Three easy investment tips for Indian women to make a start

We all talk about investing and savings. But few of us go from thinking about it to doing something about it. According to me, women empowerment is incomplete without financial independence. And we should all make efforts to ensure we become savvy about money matters. Part of the process of investing, is to have some knowledge of savings and investment planning. It's not enough to earn, for being financially independent. Three easy investment tips Indian women can use to make a start - in this article I will talk about some possibilities.

What is investing? Putting money with the intent of getting some returns. It may be put in various options available for investment, which broadly can be classified into financial investments such as fixed deposit, equities, mutual funds, government bonds, provident funds, post office schemes. We also have investment options like gold and property.

Timing is important when it comes to making decisions about savings and investment. It can also vary at different age and stages of life. For example, a 20 yr old will have different priorities and financial needs than a 40 yr old. Think of your age profile as you set course to think about investing.

Risk is a word you hear often. Don't fear it. But think about what it means and how it impacts you. Some of us may want to take high risk to get good returns. On the other hand some may be conservative in approach and are happy with low but secure returns.

Accordingly we can say Liquidity, Return, Risk and Time frame are major factors which one must evaluate before choosing for right investment.

These three easy investment tips can be help one think about investment decisions.

• Always put some money in liquid assets and what are those? Like cash in hand, bank balance, fixed deposits which can be quickly surrendered for immediate funds requirements.

(One can consider investing in Equities, Mutual funds too which are also liquid but are related to market risk and give good returns in long term. One can choose to invest in these with the help of financial advisor)

• Always plan some investment for long term future needs like Public provident fund, Government bonds where your investments get secure returns and you enjoy tax benefits too.
• Always consider Medical and Life insurance to be part of investment planning for any emergency needs. Not only can they reduce your tax outgoes, they serve the dual purpose of offering you the insurance service when you need it.