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એક હજાર લખોટીઓ

એક દિવસ વહેલી સવારે એક બિઝનેસમૅને પોતાનો રેડિયો ઑન કર્યો. આમ તો દરરોજ એ એટલો બધો બિઝી (વ્યસ્ત રહેત કે રેડિયો, ટી.વી. કે એવા અન્ય કોઈ મનોરંજનના સાધનોને એના જીવનમા સ્થાન જ નહોતું. રાતદિવસ પોતાના ધંધાના

વિચારોમાં જ ખોવાયેલો રહેતો. એના બાળકો તેમ જ પત્ની એ પણ ભૂલી ગયા હતા કે છેલ્લે જોડે ભોજન ક્યારે લીધું હતું ? પછી ફરવા જવાનો કે પિકનિકનો તો સવાલ જ ક્યાંથી આવે ?

એ શનિવારે એણે આમ જ રેડિયો શરૂ કર્યો હતો. ઘરના બાકીના સભ્યો હજુ સૂતા હતા. જો કે રેડિયો સાવ અમસ્તો જ નહોતો શરૂ કર્યો ! હકીકતમાં એ વખતે એણે બહારગામના કોઈ બિઝનેસમૅન જોડે મિટિંગ રાખેલી. કોઈ કારણોસર પેલાની ફ્લાઈટ કેન્સલ

થઈ.. એટલે હવે સવારના એક કલાકમાં શું કરવું એવી અવઢવમાં જ એણે રેડિયો ઑન કરેલો.

રેડિયો ઑન કર્યો ત્યારે એના પર કોઈ વૃદ્ધ માણસ એક હજાર લખોટીઓની વાત કરી રહ્યો હતો. એ માણસના અવાજમાં અને એની વાતમાં એવું કંઈક હતું કે બિઝનેસમૅનને ધ્યાનથી સાંભળવાની ઈચ્છા થઈ આવી. એ વૃદ્ધ માણસ રેડિયો પરથી ટોમ નામના

પોતાના કોઈ મિત્રને સંબોધીને કહી રહ્યો હતો કે, ‘ટૉમ ! તું જ્યાં હો ત્યાંથી આ ક્ષણે જો મારી વાત સાંભળી રહ્યો હોય તો હવે પછી હું જે કંઈ કહું છું એના પર બરાબર ધ્યાન આપજે.

હું જાણું છું કે તું ખૂબ જ બિઝી (વ્યસ્ત) રહે છે અને અઢળક પૈસા કમાઈ રહ્યો છે, પરંત તેં ક્યારેય વિચાર્યું છે કે એના કારણે તારે તારા ઘર અને કુટુંબથી કેટલો બધો વખત દૂર રહેવું પડે છે ?

ઘણોખરો વખત તું બિઝનેસ ટ્રીપ પર જ હો છો. તારા ઘરના આનંદના પ્રસંગોમાં પણ તું ગેરહાજર હો છો. તને યાદ હશે કે ગયા અઠવાડિયે તારી દીકરીના નૃત્યના કાર્યક્રમમાં તું હાજરી આપી શક્યો નહોતો, ખરું ને ?’ એ વૃદ્ધે બોલતા બોલતા થોડો વિરામ લીધો.

પેલા બિઝનેસમૅનને પણ હવે એની વાતમાં બરાબરનો રસ પડ્યો હતો. થોડુંકવૉલ્યુમ વધારી એ ધ્યાનથી સાંભળવા લાગ્યો.

રેડિયો પરથી પેલા વૃદ્ધે આગળ કહ્યું, ‘ટૉમ ! મારા ભાઈ ! હું તને એક એવી વાત કહેવા માગું છું કે જેણે મારી જિંદગી જ બદલી નાખી છે. વાત એમ છે કે એક દિવસ મેં થોડુંક ગણિત માંડી જોયું. પુરુષની સરેરાશ ઉંમર પંચોતેર (75) વરસની હોય છે. જોકે કેટલાક આનાથી વધારે તો વળી કેટલાક ઓછું પણ જીવતા હોય છે, પરંતુ સરેરાશ ઉંમર પંચોતેર વરસની હોય છે. હવે એ 75ને 52 વડે ગુણી નાખ્યા, કારણ કે એક વરસમાં 52 શનિવાર હોય છે. ગુણાકાર આવ્યો 3900. એટલે કે આટલા શનિવાર સરેરાશ 75 વરસ જીવતા માણસને એની આખી જિંદગી દરમિયાન મળે. (પરદેશમાં શનિવાર સૌથી આનંદનો દિવસ ગણાય છે, કારણ કે એના બીજા દિવસે રજા હોય છે !) જ્યારે મેં આ હિસાબ માંડેલો ત્યારે મારી ઉંમર હતી 55 વરસ ઉપર. એનો અર્થ કે એટલા વખત સુધીમાં હું લગભગ 2900 શનિવાર તો પસાર કરી ગયો હતો ! હવે જો હું 75 વરસ સુધી જ જીવવાનો હોઉં તો મારી પાસે ફક્ત 1000 શનિવાર

