RESEARCH & COMPARISION OF VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE MARKET

PROJECT REPORT ON COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE MARKET IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF MASTER OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES SUBMITTED BY: JAYESH BHANUSHALI ROLL NO: 126 SPECIALIZATION: FINANCE GUIDED BY

PILLAI’S INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND RESEARCH NEW PANVEL UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI 2010-2012

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
a) Title of the Study
Comparative analysis of various financial institutions in the market.

b) Objectives of the Study
• To examine and analyze various financial products & services provided by different financial institutions in the market and to suggest the best option among them. • • To compare financial services provided by various players in the market. To study the importance of FINANCIAL PLANNER & maximize the returns through Financial Institutions’ guidance & financial services

c) Type of Research
This project is more of an exploratory research with more of qualitative analysis than quantitative. The data collection method for this project begins with finding a sample of the population.. The research methodology adopted was both Primary and Secondary. Primary data was collected to study the investment psyche of a person, their practice on saving, investment options available and the need of financial institutions to manage individual’s wealth. Questionnaire was designed to ascertain the investor’s behavior as well as to depict the future prospects and growth momentum of the wealth management industry.

d) Sample Size and method of selecting sample Data Collection Methods & Instruments

The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire targeted towards people who do investments. This questionnaire was designed to know the investment psyche of a person while investing in the financial products. The mode of communication was informal & friendly conversation, which does not limit discussion within a well-defined boundary.

Data Collection Sources i) Primary Research
Research was done to get a detail overview of the wealth management industry and study the need for financial planner in the current scenario. Questionnaire was designed to study the investment psyche of a person, their practice on saving, different investment options available and the need of financial institutions to manage individual’s wealth. This project is mainly based on first hand observation in the market, the way financial planning functions, scope of financial planning and the need of a certified financial planner. A structured questionnaire was designed covering both open and close ended questions, to study the perception of people regarding investment avenues and the concept of financial planner. {Specimen of the questionnaire is attached in ANNEXURE.

iii) Secondary Research
Various sources of information were collected for attaining clarity on the prospects of wealth management industry and the various financial institutions in the market. The source also includes basic investment objectives and the various types of investment avenues open to an individual.

However the following sources were considered for information gathering: • Companies websites

• Articles and reports available on the web • News papers like Economics Times and Investment Insurance Magazines • Various other sources mentioned in the references, in ANNEXURE

iv) Population considered for Research
Sample Details 100 people belonging to different fields, who make investments, were asked to fill the questionnaire, on the basis of which an attempt is made to study the prospects of Financial Planning in the market. The sample unit consists of those people who are trading in secondary markets, mutual funds, initial public offer, insurance, debt instruments as they can give the accurate information about financial planning. A sampling frame has been developed so that everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being sampled. Personal Information: • Sex Ratio: From the total 100 respondents 15 were females and 85 were males. Persons Male Female
Sex R atio of Samples

Ratio 85 15

Males Fem ales

e) Scope of Study
• There exist a potential growth in the wealth management industry and thus this project authenticates the feasibility of financial institutions in the market.

•

Expanding needs and proliferation of financial products are making it difficult for individuals to invest without planning. Most are aware that planning is critical; yet don’t have the time or the expertise to develop a plan & therefore the role of Financial Planner comes in picture.

f) Limitation of the Study
• The scope of the research was limited to top 7 wealth management companies, namely YES Bank, Citibank, UTI Bank, HSBC Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Capital and Religare Enterprises Limited. • The sample size comprised of 100 respondents from different fields and income group, and their responses are presumed to represent the wealth management mark

•

The score allotted by the different respondents on different parameter might not be with the same yardstick, as individuals are subjective in nature as well as the environment round them differs, which play a critical role in building up a perception.

OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

HDFC bank limited
The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) was amongst the first to receive an 'in principle' approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI's liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry in 1994. The bank was incorporated in August 1994 in the name of 'HDFC Bank Limited', with its registered office in Mumbai, India. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995.

