This month, I will be completing 3 years of starting “Financial Advisory” as a profession. Since I like personal finance, I knew that I would be able to make it work but never expected the transition from IT (my erstwhile career) to be so smooth.
It has been an enriching and fulfilling experience. My clientele list varies drastically; people of all age groups with varied financial statuses across continents have bestowed faith in me to help them in their financial journeys. It is the repertoire of my clients which I enjoy the most:
- A young lady fresh out of college in her first job wants to create a smart portfolio from the get-go
- A couple in their mid-thirties who worry about their adhoc investment approach want to bring sanity to it
- A client in his forties is in a hurry to arrange money for all his financial goals and soon attain financial independence
- A soon to retire client wants to design a conservative portfolio that will give him a steady stream of periodic income to fund his inflation-adjusted expense
- An NRI in the US planning to return to India and wants to make sure that he takes the right financial decisions through his transition to India
- A recently returned OCI in India trying to ensure that he uses the best investment solutions across countries and comply with the regulatory requirements of multiple countries
Well, the situation varies, but all of them have taken the first step towards engaging in the Financial Planning exercise and that in itself is a major achievement. Once the commitment is there, sincere effort follows. Their understanding of the nuances of the financial solution improves. Once they have conviction in the solution, implementation is easy.
For me, the experience has been gratifying.
Earlier I used to be impatient and a poor listener but slowly, I have honed my listening skills.
Advice is not only about planning for the client’s stated financial goals but is also about recommending goals that can make life more meaningful for them.
Working with people having varied financial profiles and geographies means that I am always on my toes looking for the solution to a problem that I have never encountered in the past. Since there is learning, it is exciting.
What I cherish the most is hearing the stories of clients, understanding their challenges and planning their dreams.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my clients who have taken a leap of faith in considering my services worthy. Looking forward to many more associations in the future.
The writer is a SEBI Registered Adviser and Founder of FinMyn (https://finmyn.com). He provides Fee-Only Financial Planning and Investment Advisory services.
He has advised many clients in India, the US, Europe, Middle East, South East Asia and Australia.
To know more about him, click on https://finmyn.com/about/.
Hi Sashi,
You are providing great service for enlightening the audience with right level of information..
The insights provided were very useful
Thank you Raj
Dear Sashi
Congratulation on your 3rd Anniversary! Wishing you many more successful years in your profession as “Financial Advisory”. Your honest opinion and tips on financial matters are really helpful.
One thing that i can’t agree with you is that “you are a poor listener ” :-).
You are awesome and keep us to get better in managing our financial goals.
Best Regards
Thank you, Muthu. It is my pleasure to have your company.