Womens Day Special

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “Women generally would assume that finances are complicated. It only takes a little time and research to get a hang of anything. BHAVNA SAMTANI PARTNER, CREDEL CAPITAL ADVISORS LLP Over the last 10 years, Bhavna Samtani has mastered the art of wealth management, but on top of that, she knows how to win people over too! Her advisory, Credel Capital Advisors, continues to thrive on Bhavna's relationship plus wealth management skills, but she reveals that Credel was never a planned move! It is quite evident from Bhavna's past work records that she was quite a loyal employee. In her eight year long association with Allegro Capital Advisors, Bhavna had served her employers dedicatedly. Throughout her career, her focus was on providing the best services to her clients. Unlike most entrepreneurs, she had never even pondered upon the possibilities of starting her own company someday. What makes her story all the more interesting is the fact that she hails from a business family, wherein her mother and father had their separate businesses. She was the only one keen on taking up a job. Bhavna recalls that working for Kotak and Allegro reformed her. “I was never so eager to start something of my own. I knew that I wanted to be patient, and learn deeply.” So, when Bhavna decided to make the transition, she had the support of her family. Her dedication towards her clients paid off as well. 90% of her clients were easily converted to her company. Within two months, they were breaking even. “I would say that there wasn't a challenge. Pooja and I had long conversations with our clients, and we took their recommendations. It was like we moved in together with our clients.” The biggest challenge came from the fact that earlier Bhavna had focused on grooming her skills. However, as an entrepreneur, she had to now venture into new territories of accounts, operations, and much more. While she never shied away from leading a mission; for a loyal employee like herself, entrepreneurship was out of her comfort zone. It has been over two years since they started, and now the company is managing assets of over INR 250 crores. Regardless to say, Bhavna has successfully aced the entrepreneur game. Bhavna also believes that the key to success in financial markets is good relationship management. She hasn't focused on expanding the audience, but on retaining the users. She believes that happy customers make businesses happier. “If you believe in your product, then it wouldn't be so hard to make others believe in it. Sell your people something you know is good for them.”Bhavna tells us. In her clientele, roughly 20% investors are females. Bhavna feels the need for more women to take up their finances independently. She, as a woman herself, has been self-sufficient since the age of 21. At the age of 33, she is happily unmarried and feels no pressure to seek out a compatible husband just for the financial comfort. With a thriving venture, Bhavna has no time to wait around for the right man. When she isn't working, she is taking her family out on travel dates. On her advice to aspiring woman advsiors, she lays emphasis on trying. “Women generally would assume that finances are complicated. It only takes a little time and research to get a hang of anything.” She believes that women are naturally patient and keen on proving their competence. She hopes to see more independent women becoming investors and advisors. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “If you look at the surveys, it is clear that nowadays women outlive men. The longevity of life is a major factor. SHINEY SEBESTIAN AFFLUENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES I PVT. LTD. One of the oldest players of the finance games, Shiney Sebestian, has seen the markets for over 20 years now. She has witnessed the events of liberalization and globalization in the early 90s, she has also been around at the time of the Big Crash; and with her knowledge and expertise, she now continues to serve her customers through her own advisory - Affluenz Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. Shiney has worked with various established banks, prior to starting out with her own venture. Throughout her stint with other organizations, she always found a major disconnect between the company's services and the client's requirements. As her career progressed, she felt the need to connect with her clients in a way that it served their interests best. Looking back at her journey, Shiney recalls that it was this passion that got her into entrepreneurship. She believes that women are nurturers by nature, and they often keep the needs of other before themselves. “It is the same attitude that is required of a good finance advisor, to keep the client first.”, she adds “Even if you look at our households, women are more exposed to financial matters. Buying groceries, bargaining, distributing pocket money – women have a crucial role to play in financial management. Becoming a financial advisor means practicing the micro-management on a bigger level.” Shiney believes that the path to success is the one that is paved by clarity and communication. When she made the transition from being an employee to an employer, she was clear about her organization's