Gold , Silver , Precious Metals

Women and Money

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A lecture by Ms Sujata Kabraji on the ‘10 Financial Mistakes that Women Make and How to Avoid Them!’. Using her years of experience as a stock broker and financial planner, Ms Kabraji made matters clear to all those in the audience, no matter how financially inept. With her fun slides and honest advice, she managed to make a dull subject very interesting. Here’s what she said.

 

I’m young and I wanna have fun!

Ms Kabraji started her lecture by advising young women to think about what better use they could use their money instead of splurging on shopping and entertainment. She said, “In my early 30s, I used to go out with my friends about three times a week. It would cost me around Rs2800. I’m not here to tell you what you shouldn’t do, but if someone had told me what I would have earned if I had put aside that money at least some of the weeks, it would have an impact on my life.” Ms Kabraji said that it may be good to note what you’re spending on each week and then cross out the things you really need.

I’m smart, I have life insurance!

 

A lot of people believe that life insurance is for investment, not protection. However, insurance agents promote investment-oriented insurance policies, as these give them more commissions. Ms Kabraji says, “You only need to remember one type of insurancepolicy – term insurance. I would also advise you to only buy insurance if you have dependents. I think it’s good to ponder over whether you actually need insurance. A lot of us buy term insurance simply because it gives us tax benefits.”

Health can eat into your wealth

 

Health insurance is important. Unlike life insurance, all of us need health insurance. This goes for those covered by corporate plans, too. Ms Kabraji says, “A friend of mine, Sheetal, was insured by her company for Rs5 lakh. Her parents were also insured for Rs3 lakh. Then her company went through a rough patch and she was offered voluntary retirement. She took it and start a small business from home. When she then went to take her own medical cover, she was asked to do her medical. She was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, her policy doesn’t cover diabetes-related diseases and is costing her an arm and a leg.” Ms Kabraji, therefore, advised participants to buy health insurance early on.

Honey, tell me where to sign

Too many women sign wherever their husbands ask them to, no matter what the documents. This includes wills, property, cheques, and other important documents. Ms Kabraji said, “A dear friend of mine was left pennyless and husbandless after her spouse left for a younger woman, after not bothering to look at what she was signing.”

Dip your toe into the water, girl!

Women are often frightened of investing in anything but gold. Ms Kabraji advised participants to look at inflation-adjusted returns. She said, “Gold gives poor returns after inflation. Comparatively, equity delivers much better returns and is a way to beat inflation.” Ms Kabraji said that volatility is unavoidable if you want to grow your money.

Tax slab? I prefer chocolate slabs!

Ms Kabraji said that just because you’re saving money doesn’t mean you’re not making a mistake. She says, “A client of mine, when she was under 30, had saved over a crore. She had a high-paying job. She would also save her money. But she would only put in fixed deposits. Last year, she was earning 10% a year. But this would’ve made the tax department very happy. On Rs1 crore, she would have been paying Rs3 lakh to the tax department. When she came to me for help, I just moved her money to a product with a lower tax liability.”

Make sure you have the money to party on!

A lot of women think first about their husband and children, but forget that statistically they’re more likely to live longer than their husbands. She says, “You need to remember that you may live until well after everyone else is gone. A friend of mine spent all hermoney on her kids, without thinking about herself. When she quit her job, she had just Rs35 lakh, which she got as lump-sum on retirement. Surely, this won’t be enough for the next 30 years. Had she been smart about her money early on, she may not have been in the situation she is currently in.”

Ugh! Paperwork

Both men and women have the tendency to avoid what requires even a little bit of paperwork. When paperwork is avoided, a lot of problems can crop up. Ms Kabraji says, “If we don’t do the paperwork, we’re bound to find ourselves in bad situations. There are bad and good stories related to avoiding paperwork. Let me tell you a happy one. A friend of mine had three cupboards full of papers that belonged to her parents. She didn’t go through them. When she did, though, she found that there were Tata shares worth crores just lying in the cupboard.”

