There’s a saying in Sanskrit, 'Shubhsya Sheeghram'. It means a good deed must be done as soon as possible. It holds true for every facet of life, including investments.

Indians believe in saving a portion of their earnings. They save for a rainy day, for their family’s future, financial goals, mental peace and security. But is it enough to let the money stay idle? Why do people need to spend time and effort to invest their money? Here's why investing is important and why one should begin today:

• Beat inflation

Inflation is like a termite that eats into people's money over time. Just imagine, petrol cost INR 5 per litre in 1980. Today the same quantity costs more than twenty times. Money loses its value over time and people pay more for the same goods. This is known as inflation. If one pays INR 1,00,000 for college fees today, they may have to pay INR 1,80,000 after 10 years, assuming a 6% inflation into account. Therefore it is essential to invest money wisely to try and beat the inflation rate.

Traditional investment products barely cover the inflation rate, and people may effectively earn a negative return. If money earns a return of 9% per annum and the assumed inflation rate is 6%, you will make 3% return (real rate of return).
Hence, it is important to diversify investments into investments like mutual funds.

• Start small, start early

If one wants good health, you will start with simple exercises or a 30-minute walk before getting into a rigorous routine. Similarly, one must start investing with a small corpus and plan to increase the investing amount gradually.

You should plan your monthly expenses and keep aside a sum you can spare for investing. Instead of waiting for a sizeable sum, you can start investing small amounts, even as low as INR 500 every month and then increase the amount gradually. It will help you become confident and disciplined.

• Ride the volatility

There is no good or bad time to invest; the best time is when you have the money. A regular monthly investment plan ensures that one is investing despite market levels or volatility. No one can predict the market or economy. Hence you should invest across every market cycle over the long term to build a corpus.

• Delay gratification

In today’s world, it is easy to spend money. There are distractions and temptations that can derail the best budgets and financial plans. When you get into the habit of investing, set aside a sum every month. This way you can avoid unnecessary expenses. To build discipline and habit, one should automate investing by allocating the investment amount before any expenses.

• Build investing knowledge

Investing is a skill that one can master gradually with time and experience. There are books and articles about investing but the best learning happens when one commits by sowing the seeds of investing, builds practice and gains skills over the years.

• Capitalise on the India growth story

India is a consumption-led economy with solid demographics and a large young population. India is a growth story poised to grow, backed by demand and a globally competitive workforce. People should participate in the country’s growth potential by investing today through mutual funds.

• Make money work

People often dream about taking a sabbatical and going on a world tour. They wish to buy a villa in the mountains or a dream car. All this is possible if they invest their money early and allow it to work for them. A strong corpus may enable people to take risks and live fearlessly. One must invest regularly and let money work as hard as they do. With disciplined investing, they may achieve their dreams. When you invest over long periods, you may benefit from rupee cost averaging. If you start late, the time horizon is limited, and you may not be able to give the money time to grow. 

• Shun the mind blocks

Investing is as much about mindset as it is about income and returns. People often shy away from investing because they have a limited income or less money to spare. People should break this mind block and keep an amount aside, however small, from their income.

• Any time is a good time

One shouldn't wait for the perfect time to invest. Even if they haven't invested anything so far, they can start from today.
You can use an auspicious day like today, Ganesh Chaturthi, to commit to investing and starting your wealth creation journey.
May Ganesha remove all the hurdles from your path and bless you with a prosperous and secure future.

Disclaimer

• An Investor Education investor education and awareness initiative of Tata Mutual Fund.
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