બચ્યા હતા ! એનો સાવ સાદો અર્થ એટલો જ કે મારી પાસે આનંદ અને રજાના માત્ર એક હજાર દિવસ જ બચ્યાં હતાં ! મને આઘાત લાગ્યો કારણ કે મારી પાસે મારા કુટુંબ અને મિત્રો સાથે ગાળવાના ફક્ત એટલા જ દિવસો બચ્યા હતા. હું વિચારમાં પડી ગયો. ઘણો વખત વિચાર્યા પછી એ જ દિવસે ગામમાં જઈ, બેચાર સ્ટોરમાં રખડીને હું એક હજાર લખોટીઓ

લઈ આવ્યો. એ લખોટીઓને મારા ટેબલ પર એક કાચની બરણીમાં ગોઠવી દીધી. દર શનિવારે હું એમાંથી એક લખોટી કાઢીને ફેંકી દઉં છું. જેમ જેમ હું એ બરણીને ખાલી થતી જોઉં છું તેમ તેમ મને મારા મિત્રો, સગાંવહાલાં અને કુટુંબીજનો માટે વધારે ને વધારે સમય ફાળવવાની ઈચ્છા થતી જાય છે. અગત્યના અને કરવા જેવાં કામોની મેં યાદી પણ બનાવી

લીધી છે અને હા, તમારી જિંદગીના ઘટતા જતાં દિવસોની સંખ્યા તમને બાકીના દિવસોને

જીવવા જેવા કઈ રીતે બનાવવા એ આપોઆપ સમજાવી દે છે !’

રેડિયો પર એકાદ ક્ષણ માટે શાંતિ છવાઈ ગઈ. પછી ફરીથી એ વૃદ્ધનો અવાજ આવ્યો, ‘હા તો ટૉમ ! આજે મારી એ કાચની બરણીમાંથી મેં છેલ્લી લખોટી કાઢી ! મારા દોસ્ત ! આજે મને 75 વરસ પૂરાં થયાં. અત્યારે હું મારી વહાલી પત્ની તેમ જ બાળકોને શહેરના મોટા અને આધુનિક રેસ્ટોરંટમાં નાસ્તો કરવા લઈ જવાનો છું. હવે મારી બરણી ખાલી છે. હવે પછીનો

દરેક શનિવાર મને ભગવાન તરફથી મળેલ ભેટ હશે. હું ખરેખર ખૂબ જ આનંદથી જીવું છું. હું ઈચ્છું કે તું પણ તારા કુટુંબ સાથે આનંદથી જીવી શકે. એના લીધે પંચોતેરમાં વર્ષે શું ગુમાવ્યું એનો અફસોસ ન રહે ! તું એવું કરી શકે એના માટે તને મારી શુભેચ્છાઓ ! હું હવે રજા લઉં છું દોસ્ત ! બાય !’

રેડિયો પર વાર્તાલાપ પૂરો થયો. એની અસર એવી હતી કે પેલો બિઝનેસમૅન ઊંડા વિચારમાં પડી ગયો. થોડી વાર પછી એ ઊભો થયો. બેચાર ફોન કરી કંઈક વાત કરી પછી ઉપરના માળે જઈ પોતાની પત્ની તેમ જ બાળકોને ઉઠાડ્યા. બધાને નવાઈ લાગી. કોઈ પણ વાર હોય, સવારના પાંચ વાગ્યામાં જ બિઝનેસની પળોજણમાં પડી જતાં એ માણસને આજે હળવા મૂડમાં જોઈ બધાને ખૂબ જ આશ્ચર્ય થતું હતું. છતાં કંઈ પણ બોલ્યા વિના બધા તૈયાર થવા લાગ્યા. ઘરના બધા જ સભ્યો તૈયાર થઈને નીચે બેઠકખંડમાં આવ્યા એટલે બિઝનેસમૅને એમને કહ્યું કે એ દિવસે બધાએ શહેરની સારામાં સારી હોટલમાંનાસ્તો કરવા જવાનું છે અને એ પછી બાજુના દરિયાકિનારે પિકનિક પર ! ઘરની દરેક વ્યક્તિ આનંદના

આઘાતમાં સરી ગઈ. પણ કોઈએ કંઈ જ દલીલ કરી નહીં. એમની જિંદગીમાં પ્રથમ વખત આવેલી એ પળોને દલીલોથી દુષિત કરવાની કોઈની પણ ઈચ્છા નહોતી.