Promoters
HDFC is India's premier housing finance company and enjoys an impeccable track record in India as well as in international markets.Its outstanding loan portfolio covers well over a million dwelling units. HDFC has developed significant expertise in retail mortgage loans to different market segments. With its experience in the financial markets, a strong market reputation, large shareholder base and unique consumer franchise, HDFC was ideally positioned to promote a bank in the Indian environment.

a) YES

BANK

i) Introduction

YES BANK has been conceived in the spirit of professional entrepreneurship, with an unstinted commitment to establish a high quality, technology driven, state-of-the-art private Indian Bank catering to ‘Emerging India’. The vast banking experience of the Promoters, Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapur who have a collective financial stake of 38.62% has been strengthened by the financial support of Rabobank Nederland to provide YES BANK a strong foundation of enduring financial trust. YES BANK looks to offer comprehensive banking and financial solutions. Which is why, they have inducted top quality Human Capital across all the banking functions, including Corporate & Institutional Banking, Financial Markets, Investment Banking, Business & Transactional Banking and Retail Banking & Wealth Management.

ii) Service Offerings
a) Mutual Funds YES Bank tap into the latest market trends to give the clients the access to the best Mutual Funds. b) Portfolio Management Services The bank helps you to manage your existing equity portfolios with the help of selected fund managers thus providing the clients with professional services and customized options to meet their investment needs. c) GOI Bonds They provide you with fixed tenure Bonds, issued by the Government of India, which ensure regular fund inflows. d) Tax Saving Bonds By investing in specified bonds, the bank can help you to reduce your tax liability under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act. e) Subscription to IPOs

The bank facilitates subscription to select IPOs in the capital market, helping you to take timely advantage of available opportunities. f) Life Insurance YES BANK has partnered with Max New York Life, one of the most reputed Life Insurance companies in India. The banking sector can play a constructive role in being an agent of change and a creator of social and economic value. At YES BANK, they aspire to create and share value. Max New York Life’s internationally benchmarked training processes; flexible product suite, service excellence and financial strength complement this outlook, which ensure that we are able to deliver the true value of life insurance to our customers. YES BANK provides the entire suite of life insurance products, ranging from risk protection to investment-related unit linked products, for individuals, groups or select employees. g) General Insurance YES BANK has partnered with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co to distribute their Non Life Insurance products to our clients.

b)

CITIBANK

i) Introduction

Citigroup in India Citigroup is the single largest foreign direct investor in the financial services industry in India. Committed to India for over 100 years, Citigroup considers itself a local bank with an international perspective backed by the largest global network. With a staff strength of over 15,000, Citigroup has consolidated its position as the most innovative and comprehensive financial products and services provider in the country, and today has a customer base of over 1,000 large corporate, over 22,000 small and medium enterprises and over 5.5 million retail customers. A pioneer in consumer banking, Citibank was the first to introduce credit cards, focused consumer lending programs and electronic banking in India. Today, the Citibank network comprises of 39 bank branches across 27 cities and over 400 CitiCard Banking centers–which combine ATMs and self-service phone and Internet banking—offering CitiGold wealth management, credit cards, mortgage services, Auto Loans, Personal Loans, Suvidha and NRI Services. Through CitiFinancial, Citigroup offers consumer finance services in the country.

ii) Service Offerings
CitiGold offers the clients a comprehensive range of products to meet their transaction, savings, investment, and insurance requirements. The clients can select from a set of term and endowment insurance policies brought to them through bank insurance partners so that the clients needs for wealth protection are taken care of. The clients can also select from a range of asset products, namely personal, home and auto loans at special relationship pricing. CitiGold Wealth Management offers the clients an exclusive privilege that comprises of: a) Mutual Funds At CitiGold you can choose from a range of pre-selected Mutual Funds managed by some of the biggest names in fund management such as Alliance Capital, Franklin Templeton India, Birla SunLife, Zurich India, DSP Merril Lynch, HDFC, IDBI Principal and Prudential - ICICI. The funds on offer are from a rigorously compiled list that ensures only the best reaches you. b) Tax Advisory Services

CitiGold has tied up with the leading tax advisory firm - Deloitte, Haskins & Sells to help the clients with their tax management. Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT), is amongst the leading global taxation-consulting firms. DTT operates from 130 countries, has more than 6,000 partners and over 90,000 professionals around the globe. c) Real Estate Advisory Services In today's market, real estate presents an attractive real estate investment option. To assist the clients with advice on various real estate investments, or to help them in leasing, buying or selling properties, CitiGold has tied up with a world-class real estate consulting firm - Chesterton Meghraj Property Consultants. This service is currently available in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi only. CitiGold will organize special seminars for the clients with these consultants and the clients can also consult them one-on-one on real estate investment options. d) Art Advisory Services In today's market, art presents an attractive investment option. To assist the clients with advice on various art investments, or to help them in buying or selling art, CitiGold has tied up with a reputed art gallery, Apparao Galleries. e) Insurance Services In today's market, insurance presents an attractive investment option. To assist the clients with advice on various insurance policies, or to help them in purchasing insurance, CitiGold has tied up with Birla.

