to a zero, if the numbers were cooked up or the company's management was not reliable enough. But then, how do you judge the quality of a company's management?

Eight Unforgettable Corporate & Life Lessons from Tree-a-thon 2019 Half Marathon Event

Tree-a-thon 2019 Leadership Team

I never thought in the wildest of my dreams that I would be organising a half marathon running event ever in my life. But then, HE has HIS own plans...
One of the biggest and most complicated projects that I handled in the last few years - also turned out to be such a wonderfully executed one. - TREE-A-THON 2019. With the motto of You Run - We Plant, this half marathon running event provided a throw back of learnings for me...the most important ones being listed here. 

Some of these learning's are new for me, while some of my existing experiences got re-emphasized...

Different Price for Same Stock in Different Markets? Welcome to the world of Arbitrage !

If you have been in Stock Market for some time, you would have definitely observed this phenomenon, though you may not have attached enough importance to it. But , some of the biggest successes lie in understanding the smallest things well. Understanding such finer aspects of the market gives you a very fine bird's eye view of the phenomenon called as Stocks, and helps you take wiser decisions in the long run.

There is Nothing Like A Bad Investment Tool

There is nothing like a bad investment or a good investment tool. Each investment tool serves a definite purpose for a specific class of investor. Instead of asking for the best flower from the bouquet, one must try and understand the class of investor one is, and try to pick the most relevant investment to that class.

Pledging of Shares by Promoters and how it impacts Stock Valuation

[Last Update : 31-May-2020]
Did you know that more than 90% of listed companies in India have pledged shares? Are you aware of the risks associated with share pledging? How much share pledging is OK? Is share pledging also good for the company? From where can you find the pledged shares percentage?... Read on...

Universal Basic Income: The ‘free money’ idea

With its own pros and cons, the free money idea is here to stay in the long run. The debates are going to go longer and harder. You will hear more and more about it in the times to come, as AI and Robotics replace more humans.... Read on.

Tree-a-thon Running event by Kalpavriksha - a first of its kind !

Kalpavriksha has been blessed, it seems! 

Each year since our inception in 2016, we have been doubling our trees planted, maintained and tracked.

But this year, in 2019, we aim to take an even bigger leap, via  our first ever 'Tree-a-thon' sponsored by none other than Radisson Blu.

Understanding and Interpreting Company Balance Sheets - with example

Have you ever prepared your personal sheet of Assets and Liabilities to calculate your financial net worth? Yes? 

Congratulations ! You already know how to prepare balance sheets. Company balance sheets are just a shade above your personal balance sheet of Assets, Liabilities and net worth...Read on..