બધા હોંશે હોંશે ગાડીમાં ગોઠવાયા. દરેકનો ચહેરો હસતો હતો. મનમાં કંઈક જુદા જ પ્રકારની

ખુશી હતી. બજારમાંથી પસાર થતી વેળાએ એક સ્ટોર પાસે એ બિઝનેસમૅને ગાડી ઊભી રાખી. બધા ચૂપ થઈ ગયા. એની પત્નીથી ન રહેવાયું એટલે એણે પૂછી જ લીધું કે,
‘કેમ તમારો વિચાર બદલી ગયો કે શું ? અહીંયા કેમ ઊભા રહી ગયા ?’

બિઝનેસમૅન થોડી વાર વહાલથી એની સામે જોઈ રહ્યો. પછી હસીને બોલ્યો, : ‘નહીં વહાલી ! વિચાર નથી બદલ્યો ! આ તો મારે થોડીક લખોટીઓ ખરીદવી છે !!’

MORAL OF THE STORY: Go get your marbles today and start enjoying life with your loved ones.

“There Is Sufficiency In the World for Man’s Need but Not for Man’s Greed”

What is LUck ????

With a file of 300 resumes on his desk and a need to pick someone quickly, my boss told me to make calls on the bottom 50 and toss the rest. "Throw away 250 resumes?" I asked, shocked.
"What if the best candidates are in there?"

"You have a point," he said. "But then again, I don't need people with bad luck here."

- M.Asad Ahmed ( Reader's digest)

Warren buffet

Warren Buffett is the world's most successful investor. He started out with money from his three newspaper routes in Washington DC and other small money-making activities. He saved his money and invested it.

Here are the amazing figures:

Age 20, end of 1950 has $9,804 (childhood savings and investments)

Age 21, end of 1951 has $19,738 (a good year in the markets!)

Age 26, 1956 has about $174,000

Age 76, 2006 has about $44,000,000,000 ($44 billion) and begins to give his fortune to Charities. Compounded gain in wealth per year since 1956 was about 28% per year.

Buffett only ever worked for anyone else for about 4 or 5 years. Beginning in 1956 he generated his wealth strictly from investments (which included running an investment partnership and soon included buying whole companies rather than just stocks and bonds). As president of his investment company Berkshire Hathaway his salary has been $200,000 per year for many many years with no bonuses or stock options added to that.

The point is, the man generated $44 billion in wealth from a standing start (no significant inheritance) simply through astute investing. If that does not motivate you as an investor, I don't know what would.

Maybe, just maybe, we can all learn something from Warren Buffett. Maybe, just maybe, his methods and teachings are worth following.

Did you know that Buffett told the investment world in 1999 that stocks were over-valued? He demonstrated that stocks could not return the double-digit returns that investors were expecting. The stock market had been rising rapidly (with some bumps along the way) since 1982. Most investors thought that the internet and the technology boom would allow the market to continue to deliver double digit returns. Buffett pointed out why double digit returns were very unlikely.

At a conference in August 1999, and as publised in Fortune magazine in November 1999, Buffett pointed out that while in the 17 years since 1982, the DOW was up astoundingly from 875 to 9181, in the prior 17 years from the end of 1964 to the end of 1981, the Dow had ended up exactly 1 point from 874 to 875.

Buffett explained that the poor performance in the 1965 through 1981 period was primarily due to rising interest rates and that, conversely, the out-performance in the 17 years ending 1999 was primarily due to declining interest rates. The U.S economy had grown in both periods (370% in the poor-returns period, somewhat under 300% in the mega returns period).

Buffett pointed out that in the long-run earnings grow at about the rate of nominal GDP growth. He then suggested that a reasonable forecast for GDP growth was 5% (3% real growth and 2% for inflation). Adding 2% for dividends he concluded that the overall U.S. stock market was unlikley to return more than 7% per year in the longer term strating from 1999. In fact given the high value of the market in 1999, Buffett's best guess for the return in the 17 years after 1999 was just 6%. Less than half of what most investors were used to and expecting! And he believed it was just as likelyto be less than 6% as more.