c) UTI

BANK LTD

i) Introduction

UTI Bank was the first of the new private banks to have begun operations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank today is capitalized to the extent of Rs. 280.12 Crores with the public holding (other than promoters) at 72.43 %. Presently the Bank has a very wide network of more than 450 branch offices and Extension Counters. The Bank has strengths in both retail and corporate banking and is committed to adopting the best industry practices internationally in order to achieve excellence.

ii) Service Offerings by Capital Market
a) Equity Market Content

Capital Market is pioneer in offer equity related content for UTI Bank’s portal which includes: • Equity Market Commentary • Stock Price Data • Charting Facility • Financial Data • IPO Data • Portfolio Tracker b) Mutual Funds Content Indian Mutual Fund industry has picked up, It is fastest growing industry, with number of growing investor, today, there are 36 Mutual Funds and over 200 schemes with total assets of approximately Rs. 81,000 crores. So it has become essential for you to keep updated information on your portal. Capital Market offers you range of content solution as follows: • Mutual Fund NAV • Fund Profile Sheet • Dividend & Mobilization Details • Mutual Fund – News • Mutual Fund – NFO • Mutual Fund – Tools c) Commodity Market Commodities Market is growing in India and Capital Market offers following screens pertaining to Commodity Market:

• Commodity prices End of the day for all the exchanges: Gainers & Losers Top Traded Value Advance Decline • Scrolling ticker for Spot & Future prices & Get Quote button. • Commodity news is also updated on daily basis

d) HSBC

Bank

i) Introduction
The antecedents of the HSBC Group in India can be traced back to October 1853 when the Mercantile Bank of India, London and China was founded in Bombay (now Mumbai). The acquisition in 1959 by The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited of the Mercantile Bank was a decisive factor in laying the foundation for today's HSBC Group. HSBC in India is proud to have retained the Group's pioneering streak by being an active partner in the development of the Indian banking industry - even giving India its first ATM way back in 1987. The organization’s adaptability, resilience and commitment to its customers have further enabled it to survive through turbulent times and prosper through good times over the past 150 years.

ii) Service Offerings
a) Financial Planning Services

Inflation, falling interest rates and fluctuating market conditions require you to plan your finances carefully. Celebrate important occasions in the future by managing your wealth well now. HSBC's Financial Planning Services offer assistance to secure your future. Our financial planning services are available for existing HSBC customers and are free of cost. b) Mutual Funds Use the proven expertise and insights of the world's local bank for your investments. We offer you investment options in funds that meet our selection criteria and fit your requirements, helping you create and increase your wealth potential in the long-term scenario. c) Insurance You have probably planned your life with great care, working slowly and steadily towards fulfilling your dreams and ambitions. Unfortunately you have no control over certain natural and man-made events that may overturn your plans. As you change with time so do your insurance needs. The insurance solution that is relevant to you today may be very different to the solution you require years from now. It is therefore critical for you to identify protection needs that are pertinent to you and your circumstances.

e) Religare

i) Introduction
Religare Enterprises Limited was promoted by the promoters of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited and it was originally incorporated as “Vajreshwari Cosmetics Private Limited” on January 30, 1984. The name of the company was changed to “Religare Enterprises Private Limited” on January 10, 2006. Religare Enterprises Limited (REL), is one of the leading integrated financial services groups of India. REL’s businesses are broadly clubbed across three key verticals, the Retail, Institutional and Wealth spectrums, catering to a diverse and wide base of clients. REL offers a multitude of investment options and a diverse bouquet of financial services and has a pan India reach in more than 1550 locations across more than 460 cities and towns.

f) Bajaj Capital Introduction
Bajaj Capital is one of India’s leading Financial Services companies offering Free Advice on Investments, Insurance, Tax Saving, Retirement Planning, Financial Planning, Children’s Future Planning and other services. They are also SEBI-approved Category I Merchant Bankers. Today, Bajaj Capital is a one of the largest financial planning and investment advisory companies in India, with a strong presence all over the country. They offer a comprehensive range of services including financial planning and investment advice, and the entire gamut of financial instruments and investment products of almost all major companies, both public and private. In addition, they also provide investment assistance by helping clients complete all the formalities, and help them keep regular track of their investments.

