Investors seek advice and want their financial advisors to be in touch with them

Dilshad is a CFP and the Founder of Dilzer Consultants, Bangalore. Her firm provides Professional Investment Advisory and Financial Planning Services. She believes that by providing personalized and consistent service, quality advice, and ‘advice always in the interest of the client’, ensures long and fruitful relationships with clients. In the true spirit of her commitment, she conducts open discussions to first understand what is important to the client and then find solutions to their financial position. She is also on the Executive Committee of the Council of Financial Planners – South Chapter and a Volunteer at Spastics Society of Karnataka. She provided financial literacy to women as part of the “Winvestor” forum (a DSP Black Rock Initiative for helping woman on basic financial questions) and has also been selected as part of the expert panel of Outlook Money Magazine to answer investor queries.

1. What are the common investing patterns that you have observed among the clients when you meet them?

   Many first time or un-informed clients who are entering mutual funds want products not solutions! In products, they say, “give me a product with lowest risk and highest return”
   Second, many clients verbally conform with long term investing and its benefits, but never really stick to it, since other goals and priorities come in the way and planned investments are either exited fully, or stopped for long term goal accumulation, thus defeating the very purpose for which they were started.
   Investors seek advice and want their financial advisors to be in touch with them, in all markets, especially in falling markets when they need to be explained the “truth” and reason for fall in value and that the situation is temporary.

2. What are your tips for being a satisfied investor? 
   1. Investors should take the services of a Certified Financial Planner or professional. Although personal finance is quite simple and practical, it is the discipline, review and recommendations that add the final touch.
   2. Stay for the long term. Plan your financial goals and allocate savings towards them first and then spend whats remaining as monthly expenses.
   3. Reward yourself for keeping up with the planned savings, expenditures and budgets!
   4. Educate and empower yourself with financial literacy! Being an informed investor, is the first step towards financial planning.
   5. The earlier you start, the better, The Power of compounding works wonders and can help reach goals faster!
3. Does tax planning need to be a part of investment plan?

   To some extent, not always. Anyway, tax planning is limited to Sec 80C and most salaried professionals EPF is covered in this limit itself. Hence, tax planning should be secondary and meeting your financial goals primary.

4. How important is to have a life insurance plan? What kind of insurance should investors take?

   Life insurance is critical through a pure risk vanilla plan called term insurance. Not many advisors recommend it, since commissions are low. However, it is best to separate risk and investment and therefore risk of an individual should be covered through a term plan. For investments, there are varied products depending on the risk profile, time horizon and objective of the investment.
   Term insurance becomes more critical if you have liabilities to cover, and if you have dependence, where important goals like education and marriage need to be met in your absence.This is a mandatory requirement in all our financial plans, depending on the present value of all future recurring expenses needed during the lifetime of an individual. The insurance need is reduced from the assets available.

5. What is the need for having a health insurance if an investor has life insurance?

   Health Insurance is even more critical than life insurance for 2 reasons. Health care inflation is galloping at 25% as against normal inflation at 6-8%, hence, the costs for hospitalization is increasing almost every day!
   Second, India as a country is prone to more health care issues and diseases compared to the West. Diabetes, heart risk, and cancer are among the highest in Indians compared to the west. Hence it is imperative to have a Health plan in place. Also, many salaried professionals feel health covered by their company is sufficient. However, it is not recommended to rely on company health cover, which has its limitations.

6. How many clients do you manage under your umbrella?

   200 clients in the HNI and Mid HNI segment.

7. How do you differentiate yourself from other advisors?

   Professional advice and service.
   Always on the side of the client.
   We charge a professional fee for the advice and services we offer and do not negotiate on this ever! Our advice and service is never compromised on, why should our fee be!