In 1999 Buffett's article was met with great skepticism, (he was yesterday's man etc.) investors kept on bidding stock prices up, until they crashed in 2001.

As of 2009 it looks like Buffett may even have been optimisitic - as indeed he said he might be. The Dow is right now at almost exactly the same level as it was in 1999 and the Dow's total return has therefore come only from dividends, perhaps 2% or 2.5% per year. So the DOW has got to rise quickly in the next seven years just to give the 6% that Buffett had guessed it might.

So the point is, Buffett was right in 1999, his simple anlysis has proved to be valid.

In late 2001 Buffett followed up his 1999 FORTUNE magazine article and I was lucky enough to see it. I also at that time dug up the original 1999 article.

Starting in 2002 I have regularly used Buffett's method to try to calculate whether or not the DOW and the S&P 500 were fairly valued or not.

As Buffett said in his 1999 article this is not meant to be a way to predict where the market is going in the short term. But it can help us regognise when the market appears to be over-priced or under-priced. In the long-trun, investing more money when the market seems under-valued is likely to be a winning strategy.

Just today I have updated my analysis of the valuation of the Dow and the S&P 500 indexes, using this Buffett-style analysis. In these latest updates I have added additional charts of GDP versus earnings (a relationship used by Buffett) and I believe that these charts can help us understand the "normalized" earnings on the DOW and the S&P 500 and therefore to understand the attactiveness (or lack thereof) of the stock markets at this time.

Warren buffet

Warren Buffett is the world's most successful investor. He started out with money from his three newspaper routes in Washington DC and other small money-making activities. He saved his money and invested it.

Here are the amazing figures:

Age 20, end of 1950 has $9,804 (childhood savings and investments)

Age 21, end of 1951 has $19,738 (a good year in the markets!)

Age 26, 1956 has about $174,000

Age 76, 2006 has about $44,000,000,000 ($44 billion) and begins to give his fortune to Charities. Compounded gain in wealth per year since 1956 was about 28% per year.

Buffett only ever worked for anyone else for about 4 or 5 years. Beginning in 1956 he generated his wealth strictly from investments (which included running an investment partnership and soon included buying whole companies rather than just stocks and bonds). As president of his investment company Berkshire Hathaway his salary has been $200,000 per year for many many years with no bonuses or stock options added to that.

The point is, the man generated $44 billion in wealth from a standing start (no significant inheritance) simply through astute investing. If that does not motivate you as an investor, I don't know what would.

Maybe, just maybe, we can all learn something from Warren Buffett. Maybe, just maybe, his methods and teachings are worth following.

Did you know that Buffett told the investment world in 1999 that stocks were over-valued? He demonstrated that stocks could not return the double-digit returns that investors were expecting. The stock market had been rising rapidly (with some bumps along the way) since 1982. Most investors thought that the internet and the technology boom would allow the market to continue to deliver double digit returns. Buffett pointed out why double digit returns were very unlikely.

At a conference in August 1999, and as publised in Fortune magazine in November 1999, Buffett pointed out that while in the 17 years since 1982, the DOW was up astoundingly from 875 to 9181, in the prior 17 years from the end of 1964 to the end of 1981, the Dow had ended up exactly 1 point from 874 to 875.

Buffett explained that the poor performance in the 1965 through 1981 period was primarily due to rising interest rates and that, conversely, the out-performance in the 17 years ending 1999 was primarily due to declining interest rates. The U.S economy had grown in both periods (370% in the poor-returns period, somewhat under 300% in the mega returns period).

Buffett pointed out that in the long-run earnings grow at about the rate of nominal GDP growth. He then suggested that a reasonable forecast for GDP growth was 5% (3% real growth and 2% for inflation). Adding 2% for dividends he concluded that the overall U.S. stock market was unlikley to return more than 7% per year in the longer term strating from 1999. In fact given the high value of the market in 1999, Buffett's best guess for the return in the 17 years after 1999 was just 6%. Less than half of what most investors were used to and expecting! And he believed it was just as likelyto be less than 6% as more.

In 1999 Buffett's article was met with great skepticism, (he was yesterday's man etc.) investors kept on bidding stock prices up, until they crashed in 2001.

As of 2009 it looks like Buffett may even have been optimisitic - as indeed he said he might be. The Dow is right now at almost exactly the same level as it was in 1999 and the Dow's total return has therefore come only from dividends, perhaps 2% or 2.5% per year. So the DOW has got to rise quickly in the next seven years just to give the 6% that Buffett had guessed it might.