purpose. She also found immense support in her family. “My in-laws were so encouraging, they even looked after my kids while I was setting up the business. My husband, used to work in the navy. He was supportive throughout the evolution of Affluenz, and in fact, he eventually joined me in as a partner too.” While Shiney believes that family support is important, she feels that women need to be self-aware of their own rights. She advocates that no woman should leave a man or anyone else incharge of her money. “If you look at the surveys, it is clear that nowadays women outlive men. The longevity of life is a major factor. In case of the man's sudden demise, a woman shouldn't be left helpless financially. Women, thus, need to participate and be more informed about their financial standing.”, Shiney elaborates on how a woman shouldn't just limit herself to a home-maker, in fact, she deserves an equal say and share in the financial decisions. An active participant in women empowering workshops, Shiney has noticed that despite the advancement in technology, there is still a lack of information between women and wealth management. Through her profession and her personal endeavors, she aims at uplifting women and bringing them at par with their male counterparts, especially when it comes to personal finance management. Shiney strongly believes that finance is at the core of any enterprise and the most powerful job is of the one who controls the money. She encourages women to actively pursue roles in the finance sector, if they want their voices heard loudly. Despite 20 years in the industry, she hasn't seen a huge shift of power from men to women. However, she has observed that women have started coming with their own savings now. This makes her hopeful for the future. Shiney wishes for more independent females; and as a mother of a daughter, she advices young women to indulge in self-care. “Women naturally put themselves after others. However, when you are a finance advisor, that's a weakness! People can't trust you with their finances, if you can't even take care of yourself. Always keep yourself first.”, she further suggests aspiring females to not give up on their careers earlier.“ It's unfortunate that women go out of the workforce very early. Just as much as you have your other responsibilities, you are also responsible for your personal and professional growth throughout your life.” Despite being the success that she is today, Shiney manages to strike the perfect work-life balance proving yet again that women are indeed natural multi-taskers! Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “Women have traditionally been relying on their husbands, when it comes to making any financial decisions, but this mind set is slowly changing and they are now participating in the financial discussions and decision making process. DR. ANSHU JAISINGHANI WEALTH INTELLIGENCE Prioritising Client's Interests Pays Rich Dividends! During her stint with the financial advisory department of Axis Bank, Dr. Anshu Jaisinghani felt an internal urge for the financial literacy amongst the savers and investors. With a strong academic background in finance, she found herself equipped to take up this challenge and moved ahead to set up her own independent financial advisory firm. As she recalls, “it was hard initially to convince the investors, especially considering the traditional mindset that women are not financially savvy and hence, people would find it difficult to take an advice from one such woman, especially in a country where there were not much women financial advisors.” She started her firm with an intention of conducting business with the highest level of integrity, business ethics and quality without knowing how big it could get. However, deeply embedded into her advisory was the core value of keeping her client's interest above everything else. No wonder, prioritising client's interest has paid rich dividends for Anshu. From a humble beginning to now managing investments worth Rs. 300 crores, the progress has been steady. With her family as her emotional support system, it has been instrumental for her to focus on work, study, pursue more courses in ivy league colleges across the country and sharpening her skills. Adding further to the acknowledgement of the support by her family, she adds, “I have an extremely supportive husband who treats me as an equal in every decision and respects my opinions.” While the initial clients came through references from friends and relatives, delivering results for the clients helped her garner more business. She is also a tech-savvy advisory, making use of the advanced investment profilers to analyze the client risk appetite and systematically develop tax efficient investment portfolios. This has helped her clients earn the maximum return on their investments and meet their goals towards financial freedom. She also runs a firm focusing on financial literacy under the name of 'Wealth Intelligence' with the only objective to create financial awareness and educate people on goal planning, developing quantifiable objectives and concrete financial planning. It conducts investor awareness programs jointly with AMCs specially for women from all cadres like students, working professionals and home makers and talk to them at length