First, I want to express my gratitude to all my finance mentors who have guided me along the way:
- My Family: A heartfelt thanks to my parents and brother for instilling the right habits and helping me make informed decisions.
- Firstly, ValuePickr Forum where I learnt a lot, to @Worldlywiseinvestors , Neil Bahal (Negen), @shankarnath, Amitabh Vatsya (Sadhan), SmartSync team, Shashank Mahajan (Value Educator), and media icons like Raamdeo Agrawal, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Sanjeev Sanyal and many more. Your insights have been invaluable!
My Background
I’m a Mechanical Engineer with over 14 years in the automotive industry. With a busy schedule, I have limited time to study the markets. Therefore, I rely on “borrowed conviction” and only invest once I’ve built my confidence in an opportunity.
My investment journey began in 2011 with modest SIPs in funds like HDFC Top 200, guided by basic advice from a mutual fund advisor—advice I would approach differently today. Back then, my SIP amount was around one-tenth of my take-home salary, which was modest. Apart from that, I also started with some FDs. I remember investing in DHFL FD at ~12% interest.
Those were the days when I used to watch Zee Business, CNBC and other channels for Stock prices and recommendations.
A Step Up
I opened a Demat account with Sharekhan and started investing in blue-chip stocks like Tata Motors and ICICI. I was introduced to a basket investing strategy called “Sharekhan Top Picks,” a monthly rebalanced portfolio of 10-15 stocks complete with price targets and investment theses. I followed this approach and made some profitable investments, including a standout in Ashok Leyland.
Who Am I?
I’m the kind of person who likes to dive deep into subjects that fascinate me, which also reflects my role as an analyst in the corporate world. I consider myself a curious tech enthusiast.
I had a habit of maintaining a logbook of my investments and a folder containing all the paperwork. Nowadays, since everything is in demat mode, I am not maintaining it anymore. However, I’ve switched to a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet for financial calculations.
By nature, I’m a fundamental investor. I seek out companies with strong cash flows, reputable management, and longevity potential. Sometimes, after I do all the due diligence, before I decide to invest, I ask a simple question: "– If I am asked to run this business, will I do it? If yes, then only I buy.
I believe in value investing beyond just the price-to-earnings ratio—using it as the sole metric can be misleading. While I admire Benjamin Graham, I don’t fully agree with his low PE approach.
I also have a keen interest in special situation investing, focusing on demergers, rights issues, and promoter changes. More on that in future posts!
Who Am I Not?
- A Trader: I don’t trade based on past candlesticks.
- An F&O Guy: I’ve never engaged in futures and options, nor do I plan to.
- A Crypto Investor: Despite my reading, I still struggle to grasp its intrinsic value.
What Went Wrong: Lessons Learned
- LIC Policies: I was pressured into investing in LIC policies like Jeevan Anand and a money-back plan. I regret these, as I still pay premiums for inadequate coverage.
Lesson: Opt for term insurance ONLY if you have dependents. I believe, if your wife is working and your parents are financially stable, and if you don’t have much debt, then you don’t need a insurance. - “Secured” NCD Investments: In 2012, I heavily invested in secured NCDs from DHFL and SREI, lured by their “guaranteed” returns. When DHFL collapsed, I learned that the ratings by international firms that were AAA/AA made no sense.
Lesson: Trust your research; never rely solely on ratings for NCDs or bonds. - Fixed Deposits: While FDs aren’t inherently bad, they pose risks if a bank fails. Ankur Warikoo’s warnings
prompted me to shift my focus. Rather put your money in NPS tier II (50% Equity & 50% Debt) and sit tight. - Avoiding Market News: I guess this is a no brainer. I’ve stopped following market news and recommendations, as they often lack substance.
What Went Right: My Learnings
Investing in Businesses: Over time I understood that in a developing country like India, where there is cheap & abundant workforce, much better government and a favorable climate – it’s a perfect place to invest in growing businesses. The focus should be on assessing management, which can be challenging but comes with experience.
Investing can’t be copied but it can be leant. More on this later in my future posts…
My Goals: What I Want to Achieve
I once chased the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) concept, but now I seek financial independence where my salary isn’t the primary source of income. Honestly, I haven’t set a timeline for achieving this.
What I Will Not Disclose
I won’t share my portfolio’s worth, as my intention isn’t to show off but to learn. Additionally, I might also not discuss my investments in Real Estate as this might not be the best forum and I believe RE is a different game altogether.
Why This Thread?
- To learn from all of you on how I can improve.
- To create a personal thesis report for future reference.
- To share my experiences with the younger generation, so they can avoid similar pitfalls.
- I plan to write more detailed posts on various topics mentioned above.
Stay tuned for my next post on My Portfolio structure. Please like and comment to keep me motivated!
Happy investing!
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