So the point is, Buffett was right in 1999, his simple anlysis has proved to be valid.

In late 2001 Buffett followed up his 1999 FORTUNE magazine article and I was lucky enough to see it. I also at that time dug up the original 1999 article.

Starting in 2002 I have regularly used Buffett's method to try to calculate whether or not the DOW and the S&P 500 were fairly valued or not.

As Buffett said in his 1999 article this is not meant to be a way to predict where the market is going in the short term. But it can help us regognise when the market appears to be over-priced or under-priced. In the long-trun, investing more money when the market seems under-valued is likely to be a winning strategy.

Just today I have updated my analysis of the valuation of the Dow and the S&P 500 indexes, using this Buffett-style analysis. In these latest updates I have added additional charts of GDP versus earnings (a relationship used by Buffett) and I believe that these charts can help us understand the "normalized" earnings on the DOW and the S&P 500 and therefore to understand the attactiveness (or lack thereof) of the stock markets at this time.

Did you know priority in life???

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,

When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,

Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in

Front of him. When the class began, wordlessly,

He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar

And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the

Jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open

Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full..

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee

From under the table And poured the entire contents

Into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,

"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health,

Friends, and Favorite passions -- things that if everything else was

Lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and

Car.

The sand is everything else --the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,

"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,

You will never have room for the things that are

Important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first --the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired

What the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,

there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Are you satisfied with you living style ???

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

If you think your salary is low, how about her? If you think you don't have many friends... When you feel like giving up, think of this man If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does? If you complain about your transport system, how about them? If your society is unfair to you, how about her? Enjoy life how it is and as it comes Things are worse for others and is a lot better for us J

There are many things in your life that will catch your eye
but only a few will catch your heart....pursue those...

Raffle draw !! a good story

A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.

The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died last night."

Kenny replied: "Well then, just give me my money back."

The farmer said: "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

Kenny said: "OK then, just unload the donkey."

The farmer asked: "What you gonna to do with him?"

Kenny: "I'm going to raffle him off." (Note: To raffle is to sell a thing by lottery - draw lot -! To a group of people each paying the same amount for a ticket)

Farmer: "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"

Kenny: "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?"

Kenny: "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998.00."

Farmer: "Didn't anyone complain?"

Kenny: "Just the guy who won. So I gave him back his two dollars."

House budget ?????How ??? From investopedia.com

Read: 8 Steps To Teach Your Partner Household Finances

8 Steps To Teach Your Partner Household Finances

Often, only one person in the household is responsible for maintaining the family budget and managing the household's finances - and if you're reading this, that person is probably you. But what if you died or became incapacitated and could no longer manage the budget? Or what if you're just tired of managing everything yourself, or your partner wants to become more involved in your household's finances? How do you teach your partner everything you know?

Read: Make A List

Make A List

You may think your filing system couldn't be any more organized and that your financial records are in a pretty obvious location, but your partner might not. While you probably have printed documents related to some of your financial affairs, there's a good chance some of your information is stored solely in your memory bank, as you probably manage some of your finances online. Without access to your email to receive monthly statement reminders, your partner probably doesn't know how to find all of your online accounts, and may not even know which banks and brokerage companies you use, not to mention all the bills you pay. A list of all of your accounts makes it easy for your partner to see everything that needs to be addressed.

Read: Provide Access

Provide Access

Just knowing that these accounts exist won't be enough. Get your partner a set of keys to any safety deposit boxes, divulge the code to your safe and point out which tree in the backyard is beside where you buried the money. Make sure your partner is a named account holder or the primary beneficiary on all major accounts, life insurance policies and any property you own. Also make sure that he or she knows how to access any important computer files and online accounts.

Read: Explain Yourself

Explain Yourself

Just telling your partner that "this account is where we put our savings," isn't as good as explaining why you choose to put your savings there ("We get the best interest rate at this bank."). Likewise, saying "we have to pay x dollars a month for y," isn't as helpful as explaining why you make the payment. For example, if your partner doesn't know what long-term care insurance is and why you're paying for a policy on your mother's behalf, he or she might cancel the policy.

Read: Make A Budget

Make A Budget

Maybe you're not the type who needs to write everything down to successfully manage your money, but a budget is an excellent way to give your partner a big-picture idea of all the money in play - the income, the debts, the recurring expenses, the investments and so on. It can also help your partner pick up where you left off in managing the household's finances if you die or become incapacitated. (For more insight, see our special feature: Budgeting 101.)

