Step by Step Guide – How Should a 25 Year Youth Invest in India

how should a 25 year youth invest

Many young investors are finding it difficult to manage their earnings on a daily basis. For a young graduate, the earnings start from at an average age of more or less in 25 years. But at this age, they are thinking very less about their next day of the life. They have high disposable income. And this spending habit has been inflated exponentially due to the introduction of several e-commerce websites in India.

I am not saying that all the young stars are of this nature obviously there are exceptions. I saw my colleagues and friends that there is a serious lack of knowledge or misconceptions how to invest or what are the steps of investing. Hence, I thought to write about this topic i.e. how should a 25 year youth invest in India.

First of all, I want to say that there is no easy money and don’t expect that. Be disciplined and systematic which will be fruitful for you. You can also read some of the books on personal finance. These books will build your basic conception about the personal finance.

The following basic steps are to be taken care to build a better financial future:

  1. Life Insurance 

    If you have any dependent in your family or any of the family members are solely depends on your income, please be enough insured. 75% of Indian population is not covered by insurance. Out of them, many people are under insured also.

    The insurance coverage should be at least 10 times of your yearly income. If you have an annual income of Rs 5 lacs, ideally you should have the life insurance coverage of 50 lacs. The premium paid for the insurance can be deducted under section 80C of income tax.

    In this regard, I would prefer to consider a pure term insurance. A term insurance can give you only the insurance coverage without any return.

    Also ReadWhich Life Insurance Policy to Buy

  2. Health Insurance

    Health Insurance is an important aspect in financial planning. Why should I take a Health Insurance as I am just 25 year old and healthy? Many people think the same. Moreover the employer has the facility of health insurance to the employees. But you never know what will happen tomorrow.

    The health insurance is required in case you have lost your job suddenly or you change the job and new employer does not have this facility. Certainly a health insurance should not be a factor in your job/ career aspects.

    Hence, take a health insurance for you including your family members even if you are insured under the mediclaim policy issued by your employer.

    Take a family floater policy of coverage 5 lacs from any of the health insurance provider. The premium towards the health insurance shall be exempted from tax under 80D up to Rs 25000 and Rs 30000 in the case of the senior citizen.

    You may consider separate policy for parents if they are aged because single family floater policy costs you more.

    Also Read: Nine Points to Remember While Buying Health Insurance Policy

  3. Contingency Amount 

    Contingency amount equal to three to six months expense should be in your savings account to take care of the emergency situation like during the job transition period or some personal emergency requirement. You may park it in somewhere else where it can be easily liquidated.

    Here is the Best Savings bank account where you can save your contingency amount.

  4. How should a 25 year youth invest

    After that, concentrate about the investment. Tax saving options are to be taken care first. Various tax saving instruments are:

    • Provident Fund (PF)
    • Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) – Mutual Fund
    • National Savings Scheme (NSC)
    • Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF)
    • Public Provident Fund (PPF)
    • Bonds
    • Fixed Deposit etc.
  5. Primarily, there are two routes of investment, equity, and debt. The return from equity is linked with the stock market and not fixed. The risk is associated with this return. So, an individual can invest in equity if he or she wants to take some risks. Other way, the return from debt instrument is fixed and less risky as these are linked with fixed return instruments like government bonds, debentures etc. One can invest in the stock or equity market through brokerage firms and through Mutual Funds. The examples of debt instruments are PF, PPF, VPF, NSC, Fixed Deposits, Bonds etc.
  6. I am assuming a 25-year-old individual can take the moderate risk considering he or she has enough time build his or her portfolio. The investment allocation should be 25 % to debt instruments and 75% to equity instruments.
  7. Considering savings as 10% of the income, a person is able to save Rs 4000 per month. Out of that, 25% is Rs 1000. If the person has the basic pay of Rs 20000, the contribution towards Provident Fund takes care the purpose.
  8. The remaining Rs 3000 is to be saved through equity. You can invest directly in the stock market. But immediately don’t rush through. Do the studies, follow some blue chip stocks initially, and understand the basics of the stock market. After a considerable amount of understanding, please start investing.

    If you are too lazy about all these things or simply you are not interested, take the route of the mutual fund. The experienced and qualified fund managers manage your money and invest in the stock market. Start with a diversified equity mutual fund which has a good track record over the years. Try to invest first and then spend the remaining amount.
    Also Read: Mutual Funds Vs Stocks: Why Should You Prefer Mutual Funds Over Stocks

  9. You can invest in two ways in mutual funds i.e Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) and Lump sum. Always I prefer the SIP route if you are not a regular tracker of the stock market and hence, disciplined investing through this can help you to build a good portfolio. Another thing to keep in mind is to invest in a direct mutual fund which means no brokerage and results a better return.

Also ReadELSS or PPF – Where to Invest for Tax Saving

SIP Vs RD: Which is Better for Investment

Hope, this article can give you a fair understanding of how to approach towards the better financial future. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section.

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4 Comments

  1. Prabhat shaw October 15, 2015
    • sumankgayen October 15, 2015
  2. Prabhat shaw October 15, 2015
    • sumankgayen October 15, 2015

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