ii) Service Offerings
a) Mutual Funds b) Taxation Advise c) Bonds d) Post Office Schemes e) Estate Planning f) Insurance g) Financial Planning h) Retirement Planning Bajaj Capital’s 360º Financial Planning Financial Planning is becoming increasingly popular in developed countries all over the world. Now, with a little help from Bajaj Capital, clients too can give themselves the 360° Financial Planning edge! Now, Bajaj Capital brings you the same service ABSOLUTELY FREE! Bajaj Capital's 360° Financial Planning Programme could make a difference to all those who wish to lead a worry-free, financially secure life. 360° Financial Planning is based on the premise that every individual has certain basic financial needs that are expressed at various stages of life (getting married, buying assets like homes, vehicles, or providing for your children's education and wedding). Instead of investing in an ad-hoc manner, 360° Financial Planning helps you take a holistic, all-round view. Briefly, 360° Financial Planning comprises: • Investment Planning: To make your wealth grow

• Cash Flow Planning: To provide for assets and meet the periodic cash requirements Tax Planning: To save on taxes and increase your income • Insurance Planning: To protect yourself, your family and your assets • Children's Future Planning: To give your children a financially secure future • Retirement Planning: Because retirement is a time to relax, not to get worried

g) Allegro

Capital Advisors Private Limited

(i) Introduction
Allegro Advisors is a leading Indian full service investment bank that builds value across a spectrum of clients, including the government, corporations, financial institutions, high net-worth individuals and professionals. • Comprehensive service offering • Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Asset Management & Private Banking • Ensuring client's financial well-being • Team of experienced advisors Allegro Capital is a comprehensive Investment Bank that comes with years of expertise in offering financial solutions and advisory services across the corporate world. Allegro Capital Advisors has offices located in key metros across India. The team of financial advisors and specialists has the local knowledge, contacts and awareness to create optimum solutions that meet client's financial ambitions giving their clients the global local advantage,

(iii) Service Offerings

The investment approach begins by working closely with the clients to identify their long-term financial goals, risk tolerance and the nature of their existing asset base. Additionally, allegro review each client’s portfolio on an ongoing basis and evaluate possible adjustments in response to economic changes, market trends or client needs. Allegro ensures this highly personalized model of service by maintaining amongst the lowest client to advisor ratios in industry. Allegro offers one of the widest range of financial services that covers the spectrum of every need a client may have in managing his or her wealth. Our services are categorized to serve diverse financial needs and the diverse investment strategies that are required to grow a client’s wealth. Allegro Growth: Designed for the young executive, it comprises a set of products and services that allow start up incomes maximize potential to grow in the long term. A special offering has been designed for working couples Allegro Equity: A pure equity offering with a unique strategy that keeps in perspective capital conservation through medium and long strategies such as dividend yields, IPOs, buy-backs, value picks, sectoral picks, growth fund opportunities etc. PMS is offered selectively Allegro Wealth: A top of the line service offering that comprises the entire basket of services that include specialized equity advisory including personal advise from our highly reputed advisory panel across taxation, debt, equity and money markets, automatic portfolio and rebalancing management, insurance and loan advisory, access to a 8 hr 6 days a week helpline. Portfolio Management Services is offered selectively.

(h) IDBI Bank (Other Public Sector-Indian Banks) :
Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) is the 10th largest bank in the world in terms of development. The National Stock Exchange (NSE), The National Securities Depository Services Ltd. (NSDL), Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL) are some of the institutions which has been built by IDBI. IDBI is a strategic investor in a plethora of institutions which have revolutionized the Indian Financial Markets.

SIDBI Bank, promoted by IDBI Group started in November 1995 with a branch at Indore with an equity capital base of Rs. 1000 million. Main functions of IDBI IDBI is vested with the responsibility of coordinating the working of institutions engaged in financing, promoting and developing industries. It has evolved an appropriate mechanism for this purpose. IDBI also undertakes/supports wide-ranging promotional activities including entrepreneurship development programmes for new entrepreneurs, provision of consultancy services for small and medium enterprises, upgradation of technology and programmes for economic upliftment of the underprivileged.