Will? What’s that?

It’s easy to disregard what is yet to come. So we constantly postpone making a will. But this is far from the right decision. Ms Kabraji says, “My parents did a wise thing by telling their three daughters how the family wealth would be split while they were alive. We were told to raise our objections while they were alive, not after. Making a will may not be prevent problems later on, but it does at least put your foot in the door.” Sujata Kabraji then went on to explain which relatives the Indian Succession laws let come after your money.

Numbers make me cross-eyed

It’s easy to be confused by numbers, but there’s no point running away from these calculations. Ms Kabraji said, “I am a statistics major, but I can’t do any mental math. I need a calculator. The solution is not avoiding the complications of a financial product. All you need to do is ask the right questions.”

link : http://www.moneylife.in/article/ladies-heres-how-to-manage-your-money/31509.html?utm_source=PoweRelayEDM&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Subscriber%2383625&utm_campaign=Today%27s%20Exclusives

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Women & Money

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Ladies, here’s How to manage your money – Moneylife.

A lecture by Ms Sujata Kabraji on the ‘10 Financial Mistakes that Women Make and How to Avoid Them!’. Using her years of experience as a stock broker and financial planner, Ms Kabraji made matters clear to all those in the audience, no matter how financially inept. With her fun slides and honest advice, she managed to make a dull subject very interesting. Here’s what she said.

I’m young and I wanna have fun!

Ms Kabraji started her lecture by advising young women to think about what better use they could use their money instead of splurging on shopping and entertainment. She said, “In my early 30s, I used to go out with my friends about three times a week. It would cost me around Rs2800. I’m not here to tell you what you shouldn’t do, but if someone had told me what I would have earned if I had put aside that money at least some of the weeks, it would have an impact on my life.” Ms Kabraji said that it may be good to note what you’re spending on each week and then cross out the things you really need.

I’m smart, I have life insurance!

A lot of people believe that life insurance is for investment, not protection. However, insurance agents promote investment-oriented insurance policies, as these give them more commissions. Ms Kabraji says, “You only need to remember one type of insurancepolicy – term insurance. I would also advise you to only buy insurance if you have dependents. I think it’s good to ponder over whether you actually need insurance. A lot of us buy term insurance simply because it gives us tax benefits.”

Health can eat into your wealth

Health insurance is important. Unlike life insurance, all of us need health insurance. This goes for those covered by corporate plans, too. Ms Kabraji says, “A friend of mine, Sheetal, was insured by her company for Rs5 lakh. Her parents were also insured for Rs3 lakh. Then her company went through a rough patch and she was offered voluntary retirement. She took it and start a small business from home. When she then went to take her own medical cover, she was asked to do her medical. She was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, her policy doesn’t cover diabetes-related diseases and is costing her an arm and a leg.” Ms Kabraji, therefore, advised participants to buy health insurance early on.

Honey, tell me where to sign

Too many women sign wherever their husbands ask them to, no matter what the documents. This includes wills, property, cheques, and other important documents. Ms Kabraji said, “A dear friend of mine was left pennyless and husbandless after her spouse left for a younger woman, after not bothering to look at what she was signing.”

Dip your toe into the water, girl!

Women are often frightened of investing in anything but gold. Ms Kabraji advised participants to look at inflation-adjusted returns. She said, “Gold gives poor returns after inflation. Comparatively, equity delivers much better returns and is a way to beat inflation.” Ms Kabraji said that volatility is unavoidable if you want to grow your money.

Tax slab? I prefer chocolate slabs!

Ms Kabraji said that just because you’re saving money doesn’t mean you’re not making a mistake. She says, “A client of mine, when she was under 30, had saved over a crore. She had a high-paying job. She would also save her money. But she would only put in fixed deposits. Last year, she was earning 10% a year. But this would’ve made the tax department very happy. On Rs1 crore, she would have been paying Rs3 lakh to the tax department. When she came to me for help, I just moved her money to a product with a lower tax liability.”