about importance of financial planning and address their queries about various products with the objective of helping them become more independent financially. “We also focus on demystifying the technical jargons for our clients, especially women, so that they can understand the financial plans and investments better. Women have traditionally been relying on their husbands, when it comes to making any financial decisions, but this mind set is slowly changing and they are now participating in the financial discussions and decision making process”, Anshu adds. No wonder, Anshu represents the woman of today, the one who does not fear taking a unique path, the one who does not fear venturing into a male-dominated profession and the one leaves her mark in the activities she undertakes. A true role model, Dr. Anshu Jaisinghani. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “ “Women are born multitaskers', handling home, being a mother and running your financial firm, requires you to be a Superwoman. SONAL KOTAK INTEGRITI INVESTMENTS To All The Superwomen - you hold the key! A soft spoken, yet measured Sonal Kotak, has just finished talking to a prospective client at her firm Integriti Investments, based in Baroda, Gujarat. Looking back, she reminisces her journey to the world of financial advisory. She started the boutique financial consultancy firm in early May 2007 after leaving her lucrative career at Citibank. A sudden opportunity to become an investment counselor while at Citi, kindled a new path of discovery. She understood her skills in understanding the needs of the clients and inducting them into the fine art of investing is much in demand. Her nature and liking for the task of educating and guiding them helped her to connect with people easily. She believes women think differently when it comes to money and their nurturing ability which they apply truly makes them stand apart. The MBA gold medalist, thus struck gold and from 2003 onwards, her development has led to managing assets of around Rs 135 crores around different client groups. Her first client on boarded 18 years ago, is a testimony to her efforts. Sonal now has the challenge of nurturing the second generation who taking over the investments of their parents. She found the toughest yet sweetest times following motherhood, when she had to manage investments for highly demanding clients. Finally she feels motherhood has helped to improve her multitasking abilities. MFs, Insurance, Bonds, FDs along with large variety of advisories, she easily books SIPs of approximately Rs 10-12 lacs per month. 'Women are born multitaskers', she also adds that handling home, being a mother and running your financial firm, requires you to be a Superwoman. Setting priorities, organizing and taking it one day at a time and strong support both at home and office front, is all that is needed to feel like one. And it is a great feeling! Today, in its 11th successful year, Integriti offers services to clients in India and abroad. It also offers online transactions for its clients through this website. Integriti Investments also has strategic partnerships with key research agencies in India and aboard and hence has access to proprietary research on Indian and global financial markets. Her mantra has been investing based on goals leads to peace of mind. She dreams of the day women across the nation can freely take investment decisions without any impediments. The most common phenomena observed is the tendency to shirk away from risky investments, without understanding it and overspending without investment. She goes out of the way to first remove the prejudice women have towards numbers and math. Just as the 'tijori' keys is always held by the woman, Sonal strongly feels future of personal finance and investment is in the hands of women. Women who rock the cradle and hold the keys to funds, rule the world. Money and its control brings self confidence and this is hugely beneficial to the family unit as well as the country. Confidently she states that soon she will be having an all women advisory team and Rs 1000 cr AUM is just a matter of time. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “In households, women micromanage finances. When a woman becomes a financial advisor, she just starts doing the same thing on a commercial level. Finances and management comes naturally to us women. JIJA ROY FINPOTTERS It's been over 12 years since Ms. Jija Roy set foot in the industry. Over the years, she has taken up the role of an investment counselor for various prestigious banks. However, in April 2016, she took the road less taken, and started her own advisory- FinPotters. Today, FinPotters is a one-stop solution to all your personal finance queries, be it taxation or investments or loan processes. Assets worth a whooping Rs. 80 crores are managed under her advisory. When asked about how FinPotters came into being, Jija recalls that she was always inclined towards wealth management. Ever since her internship days, she knew that she would like to explore personal finances. So, it wasn't a drastic decision, rather a planned one! After 10 years of serving banks, Jija took the leap. She was ready for the big jump. However, there was a fear she had to conquer in the beginning! The transition from an employee to an