For Whom Wealth Matters
August 28, 2012 5 Comments
I am travelling on business.I am not sure of being able to devote time to blogging for the next 2-3 weeks.My apologies to all my regular readers.I will reply to all comments ASAP and on my return, I will do a post for each of the awards I stand nominated for .
Fellow bloggers I am sorry I have not been much of a follower these past days.I promise to catch up on all the reading on my return.
August 26, 2012 6 Comments
Have you ever wondered about the assets of the really wealthy?Personally I have always been interested in knowing just where wealthy people have their money.My take is that wealthy people didn’t get that way or don’t stay that way without knowing a thing or two about keeping and growing their money safely.That is why I was interested when I came across her statement, given before the returning officer, while filing her nomination papers in 2009 for the Haryana Legislative Assembly elections.
Savitri Jindal is India’s richest woman. She is the widow of the late O.P.Jindal.In her statement given before the returning officer,Savitri Jindal states that she has moveable property worth Rs 17.75 crore and immovable property worth Rs 25.94 crore.I think it’s interesting to see how much of her money she has in a liquid form.Compare this to our asset allocation.Most of us are bound to have most of our money stuck in our houses.A house is a necessity, but it makes sense to acquire one’s fortune and then splurge on fancy houses rather than try to become wealthy by sinking money in our homes.
Savitri Jindal does not own a car.I think this lady shows us women a way out of owning a depreciating asset-claim you don’t drive.Having a car at one’s disposal is good but owning it might not be so wise wealth-wise.Keep the luxury car purchases for after you reach the stage of acquiring luxury homes. Read more of this post
August 24, 2012 Leave a comment
The Reserve Bank of India is worried about the rapid rise in housing and gold prices, out-running the inflation rate.
”The two markets have not only provided effective inflation hedges, but also enabled savers to earn good real returns amidst high inflation.”
Over the last two years housing price inflation has ranged between 16 – 25% during various quarters. Gold prices have increased at an even faster rate of 14-40%.
However, with housing and gold prices running ahead of inflation, there is a need for containing risks,according to the RBI.
‘While credit to housing and commercial real estate has slowed down, a close vigil is still necessary as housing price inflation has not moderated.”Hence the Reserve Bank will continue to monitor the asset prices ahead from a macro-prudential angle.
August 23, 2012 1 Comment
Agar Kaam Karna Hai To Seengh Ghusa DoIf you want to do something or learn any new work, then literally speaking ,’put your horns inside’ or start participating or playing the game . Observe and get the knowledge or know-how you need in the course of doing.
When the time is right and the game is BIG, then only those players who are in the field will WIN and not the ones who are outside and are contemplating to enter at that point.
August 21, 2012 11 Comments
(1)Long term returns from residential real estate
Robert Shiller, by tracking the US home prices data from 1890 concluded that in the longer run, property prices grew at an annualised return of around 3%, just keeping pace with inflation.Housing price rises could not outstrip inflation in the long term because, except for land restricted sites, house prices would tend toward building costs plus normal economic profit.
I have no such data for India.But here is what I can attest to:an ancestral house acquired 120 years ago for 6000 Rupees is now valued at 1.2 crores-an annualized return of about 6%.I think this is close to the long term inflation rate in India.
(2)Is home ownership all that it is touted to be?
In a poorer country like Bangladesh, 90% of the houses are owner occupied. Whereas in a richer country like Switzerland, only 33% of the houses are owner occupied.
Europeans are more comfortable with renting compared to Anglo Saxons and we Indians need to decide whose model we choose to follow.Read what Niall Ferguson has to say about property ownership. Read more of this post
wealthymatters 