Make sure you have the money to party on!

A lot of women think first about their husband and children, but forget that statistically they’re more likely to live longer than their husbands. She says, “You need to remember that you may live until well after everyone else is gone. A friend of mine spent all hermoney on her kids, without thinking about herself. When she quit her job, she had just Rs35 lakh, which she got as lump-sum on retirement. Surely, this won’t be enough for the next 30 years. Had she been smart about her money early on, she may not have been in the situation she is currently in.”

Ugh! Paperwork

Both men and women have the tendency to avoid what requires even a little bit of paperwork. When paperwork is avoided, a lot of problems can crop up. Ms Kabraji says, “If we don’t do the paperwork, we’re bound to find ourselves in bad situations. There are bad and good stories related to avoiding paperwork. Let me tell you a happy one. A friend of mine had three cupboards full of papers that belonged to her parents. She didn’t go through them. When she did, though, she found that there were Tata shares worth crores just lying in the cupboard.”

Will? What’s that?

It’s easy to disregard what is yet to come. So we constantly postpone making a will. But this is far from the right decision. Ms Kabraji says, “My parents did a wise thing by telling their three daughters how the family wealth would be split while they were alive. We were told to raise our objections while they were alive, not after. Making a will may not be prevent problems later on, but it does at least put your foot in the door.” Sujata Kabraji then went on to explain which relatives the Indian Succession laws let come after your money.

Numbers make me cross-eyed

It’s easy to be confused by numbers, but there’s no point running away from these calculations. Ms Kabraji said, “I am a statistics major, but I can’t do any mental math. I need a calculator. The solution is not avoiding the complications of a financial product. All you need to do is ask the right questions.”

This entry was posted in Business , Economic and finance related Information , Knowledge & Training, Financial Literacy, Insurance, Investing, Investments, Women and tagged , , , , , .

What Do Gold Measurements “Troy” Ounce and “Karat” Really Mean?

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Measuring Gold …..

livinginabubbleblog

central_bank-gold

Source: munKNEE.com – What Do Gold Measurements “Troy” Ounce and “Karat” Really Mean?

Notable excerpts:

Definition of a ”Troy” Ounce

“A “troy” ounce (ozt) is a unit of imperial measure for weight that dates back to the Middle Ages. Originally used in Troyes, France, it is most commonly used to gauge the weight and therefore the price of precious metals. One troy ounce is equivalent to 1.09714 avoirdupois (our conventional every day measurement) ounces – i.e. 9.714% greater in weight – and 31.1034768 grams. 1 kg. consists of 32.1507466 troy oz.”

Definition of “Karat”

“The term “karat” is used to describe the unit of measurement for the proportion of gold (i.e. % purity of the gold content) in a piece of jewellery, coin, ingot or bar.”

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Gold updates

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When It Comes to Gold, Stick to the Facts

February 19, 2013

Gold dipped below $1,600 last week, falling to a six-month low, much to the chagrin of gold investors. I find the timing of the correction peculiar, given the G20 Finance Ministers Meeting taking place over the weekend. There’s been a growing debate over Japan’s move to devalue its currency to stimulate growth, with reaction from the G-7 leaders stating that “domestic economic policies must not be used to target currencies,” reports Reuters.

While the G-7 tried to legitimize the currency debasement with this statement, in reality, investors seem to be able to see through to the real motivations.

The main reason the mainstream media gave for the correction in the yellow metal is hedge funds’ selling of gold late last year. According to quarterly filings, Hedge Fund Manager George Soros sold half of his holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) in the fourth quarter of 2012. Bloomberg attributed the sell as a move that may “bolster speculation that gold’s 12-year bull-run is coming to the end.” However, Soros may have liquidated his gold holdings because he identified a significant short-term opportunity in the currency markets.