IDBI's role as a catalyst IDBI's role as a catalyst to industrial development encompasses a wide spectrum of activities. IDBI can finance all types of industrial concerns covered under the provisions of the IDBI Act. With over three decades of service to the Indian industry, IDBI has grown substantially in terms of size of

operations and portfolio. Developmental Activities of IDBI

Promotional activities In fulfillment of its developmental role, the Bank continues to perform a wide range of promotional activities relating to developmental programmes for new entrepreneurs, consultancy services for small and medium enterprises and programmes designed for accredited voluntary agencies for the economic upliftment of the underprivileged. These include entrepreneurship development, self-employment and wage employment in the industrial sector for the weaker sections of society through voluntary agencies, support to Science and Technology Entrepreneurs' Parks, Energy Conservation, Common Quality Testing Centres for small industries. Technical Consultancy Organisations

With a view to making available at a reasonable cost, consultancy and advisory services to entrepreneurs, particularly to new and small entrepreneurs, IDBI, in collaboration with other All-India Financial Institutions, has set up a network of Technical Consultancy Organisations (TCOs) covering the entire country. TCOs offer diversified services to small and medium enterprises in the selection, formulation and appraisal of projects, their implementation and review.

Entrepreneurship Development Institute Realizing that entrepreneurship development is the key to industrial development, IDBI played a prime role in setting up of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India for fostering entrepreneurship in the country. It has also established similar institutes in Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. IDBI also extends financial support to various organisations in conducting studies or surveys of relevance to industrial development.

Table : Comparison among various financial advisors
Parameters Fees IPO Advisory Taxation Advisory Debt Post Office Schemes Bonds Real Estate Advisory Allegro ? ? ? ? ? X UTI Bank X ? ? X ? X Citiba HDFC Religare nk X X X X ? X ? ? X X ? Part of real estate Unbiased Advisory Administration Services Brokerage House Target Salaried Audience Business men Financial Planning Retirement Planning Commodity Trading Insurance ? ? X ? X ? ? X Based on Need Analysis Restructuring of Liabilities Web Portal ? X X ? X ? X ? X ? X X ? ? ? ? ? X LIC X X X ? ? ? ? X Birla fund X ? ? ? ? ? ? X ? X ? ? ? ? X X ? ? X ? X ? ? X X X Max New York Life X ? X ? X ? ? ? ? ? ? X Bajaj X ? X X ? X YES Bank X ? X X ? X Bajaj Capital X ? ? ? ? ?

ANALYSIS OF THE COMPARISION
It can be observed from the above Table that most of the financial advisors are not charging any fees for their advisory services i.e. they are giving it free of cost because

the banks (Citibank, UTI Bank, HSBC) earn commission if the customer purchases mutual funds, insurance, from it. The broking company earns brokerage if the client purchases RBI bonds etc or if he does any equity trading. The bank only charges marginal fees on the custodial services. However, HDFC Bank - instead of asking customers to bring in a specific amount of funds - charges customers on various types of services it offers. The management of wealth depends on the customer's risk appetite, his investment objectives. Once these are understood, the bank sends a written investment proposal on what the bank thinks the portfolio should be. However, HDFC Bank do charge clients from Rs.35,000 a year for tracking portfolio up to Rs.35 lakh and Rs.1,00,000 for tracking portfolio up to Rs.1 crore. These services include equity-related services along with dedicated advisors. The bank also offers services between Rs.10,000 and Rs.25,000 per annum for non-interactive products. The bank, however, waives these fees if it earns money through transactions routed through the bank. Taxation advisory is given by very few players like Allegro, Bajaj Capital, UTI Bank. Various banks have a tie-up model with different insurance and mutual fund companies like Citibank has with Birla so Citibank will only sell Birla insurance to their clients irrespective of the fact whether the product meets the client’s financial goals. Allegro is one player which takes care of loan restructuring. Commodity trading is only being handled by Religare as a separate product as SEBI have not yet allowed commodity trading to be a part of wealth advisory services. However banks offer portfolio management services to customers. This means that a customer cannot give money to a private banker and ask the RM to invest on his behalf in different financial products. This service can be offered only by entities other than a bank such as Religare, Allegro Advisors, Bajaj Capital, etc. A banker therefore will have to call every time and get a written confirmation from the client before any deal is done.

CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
FINANCIAL ADVISORSa) Overview-

Planning for a secure financial future is not easy. Yet increasingly, individuals are in charge of their own financial futures. Most are aware that planning is critical, yet they don’t have time or the expertise to develop a plan and make the needed financial decisions. So there arises a need for Financial Advisors to manage the individual’s wealth and the whole process of managing this wealth is known as Wealth Management. There are a number of financial advisors offering a diverse portfolio of services to suit different financial requirements of their clients. In order to accomplish the task, advisors help individuals or corporate manage their wealth appropriately through: (i) Investment Solutions: - The financial planner helps the individuals diversify their portfolio through alternative investment plans, mutual funds, equities, and even save for retirement through annuities. (ii) Financial Planning: - Financial Planning is an exercise aimed to ensure availability of right amount of money at the right time to meet the individual’s financial goals. Financial institutions plan individual’s current expenditures and save for future shortterm or long-term goals by analyzing different options available. (iii) Retirement Planning: - The financial planner guides their clients in planning for their financial requirements after retirement, by helping them identify goals, researching and analyzing different opportunities to secure funds and make investments to suits their needs. (iv) Wealth Management: - It is a comprehensive service to optimize, protect and manage the financial well-being of an individual, family or corporation. Its basic definition covers advice on loans, investments and insurance to give a broad picture of how individuals should best deploy their financial resources. A broader picture may include tax advice, estate planning, business planning, charity foundations and other financial needs. these companies provide the assistance of professional financial advisors. These financial

Even though one of the most significant factors in our life is the state of our personal finances, we rarely spend time on managing them since unlike businesses. The reason being, we are not accountable to any one for our personal financial goals and results. As a result we tend to get careless in our financial matters. I know we all understand the importance of savings but let us not get confused between savings and investment. Mere savings (putting aside a portion of earnings) do not insure or guarantee achievement of future financial goals.

b) Financial Planner (Wealth Planner / Financial Advisor)The financial planner helps identify various taxable and non-taxable investments. This is not a comprehensive list of services. They may differ from one financial management company to another. One can select the services according to their requirements, be it personal or professional. A financial planner work begins with a consultation with the client, from whom the planner obtains information on the client’s finances and financial goals. The planner

then develops a comprehensive financial plan that identifies problem areas, makes recommendations for improvement, and selects appropriate investments compatible with the client’s goals, attitude toward risk, and expectation or need for a return on the investment. Financial institutions usually meet with established clients to update them on potential investments and to determine whether the clients have been through any life changes—such as marriage, disability, or retirement—that might affect their financial goals. Finding clients and building a customer base is one of the most important of a financial planner’s job, because referrals from satisfied clients are an important source of new business. Many institutions also contact potential clients by giving seminars or lectures or meet clients through business and social contacts.

(i) Need for a financial planner:
• Holistic in outlook: CFPs consider all circumstances, family needs, goals, values, and aspirations, while making recommendations. • Professionals: CFPs protect privacy, strive to maintain the highest ethical standards and continually enhance skills and credentials through continuing education. • Educational in nature: CFPs guide one through options and explain the clearly to help make the best choices. • Committed to success: Holistic financial planning is a process, not an event, and commit to adjusting plan as life goals change.

(ii) Role of Financial Planner
a) Defining your Goals: - A planner will take note of and record all your financial goals. You save for a variety of reasons: to buy a house and a car, to educate your children, to set them up in business, to get them married, to go on vacations, and, finally, to give yourself a comfortable life in retirement. But not all of us get around to defining what ‘comfortable’ retirement means or ‘good’ education means in money terms.

b) Saving for them: - Once these goals are written down, you can clearly see what you need to save today to meet these goals. The concept of ‘savings’ changes from ‘something that’s left over’ to ‘something that you target every month’. The planner helps with your budgeting by making you write down your income and expenses in great detail. He helps you rationalize wasteful expenses and establish a system of generating surpluses every month. Once you see the magnitude of your investment goals and the need to save properly, the desire for the latest in everything diminishes. In other words, planning is about creating wealth–and managing it efficiently. c) Covering Risk: - The planner then assesses your insurance needs, which varies from person to person and from age to age. As a young bachelor with no dependants, you’ll need disability insurance rather more than life insurance, but the minute you get married and you have a stay-at-home wife whom you support, you need life insurance as well. When the kids come along and your old parents too become your dependants, the outlay on your life insurance will have to increase, as will that on disability. The planner will help you identify your insurance needs, quantify them and then suggest policy options. d) Planning for Retirement: - The planner then looks at your retirement needs and plans for the time when you’ll no longer be earning. Your contributions to your EPF and PPF accounts will, of course, help you on that count–provided you’ve been disciplined and not made withdrawals from these accounts halfway through. e) Making It Happen: - The planner has taken so long just to establish what you want out of life in money terms; even now, the actual investment is two steps away. The planner will now assess your ‘risk profile’. This is just a way to see what level of risk you’re comfortable with. It would depend on your age and your family circumstances. f) Total Financial Solutions: - A planner has a ‘big picture’ vision and is able to see the inter-linkages of all your goals, expenses and investments.