Read: Show And Tell

Show And Tell

Explaining things is helpful, and written instructions/checklists/spreadsheets are even better, but nothing beats sitting down with your partner and talking through actually managing the finances. Let your partner observe the process while you explain it, and then have him or her practice it with your help and guidance. For example, accessing safe deposit boxes might be daunting if you have never done it before. Bring your partner with you and make sure that he or she has a key and is listed with the bank as being allowed to access the box.

Read: Transfer Responsiblity

Transfer Responsiblity

If your partner currently doesn't handle the money at all, start off with a small, manageable task - preferably one with low stakes. For example, make your partner responsible for paying one small bill each month - something with a generous grace period on the payment due date, like the electric bill. As he or she become more adept, give additional tasks to manage. Eventually, have your partner handle all the finances for one month (with your supervision, of course). Then, try switching off months, with your partner handling the finances every other month until you both feel completely comfortable.

Read: Create Contingency Plans

Create Contingency Plans

Make sure your partner knows what you would do in an emergency or unplanned financial event. Don't just be conceptual - discuss actual, concrete strategies to handle unplanned events. If you received a windfall, which debts would you want to pay off? What are your savings priorities? Is there any charity to which you would donate a significant sum? On the other end of the spectrum, if there was a sudden loss of income, which bills would need to be prioritized, and which expenses could be reduced or dropped altogether?

Read: Provide Encouragement

Provide Encouragement

Your partner may be loathe to pick up a personal finance book on a Saturday afternoon, but reading the occasional article will get him or her learning about money at a manageable pace. If you find an interesting article make sure to pass it along. As your partner gains a deeper understanding, you can suggest more advanced pieces to read. Ongoing education could also include courses on bookkeeping, Microsoft Excel or budgeting.

Read: Impart Confidence

Impart Confidence

These steps you will provide your partner with a complete picture of your household's financial situation and provide access to all important accounts. Then, gradually teach your partner enough to pass on some of the financial management burden or get by in an emergency. These may not be the most entertaining activities, but they are key to taking the best possible care of one of the most important people in your life.

Indian talent !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYPdZYuBwhI&feature=related

Knowledge

“Knowledge is power. Acquire new skills and try new things. Experience is how you gain knowledge and how you form an opinion of new ideas and perspectives. Don't ever think that you know it all or don't need to improve because there is always room for improvement and you can always learn new things! It is good to learn and use your knowledge to your best advantage and to benefit people around you!"

I believe that everyone needs knowledge and everyone has knowledge; it's just how we choose to use the skills that we acquire that effect the people around us and our current situations! Don't be afraid to learn new things!

KUTTA...SHARE AUR BANDAR........

..........................................................................................................................................

I received a good mail...............

Kutta, Sher Aur Bandar [Nice Story]

Ek din ek kutta jungle main raasta kho gaya. Tabhi usane dekha ek sher uskii taraf aa raha hai. Kutte ki saans rookh gayi. "Aaj to kaam tamaam mera!" usne socha. Phir usne saamane kuchh sookhi haddiyan padi dekhi. Woh aate hue sher ki taraf peeth kar ke baith gaya aur ek sookhi hadii ko choosne laga aur zor zor se bolne laga, "wah! Sher ko khaane ka mazaa hi kuch aur hai. Ek aur mil jaaye to poori daawat ho jayegi!"

Aur usne zor se dakaar mara. Is bar sher soch mein pad gayaa. Usne socha "ye kutta to sher ka shikar karta hai! Jaan bacha kara bhago!"

Aur sher wahan se jaan bachaa ke bhaaga.

Ped par baitha ek Bandar yeh sab tamasha dekh raha tha. Usne socha yeh mauka achha hai sher ko saari kahani bata deta hoon - sher se dosti ho jayegi aur usse zindagi bhar ke liye jaan ka khatra dur ho jayega.. Woh phataphat sher ke pichhe bhaaga. Kutte ne Bandar ko jaate hue dekh liya aur samajh gayaki koi locha hai. Udhar Bandar ne sher ko sab bata diya ki kaise kutte ne use bewakoof banaya hai. Sher zor se dahada, "chal mere saath abhi uski leela khatam karta hoon" aur Bandar ko apani peeth par baitha kar sher kutte ki taraf lapka.

Can u imagine the quick management by the DOG...

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Kutte ne sher ko aate dekha to ek baar phir uskii taraf peeth karke baith gaya aur zor zor se bolne laga, "Is Bandar ko bhej ke 1 ghanta ho gaya, saala ek sher phasaa kar nahi la sakta!"

