Financial planning is a step-by-step approach to meet one’s life goals. A financial plan acts as a guide as you go through life’s journey. Essentially, it helps you be in control of your income, expenses and investments such that you can manage your money and achieve your goals.

If you take a closer look at the above examples, you’ll find that there is one factor that connects all of them: money. You need to have an adequate amount of money to fulfil your goals and desires. More importantly, you need to have money at the right point in time.

For example, if you want to build up a corpus of Rs. 10 lakh for your daughter’s college education through investments, you need to grow this amount by the time she turns 18. Not a year later. This is where financial planning becomes essential.

• Increase your savings: It may be possible to save money without having a financial plan. But it may not be the most efficient way to go about it. When you create a financial plan, you get a good deal of insight into your income and expenses. You can track and cut down your costs consciously. This automatically increases your savings in the long run.


• Enjoy a better standard of living: Most people assume that they would have to sacrifice their standard of living if their monthly bills and EMI repayments are to be addressed. On the contrary, with a good financial plan, you would not need to compromise your lifestyle. It is possible to achieve your goals while living in relative comfort.


• Be prepared for emergencies: Creating an emergency fund is a critical aspect of financial planning. Here, you need to ensure that you have a fund that is equal to at least 6 months of your monthly salary. This way, you don’t have to worry about procuring funds in case of a family emergency or a job loss. The emergency fund can help you pay for varied expenses on time.


• Attain peace of mind: With adequate funds at hand, you can cover your monthly expenses, invest for your future goals and splurge a little for yourself and your family, without worry. Financial planning helps you manage your money efficiently and enjoy peace of mind. Don’t worry if you have not yet reached this stage. If you are on the path of financial planning, the destination of financial peace is not very far away.