employer is the one with financial stress. Jija renounced her monthly salaries and chose a path of entrepreneurship. She recalls that in the beginning, a few months went in a dry patch. However, the struggle didn't last long. The go-getter that she is, Jija believes that discipline is at the core of mastering any skill. In her stint with various established names such as CBOP, HDFC, Indusland Bank etc, Jija continued to learn and build. As her career advanced, she realized that relationship management is the first step towards wealth management. Jija knew that she had to foster relationships that went beyond financial advices. Bankers need to bank on strong relationships, and she went an extra mile to make sure her clientele could feel the warmth. From remembering their birthdays and making personal greetings to being an honest advisor, Jija became a name worth trusting. This “emotional superpower” is what Jija holds key to success. “My customers have never even asked me about the brand I am working for, they have simply entrusted me. When I started, they shifted their accounts to FinPotters. My clients found it easier to trust me because with women in the picture, your money gets treated as an asset of emotional relevance too. Everybody wants their hard work to be respected and treated properly.” This being said, Jija feels that most organizations lack the personal touch that woman advisors can bring on the table. “In households, women micromanage finances. When a woman becomes a financial advisor, she just starts doing the same thing on a commercial level. Finances and management comes naturally to us women.” Despite her professional self, Jija has managed to maintain a healthy work-life balance. As a divorcee and an independent woman, she firmly believes that financial independence should be a bigger priority for women. Emotional well-being eventually follows if the woman is on sound monetary grounds. For the same reasons, she focuses on female investors and helps them attain financial independence. Jija is excited about the shift of power among Indian couples. “Back when I was a kid, only my father made financial decisions. My mother wasn't even aware. I see couples coming to me today, and women are participating more aggressively than ever before. This is new and extremely healthy!” As an independent advisor, Jija feels that the number of woman advisors is a small one at the moment. However, she is optimistic that women could, and eventually, would join in the adventure! Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “I would say my daughter is more independent and fierce than my son. My son relies more on us than she does. But she doesn't take much interest in savings and investments. RAJALAKSHMI RAJESH BANCONUS FINANCIAL SERVICES PVT. LTD. Rajalakshmi Rajesh doesn't subscribe to the stereotypical notions of “women spend, men earn”. Her independent financial advisory, Banconus Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. manages over 140 crores. It has only been three years since she began on her solo journey, however, the results speak volumes about her strong holding on the wealth management niche. She believes that challenges are a part of every struggle, but … “There are two ways of looking at it. You can take up a job, get salaries, and grow lesser. Or You start small, wait for a few years and keep on working. Eventually, there will be results. Men choose the latter because they are willing to pursue their careers in a full- fledged mode. Women shy away from that.”, she feels patience is a natural virtue of females, yet they choose to undermine it where they need it most- their careers. This career in particular needs patience. Recalling her own initial rough patches, she tells us that women weren't usually associated with wealth management. The clients wouldn't trust a “new” person, and especially if that person was a female. “I mean, it is easy for us to picture a woman as a nurse, or even a doctor. However, a woman advisor is still unheard of.”, she feels this stereotype runs so deep that there are only handful of women advisors in reality. “Even women don't consider it seriously. I feel this opportunity is perfect for women, we have better communication skills and we are good at adding an empathetic approach. This is all the business needs! But you hardly see any woman in conferences. In Chennai, I would be surprised if there are more than 5 IFAs.”, Chennai being one of her two bases. 3 days a week she spends in the Chennai office; and the rest in her first branch – Trichy. Despite her long travels, she makes it a priority to spend time with her family. “I have a son and a daughter. They respect my job. My husband is amazing too. In fact, he is so supportive that he is my biggest client till date. That is the faith he has in me!” Based on the power dynamics she has seen in her investors and in her family itself, she feels women are becoming more fierce and independent. “I would say my daughter is more independent and fierce than my son. My son relies more on us than she does. But she doesn't take much interest in savings and investments.” She has noticed the same equation outside her house. Most women focus on earning, and skip investments entirely. “They would usually trust their partners with their personal savings. That's great! A marriage needs that. However, what do you do if something happens to your partner?” She hopes for this to change, and the one way she knows this could change is - perseverance. She speaks to young aspiring females, when she says, “ You don't have to feel guilty or under the pressure to be the perfect everything. Some days, you won't be the perfect wife or the perfect sister or the perfect daughter. You would some days choose your work over everyone. Don't feel guilty! Just because your work felt like the right thing to do doesn't mean you aren't a good human now. It just means you are dedicated to your dreams. Always keep yourself first. Because if you aren't happy, who is?” Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “Read more, monitor more, invest more. Don't hesitate in putting out your hard-earned savings. It will eventually pay off, but you have to start now! SHIFALI SATSANGEE FOUNDER, FUNDS VEDAA With net asset management of over 350 Crore Rupees under her label today, Shifali Satsangee's venture, Funds Vedaa continues to spread pan India. However, referring to herself as an “accidental entrepreneur”, she recalls that this was never the plan. “I come from a business family, so business was always on the cards for me. But, before I could realize what I wanted to do with my life, I was married off.” At various stages in her life, Shifali has been the nurturer a woman naturally is! She has kept her family above herself on various accounts. When she was 21, her father was fighting Cancer and Shifali agreed upon an early marriage purely for her father's happiness. Three years later, she dropped her aspirations to be a Chartered Accountant when she found out that she was carrying her first born. She again chose her family before herself. However, looking back upon the events, she has no regrets and proudly declares that she wouldn't change a thing. “It was all meant to be. The family that I was married into supported me to great lengths. I pursued my studies after marriage, and eventually, it was my husband who gave the much-needed push for becoming an independent investment advisor.” As a doting daughter and a nurturing mother, Shifali still encourages women to find their personal interests. “Eventually, you do need something for yourself in your life. To me, my work is that something. And I feel, everyone – my kids, my in-laws, my husband- they are all behind my work!” Shifali asserts that work-life balance isn't something that a woman should ignore. She insists that if you don't strike the right balance, both aspects suffer. Being a CA himself, her husband made her acquaintance with the terms and tactics of the field. He extended his practice into Mutual funds' arena and pushed Shifali to take part in it. There has been no looking back ever since. “1st Jan is literally always 'a new day' for me. 1st Jan, 2011 was when I started my financial advisory alongside my husband. Over the years, I have ritualistically done new things on this date. In fact, on this 1st Jan, we launched an app, exclusively for our clients.” She explains that the app is a 24x 7 e-desk for her clients to monitor and transact their investments. Shifali has always kept the interests of her clients at the core, and it is no wonder that she won “The UTI and CNMC TV 18 Financial advisor award- 2017-2018” under the Best performing individual financial advisor, women category. Shifali conducts workshops and sessions to educate more women into becoming financially independent. She encourages young women to take up wealth management. In her opinion, a financial advisor does a very noble job by helping people achieve their financiadreamsms. “The satisfaction your client has when they reach there (goal) is the reward. In the long journey, you evolve with them. Trust, relationships, emotional intimacy – wealth management thrives on these beautiful emotions. I feel this job makes you a better woman – you become a listener, and you only work to help everyone.” As Shifali concludes, she urges women to research more. “Read more, monitor more, invest more. Don't hesitate in putting out your hard-earned savings. It will eventually pay off, but you have to start now!” Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “ “The truth remains that women do wealth management naturally, when they manage household. SUJATA NAIK SAI SERVICES A woman is a tale of evolution. There is immense strength in her journey; and Sujata Naik is a proof! Business was never on the cards for her. Although an MA in Economics, Sujata knew that she had to be the home-maker her family needed then. However, as time rolled by and her son grew older, she started considering the option of work. It was then that her husband introduced her to the world of wealth management. Ever since then, it has been 10 years and Sujata only reflects an upward graph in her professional growth. However, hers is a story that hasn't been all smooth! There have been challenges - professional and emotional. In October, last year, she lost her husband. Owing to his unfortunate demise, the responsibility of the whole business fell on her shoulders. At such tough times, she refused to fall weak. “ All I remember is that my husband wanted me to work, so I try and stay in the office. I work harder. I feel lonelier at home. When I am