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By:

Kaustubh Kale

10 September 2024 at 6:07:15 pm

Akshay Tritiya and Gold

As Akshay Tritiya arrives, gold once again takes centre stage in Indian households. For generations, buying gold on this auspicious day has been considered a symbol of prosperity, purity, and good fortune. It is not just a purchase. It is an emotion, a blessing, and a tradition passed from one generation to another. But beyond tradition, gold also carries an important financial lesson. Gold is not just jewellery. It is an asset. Gold During Uncertain Times Over the years, gold has proved its...

Akshay Tritiya and Gold

As Akshay Tritiya arrives, gold once again takes centre stage in Indian households. For generations, buying gold on this auspicious day has been considered a symbol of prosperity, purity, and good fortune. It is not just a purchase. It is an emotion, a blessing, and a tradition passed from one generation to another. But beyond tradition, gold also carries an important financial lesson. Gold is not just jewellery. It is an asset. Gold During Uncertain Times Over the years, gold has proved its worth not only during festivals, but also during uncertain times. Whenever the world faces wars, inflation, currency weakness, economic slowdown, or financial panic, investors across the globe look at gold as a safe haven. This is because gold has a unique quality. It is trusted across countries, cultures, and generations. It does not depend on the promise of one government, one company, or one currency. Why Gold Holds Value Unlike paper currency, gold cannot be printed endlessly. Unlike businesses, it does not depend on profits or management quality. Unlike real estate, it is globally accepted and easily valued. This is why gold continues to remain one of the oldest and most respected stores of value. It has survived centuries of change, economic cycles, wars, and financial crises. The Right Role in Your Portfolio That said, gold should not be treated as a shortcut to wealth creation. Equities and equity mutual funds still remain essential for long-term growth. Gold plays a different role. It brings balance, stability, and protection to your portfolio. When equity markets are volatile or global uncertainty rises, gold often provides comfort. A sensible allocation of around 10-20% to gold can help reduce overall portfolio risk.  So basically, while stocks and equity mutual funds play the lead role in your long-term financial goals, gold plays the supporting but essential role. Physical Gold Has Limitations However, the way you invest in gold matters. Buying physical gold during festivals may feel emotionally satisfying, but it comes with practical challenges. There are making charges, purity concerns, storage issues, risk of theft, and liquidity problems. A necklace may be beautiful, but you cannot easily sell only a small portion of it when you need money. Also, when gold is bought as jewellery, the investor often forgets to calculate the actual return after making charges and deductions. Smarter Ways to Invest This is where Gold Mutual Funds and Gold ETFs become useful. They allow you to invest in gold without worrying about lockers, purity, theft, or storage. You can invest flexible amounts, start SIPs, track value easily, and redeem conveniently when required. For investors who want gold as part of their financial plan, these options are far more practical than buying jewellery purely as an investment. Tradition with Financial Clarity Akshay Tritiya is a beautiful reminder that wealth should be built with faith, patience, and clarity. Buying gold is auspicious, but buying it in the right form is financially wise. This Akshay Tritiya, celebrate tradition - but also upgrade your financial thinking. Because true prosperity is not just about owning gold. It is about owning it smartly. (The writer is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

Singh had said country's economy 'over-regulated'

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Manmohan Singh

New Delhi: Hailed as the architect of India's economic reforms, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in one his last interviews, had said in 2019 that the country's economy was "over-regulated", the government exerted control and interferences were aplenty with even regulators having "morphed into controllers".


Speaking to PTI in an exclusive interview on May 5, 2019, days before his successor Narendra Modi returned as prime minister for a second consecutive term, Singh cited the-then economic growth figures to suggest an impending slowdown.


He had also rued the "growing interference" of courts in economic policies and said the Congress would have handled the economy differently.

Singh, who served as prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014, has been credited with spearheading India's economic reform process.


He had alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of economy by the Narendra Modi-led government led to "disruptive" decisions such as demonetisation, which he had earlier dubbed as "organised loot and legalised plunder".


Singh had also said that people were "fed up" with the daily rhetoric and cosmetic change by the current dispensation and there was an undercurrent against this "illusion and boastful self aggrandisement".


He noted that he had always welcomed scrutiny and accountability of government, as the same was intrinsic to democracy.


Claiming that he had initiated action against his own people even when allegations were made, Singh had said that the Modi government considered itself inscrutable and unaccountable to a litany of corruption allegations and preferred to brazen it out by often shooting the messenger.

-PTI

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