Moral of the story:

There are many such monkeys around us, try to identify them….

Stock market game !!!

LET me tell you a story. In a tiny village, a man decided to engage the villagers by offering them some work.

He announced that he would buy monkeys from them for Rs 10 per monkey. So, the villagers began catching them by the dozen, and as promised the man paid them.

But pretty soon the villagers became laid-back and the pace of work slowed down. So, the man offered to pay Rs 20 for every monkey they caught.

The villagers started catching monkeys with a vengeance, again. But pretty soon the supply diminished, and people returned to their farms. The going price was raised to Rs 25 and then, Rs 50.

Then one fine day the man had to visit the city and asked his assistant to take over.

The assistant came up with a new game place. He asked the villagers to buy the same monkeys that were sold by them for Rs 35 and sell them to the man for Rs 50. The villagers queued up with all their savings to buy the monkeys.

After some days, neither the man nor the assistant could be found. There were monkeys all around!

How positive attitude works??

I received good mail and I can't stay without publish here after long time....

Father: I want you to marry a girl of my choice
Son: 'I will choose my own bride!'

Father: 'But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter.'
Son: 'Well, in that case...ok'

Next Day Father approaches Bill Gates.

Father: 'I have a husband for your daughter.'
Bill Gates: 'But my daughter is too young to marry!'

Father: 'But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.'
Bill Gates: 'Ah, in that case...ok'

Finally Father goes to see the president of the World Bank.

Father: 'I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president.'
President: 'But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!'

Father: 'But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law.'
President: 'Ah, in that case...ok'

This is how business is done!!

Moral: Even If you have nothing, You can get Anything.. But your
Attitude should be +ve...

Love

A man was polishing his new car; his 4 yr old son picked up a stone & Scratched on the side of the car. In anger, the furious Man took his child's hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father....with painful eyes he asked 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?' The man was so hurt and speechless. He went back to the car and kicked it many times. Devastated by his own actions... sitting in front of the car he looked at the scratches, His son had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'. Next day that man committed suicide...Anger and Love have no limits... Always remember.... . "Things are to be used and people are to be loved" But the problem in today's world is.... "People are being USED & Things are being LOVED"

In which you fit ???Romance / Affair / Marriage / Pregnancy ???

Just sharing e-mail with all readers...

Smart man + smart woman=Romance !

Smart man + dump woman=Affair !!

Dump man + smart woman=Marriage !!!

Dump man +dump woman=Pregnancy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Difference in Business !! (Cash & Credit)

How people (particularly Indians) lose their money secretly, some times some people know this thing but still they are helpless.

Congratulations!!! You have won a cash prize! You have two payment options:

A. Receive $10,000 now

OR

B. Receive $10,000 in three years

Which option would you choose?

What Is Time Value?
If you're like most people, you would choose to receive the $10,000 now. After all, three years is a long time to wait. Why would any rational person defer payment into the future when he or she could have the same amount of money now? For most of us, taking the money in the present is just plain instinctive. So at the most basic level, the time value of money demonstrates that, all things being equal, it is better to have money now rather than later.

But why is this? A $100 bill has the same value as a $100 bill one year from now, doesn't it? Actually, although the bill is the same, you can do much more with the money if you have it now because over time you can earn more interest on your money.

Back to our example: by receiving $10,000 today, you are poised to increase the future value of your money by investing and gaining interest over a period of time. For Option B, you don't have time on your side, and the payment received in three years would be your future value. To illustrate, we have provided a timeline:


If you are choosing Option A, your future value will be $10,000 plus any interest acquired over the three years. The future value for Option B, on the other hand, would only be $10,000. So how can you calculate exactly how much more Option A is worth, compared to Option B? Let's take a look.

Future Value Basics
If you choose Option A and invest the total amount at a simple annual rate of 4.5%, the future value of your investment at the end of the first year is $10,450, which of course is calculated by multiplying the principal amount of $10,000 by the interest rate of 4.5% and then adding the interest gained to the principal amount:

Future value of investment at end of first year: = ($10,000 x 0.045) + $10,000 = $10,450

You can also calculate the total amount of a one-year investment with a simple manipulation of the above equation:

• Original equation: ($10,000 x 0.045) + $10,000 = $10,450
• Manipulation: $10,000 x [(1 x 0.045) + 1] = $10,450
• Final equation: $10,000 x (0.045 + 1) = $10,450

The manipulated equation above is simply a removal of the like-variable $10,000 (the principal amount) by dividing the entire original equation by $10,000.