in the office, it feels like I'm still in his company.” Her personal loss has yet again proven that she is a tale of strength. She recalls that it was never easy. “Even in the beginning, there were challenges. I had no experience. It was so difficult to understand everything, and more so, to help my clients understand everything. In the initial stages, it was my husband and my parents who supported me. My husband motivated me to never stop trying. I knew that it would get easier with time, and it did!” Sujata believes that the key to success in financial management is being selfless. “My husband always used to tell me – there is goodness in the world, there is kindness in the world. We, as financial advisors, must reciprocate it. Today, I work with the same motto. An aim to help everyone!”, she feels that when a financial advisor is honest and selfless, they are doing it right. It is these core values that have made her an independent successful woman whose label, Sai services, manages over 45 crores. She feels there are handful of women in the industry, however, she refuses that the industry isn't accommodating. “I feel, this is the most welcoming industry. Even the clients are willing to listen and respect your judgment. If you trust your product, there is no barrier.”, she also encourages other women to give wealth management a shot, as she adds “ Women are always taught that they have to be good mothers, good daughters. Men are always taught how to earn and work. This is why, it is more comfortable for men. However, the truth remains that women do wealth management naturally, when they manage household.” As an independent woman herself, she insists upon financial independence being a top priority. She organizes monthly sessions wherein the aim is to educate her female investors on personal finance and basics. She feels that this isn't solely on a woman to help other women, but also a responsibility for men too! “Look at me. I started because of my husband. Now, my son has quit his job and is helping me. I have two men behind my success, and so many others as clients, colleagues. There is a successful woman, only as long as there are supporting men.”, she concludes. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

“ WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL “There are no secrets to success, it is the same old clichés - Patience and hard work. VINITA KEJRIWAL VINSAN CONSULTANTS PVT LTD. It's been only three years since Vinita Kejriwal started her own venture, but she is already managing assets over 110 crores INR under her label of Vinsan Consultants Pvt Ltd. Looking back at the journey now, the 38 year old recalls the time she quit her job with HDFC. “I didn't know at that time that I would never be taking up another job again. I left my job to pursue CA. Then, family responsibilities came in. And when I got a little time for myself, I realized I wanted to pursue wealth management.” Her husband is a practicing CA, and in her sweet home, there is a young son too. Vinita has always believed in a healthy work-home balance. “I get asked a lot, how do you strike the balance? What do you prioritize? The truth is I have always kept work and home equal. They are both my first priority. I feel women are good at that, they don't have to make a choice between the two. We naturally do both things right.” However, looking back, she does recall her paranoia in the beginning. She had her own doubts and to build the trust within herself took more time than to acquire it from her clients. However, it has been 3 years and the graph of her success is on an upward climb ever since. “There are no secrets to success, it is the same old clichés - Patience and hard work. I have an SIP book of over 1 crore. So, that level of long-term business requires patience and hard work.”, Vinita also believes that her team is behind her rock-solid foundation. Her entire operations team is run by women. She believes that the industry has more males than females, but that doesn't mean it is male-dominated, “It is a woman's expertise. Communication, emotion, and genuineness - these qualities make a good advisor. Women have it more than men. Sadly, we don't consider this career option often”, Vinita adds. She emphasizes highly on the need for financial independence. She had the infrastructure and opportunity to join her husband in his venture, however, she chose to start her own independent venture. She feels every woman must strive for a corner of her own. On a personal level, she conducts workshops and informative discussions where women are educated on financial terms. Her client base is 90% male, and even in the 10% women minority, men are the ones calling the shots. Vinita feels any woman who is capable of making her own financial decisions is a rebel in a patriarchal society. In her own household, she has taken it upon herself to make the power share equal. Her son consults her on the financial matters as much as he consults his father. She feels that women from the very beginning need to be portrayed as intelligent individuals. Concluding her message, she believes it's possible for women to be the breadwinners while they are also the home-makers, “She's bold and daring, but at the same time, she's caring!” Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.