g) The Balancing Act: - A planner’s responsibility doesn’t, however, end with your buying a product. He still has to hand-hold you, for instance, when the stock market tanks or tops. Imprudent investors tend to buy when the market is high and sell in a slump. The planner educates you on the merits of a long-term approach and regular investing and helps you rebalance your portfolio.

c) Financial Planning‘Financial planning’ is the process of charting out the money course of your life. It’s like having a financial roadmap that guides your every step till you pass on the baton to the next generation. In other words, it is a process in which an individual sets long-term financial goals through investments, tax planning, asset allocation, risk management, retirement planning and estate planning. Most of us approach our financial lives like the disorganized traveler who gets to his destination eventually and perhaps even enjoys the rough ride. We think we have a clear roadmap in mind, but our financial lives are marked by ad-hoc decisions and capitulation to the temptations of the flavors of the financial season.

(i) Benefits of Financial Planning
A sound and meticulous Financial Planning will have following enumerated benefits: • Sophisticated financial advice to cope with changing life situation • Non-biased opinion on one’s insurance needs • Help dealing with one’s retirement planning • Optimum asset allocation and investment strategy formulation

• Efficient tax strategy and estate planning

Investments a) Overview
The money you earn is partly spent and the rest is saved for meeting future expenses. Instead of keeping the savings idle you may like to use savings in order to get return on it in the future. This is called Investment. In other words, Investment is ‘the act of

committing money or capital to an endeavor with the expectation of obtaining an additional income or profit.’ It's actually pretty simple: investing means putting your money to work for you. Essentially, it's a different way to think about how to make money. There are many different ways you can go about making an investment. This includes putting money into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate (among many other things), or starting your own business. Sometimes people refer to these options as "investment vehicles," which is just another way of saying "a way to invest." Each of these vehicles has positives and negatives, which will be discussed later in the thesis. The point is that it doesn't matter which method you choose for investing your money, the goal is always to put your money to work so it earns you an additional profit. Even though this is a simple idea, it's the most important concept in the current scenario to understand.

b) Basic Investment Objectives
Investing is a conscious decision to set money aside for a long enough periods in an avenue that suits your risk profile. The options for investing our savings are continually increasing, yet every single investment vehicle can be easily categorized according to three fundamental characteristics - Safety, Income and Growth - which also correspond to types of investor objectives. While it is possible for an investor to have more than one of these objectives, the success of one must come at the expense of others. Here we examine these three types of objectives, the investments that are used to achieve them and the ways in which investors can incorporate them in devising a strategy.

(i) Safety
Perhaps there is truth to the axiom that there is no such thing as a completely safe and secure investment. Yet we can get close to ultimate safety for our investment funds through the purchase of government-issued securities in stable economic systems, or through the purchase of the highest quality corporate bonds issued by the economy's top companies.

Such securities are arguably the best means of preserving principal while receiving a specified rate of return. The safest investments are usually found in the money market and include such securities as Treasury bills (T-bills), certificates of deposit, commercial paper or bankers' acceptance slips; or in the fixed income (bond) market in the form of municipal and other government bonds, and in corporate bonds.

(ii) Income
However, the safest investments are also the ones that are likely to have the lowest rate of income return, or yield. Investors must inevitably sacrifice a degree of safety if they want to increase their yields. This is the inverse relationship between safety and yield: as yield increases, safety generally goes down, and vice versa.

(iii) Growth of Capital

Growth of capital is most closely associated with the purchase of common stock, particularly growth securities, which offer low yields but considerable opportunity for increase in value. Blue-chip stocks, by contrast, can potentially offer the best of all worlds by possessing reasonable safety, modest income and potential for growth in capital generated by long-term increases in corporate revenues and earnings as the company matures.

Secondary Objectives (i) Cost of Inflation
One needs to invest wisely to meet the cost of Inflation. Inflation causes money to lose value because it will not buy the same amount of a good or a service in the future as it does now or did in the past.Remember to look at an investment’s ‘real’ rate of return, which is the return after inflation. The aim of investments should be to provide a return above the inflation rate to ensure that the investment does not decrease in value. For example, if the annual inflation rate is 6%, then the investment will need to earn more than 6% to ensure it increases in value.