I have said many times that government policies are precursors to change, and late last year, Japan’s new leader, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, openly indicated his intention to drive down the currency to make the economy more competitive and increase inflation. As a result of Japan’s policy changes, the yen weakened, driving up the price of gold in Japan’s local currency.

In other words, a gold investor in Japan was likely ecstatic with his gold trade over the past few months.

Take a look at the comparison of gold’s return in different currencies. The chart below compares the percentage change of gold in the Japanese yen to the metal’s percentage change in U.S. dollar terms over the last six months. From the middle of August 2012 until about November, gold prices in both currencies closely followed each other.

However, as a result of changes in government policies, over the six-month period, gold rose nearly 19 percent in yen, while only increasing less than one percent in U.S. dollar terms.

Currency Swing had Huge Effect on Gold

George Soros seemed to anticipate the effect that Japan’s government policies would likely have on the velocity of money. This turned out to be a brilliant move, as “wagering against the yen has emerged as the hottest trade on Wall Street over the past three months,” says the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reported that Soros gained “almost $1 billion on the trade since November,” during a time the yen declined nearly 20 percent in four months.

I admire Soros for his ability to identify significant effects that government policies have on markets as easily as recognizing when ice turns to water. More importantly, he quickly acts on these emerging events.

This isn’t his first big win in foreign markets. In 1992, based on British government policy changes, Soros shorted British pounds and bought German marks, earning $1.8 billion for his fund.

Just like recognizing how new equilibriums can alter the dynamics of an environment, government policies can significantly change the velocity of money. Global investors watch for these trends to know where to invest in commodities and markets, find new opportunities and adjust for risk.

I discussed the potential motivation behind Soros’ trade with CNBC’s Simon Hobbs on Friday. I explained how gold’s correction was reaching an extreme, indicating a potential buying opportunity. You can see on our oscillator model how gold has dropped nearly 2 standard deviations on a year-over-year basis. An event like this has happened only about 2 percent of the time over the last 10 years. Following these extreme lows, gold has historically increased as much as 15 percent over the next year.

Gold Price at an Extreme

See the CNBC interview here

 

Back in June 2012, I told CNBC the same thing: Gold had reached an extreme low, and only a few months later, the metal climbed nearly 10 percent.

During short-term gold corrections, it’s much more important to focus on the facts, including the fact that gold is increasingly viewed as a currency. Rather than buying real estate, lumber or diamonds, central banks around the world are buying gold. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), over 2012, central bank demand totaled 534 tons, a level we have not seen in nearly 50 years.

Central Bank Gold-Buying Reaches 48-Year High

Emerging market central banks have been adding gold to their reserves, including Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, South Korea and Russia. Over the past decade, Russia has accumulated a total of 958 tons of gold, making its gold reserves the eighth largest of all central banks, says the WGC.

Another fact about gold is the persistence of the Love Trade. As you can see below, jewelry demand declined slightly, about 3 percent in 2012, and more than half of this demand came from India and China, the countries with a cultural affinity toward gold. India’s gold purchases declined 12 percent due to an import tax and a weak rupee. However, even though the gold price experienced a significant increase in local currency, India’s demand is “all the more remarkable and serves to emphasise the importance of gold to Indian consumers,” says the WGC.

Notably, India had a better-than-expected fourth quarter, and retained its rank as the largest gold market in the world.

Gold Demand Declined 4 Percent

In China, there was a slowdown in GDP in the first half of the year, which weighed on gold purchases. For the year, the WGC indicated that there was only a slight increase in demand over the previous year.

In 2013, the WGC expects both markets to remain strong, forecasting growth rates of about 10 to 15 percent. I believe as GDPs in Chindia rise, so will their gold demand. And as long as the precious metal is attractive to both the fear trade and the love trade, hold tight to gold, with a 5 to 10 percent weighting in gold and gold stocks, and rebalancing annually.

When It Comes to Gold, Stick to the Facts – U.S. Global Investors.

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