If the $10,450 left in your investment account at the end of the first year is left untouched and you invested it at 4.5% for another year, how much would you have? To calculate this, you would take the $10,450 and multiply it again by 1.045 (0.045 +1). At the end of two years, you would have $10,920:

Future value of investment at end of second year: = $10,450 x (1+0.045) = $10,920.25

The above calculation, then, is equivalent to the following equation:

Future Value = $10,000 x (1+0.045) x (1+0.045)

Think back to math class and the rule of exponents, which states that the multiplication of like terms is equivalent to adding their exponents. In the above equation, the two like terms are (1+0.045), and the exponent on each is equal to 1. Therefore, the equation can be represented as the following:

We can see that the exponent is equal to the number of years for which the money is earning interest in an investment. So, the equation for calculating the three-year future value of the investment would look like this:

This calculation shows us that we don't need to calculate the future value after the first year, then the second year, then the third year, and so on. If you know how many years you would like to hold a present amount of money in an investment, the future value of that amount is calculated by the following equation:

Present Value Basics
If you received $10,000 today, the present value would of course be $10,000 because present value is what your investment gives you now if you were to spend it today. If $10,000 were to be received in a year, the present value of the amount would not be $10,000 because you do not have it in your hand now, in the present. To find the present value of the $10,000 you will receive in the future, you need to pretend that the $10,000 is the total future value of an amount that you invested today. In other words, to find the present value of the future $10,000, we need to find out how much we would have to invest today in order to receive that $10,000 in the future.

To calculate present value, or the amount that we would have to invest today, you must subtract the (hypothetical) accumulated interest from the $10,000. To achieve this, we can discount the future payment amount ($10,000) by the interest rate for the period. In essence, all you are doing is rearranging the future value equation above so that you may solve for P. The above future value equation can be rewritten by replacing the P variable with present value (PV) and manipulated as follows:


Let's walk backwards from the $10,000 offered in Option B. Remember, the $10,000 to be received in three years is really the same as the future value of an investment. If today we were at the two-year mark, we would discount the payment back one year. At the two-year mark, the present value of the $10,000 to be received in one year is represented as the following:

Present value of future payment of $10,000 at end of year two:

Note that if today we were at the one-year mark, the above $9,569.38 would be considered the future value of our investment one year from now.

Continuing on, at the end of the first year we would be expecting to receive the payment of $10,000 in two years. At an interest rate of 4.5%, the calculation for the present value of a $10,000 payment expected in two years would be the following:

Present value of $10,000 in one year:

Of course, because of the rule of exponents, we don't have to calculate the future value of the investment every year counting back from the $10,000 investment at the third year. We could put the equation more concisely and use the $10,000 as FV. So, here is how you can calculate today's present value of the $10,000 expected from a three-year investment earning 4.5%:


So the present value of a future payment of $10,000 is worth $8,762.97 today if interest rates are 4.5% per year. In other words, choosing Option B is like taking $8,762.97 now and then investing it for three years. The equations above illustrate that Option A is better not only because it offers you money right now but because it offers you $1,237.03 ($10,000 - $8,762.97) more in cash! Furthermore, if you invest the $10,000 that you receive from Option A, your choice gives you a future value that is $1,411.66 ($11,411.66 - $10,000) greater than the future value of Option B.

Present Value of a Future Payment
Let's add a little spice to our investment knowledge. What if the payment in three years is more than the amount you'd receive today? Say you could receive either $15,000 today or $18,000 in four years. Which would you choose? The decision is now more difficult. If you choose to receive $15,000 today and invest the entire amount, you may actually end up with an amount of cash in four years that is less than $18,000. You could find the future value of $15,000, but since we are always living in the present, let's find the present value of $18,000 if interest rates are currently 4%. Remember that the equation for present value is the following:


In the equation above, all we are doing is discounting the future value of an investment. Using the numbers above, the present value of an $18,000 payment in four years would be calculated as the following:

Present Value

From the above calculation we now know our choice is between receiving $15,000 or $15,386.48 today. Of course we should choose to postpone payment for four years! (For related reading, see Anything But Ordinary: Calculating The Present And Future Value Of Annuities.)

Conclusion
These calculations demonstrate that time literally is money - the value of the money you have now is not the same as it will be in the future and vice versa. So, it is important to know how to calculate the time value of money so that you can distinguish between the worth of investments that offer you returns at different times.