(ii) Tax Minimization
An investor may pursue certain investments in order to adopt tax minimization as part of his or her investment strategy. A highly-paid executive, for example, may want to seek investments with favorable tax treatment in order to lessen his or her overall income tax burden. Making contributions to an IRA or other tax-sheltered retirement plan can be an effective tax minimization strategy. By far, tax-saving is the most compelling reason for investors to set aside money for the long term.

(iii) Marketability / Liquidity
Common stock is often considered the most liquid of investments, since it can usually be sold within a day or two of the decision to sell. Bonds can also be fairly marketable, but some bonds are highly illiquid, or non-tradable, possessing a fixed term. Similarly, money market instruments may only be redeemable at the precise date at which the fixed term ends.

(iv) Retirement
Anyone who will retire needs to plan for it. There is more than one reason to save for retirement. The all important reason is the rising cost of living. It’s called inflation. If you start planning for retirement early on, you can bridge the gap between what you have in your hand today and what you would like to have when you retire. If you begin saving for retirement early on in your life, you can set aside smaller amounts. You can also take on more risk by investing larger amounts in equities i.e., stocks and equity funds. If you delay saving for retirement, you will have to invest larger sums of money to save for the same amount; also the share of equity investments as a portion of your retirement savings will have to be lower.

Types of Investmentsa) Overview
There are many ways to invest your money. Of course, to decide which investment vehicles are suitable for you, you need to know their characteristics and why they may be suitable for a particular investing objective. • Debt Market • Bonds • Mutual Funds • Equity Market • Insurance • Cash • Gold • Real Estate

Types of Investments
Return Equity Bonds Co. Debentures Co. FDs Bank Deposits PPF Life Insurance Gold Real Estate Mutual Funds Safety High Moderate Moderate Moderate Low Moderate Low Moderate High High Volatility Low High Moderate Low High High High High Moderate High Liquidity High High Moderate Moderate Moderate Low Low Low Low High Low Moderate Low Low Moderate Moderate High Low Moderate High Convenience Moderate High Low Moderate High High Moderate Gold Low High

CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Given below are the graphical representations of the responses received on questions asked through the questionnaire. The interpretation derived and the model adopted will be explained in detail in the later part of the report. On asking the following questions, the replies were received accordingly:

What is your objective behind investments?
Investing is a conscious decision to set money aside for a long enough periods in an avenue that suits your risk profile. The questionnaire asked the respondents to reveal their objective behind investments, majority of the respondents disclosed growth of capital as their prime objective while safety of capital stands secondary. This response reflects the investor willingness to take calculated risks for growth of their capital Objective Behind Investment No of Respondents (in %)

Growth of Capital Tax Minimization Safety of Capital Retirement Liquidity Beating Inflation Others

46.28 14.05 15.7 14.88 2.48 3.31 3.31

The research has highlighted that growth of capital is the most important factor which they consider wile investing as evident by the response wherein 46.3% of the respondents voted for the same. However, it can also be seen that 15.7% of the investors prefer safety of their capital as their secondary objective which depicts that

investors give greater emphasis to the returns and willing to adjust with safety of capital. Liquidity is the least important factor as only 2.5% of the respondents voted for it which signifies that the financial planner should designed the portfolio giving more importance to growth and safety of capital as per individual financial goals while liquidity should have the minimum focus. In our sample, inflation has only been given 3.3% of the total sample which reflects that people are still not giving much consideration to inflation even due to a sharp rise in the inflation rate.

Since when are you investing in financial instruments?
The respondents were asked as from when they have started investing in financial instrument so as to ascertain the average period of experience of an investor in the market. The responses were then graphically which indicates that majority of the investors i.e. 48.2% of the respondents have been investing for more than 12 months and signifies that the responses revealed are from experienced and qualified investors which adds to the credibility and reliability of the research. Months Less than 3 months 3 to 6 month 6 to 8 months 8 to 12 months More than 12 months No of Respondents (in %) 10.84 13.25 9.64 18.07 48.19

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Less than 3 3 to 6 month 6 to 8 months months M onths 8 to 12 months More than 12 months Series1

Do you plan your investments?
To evaluate the level of importance the investor gives on detailed financial planning to arise in their investment decision, the respondents were asked to reveal whether their investments are result of a careful planning or it’s a mere word of mouth. As many individuals follow word of mouth leaving behind the fact that every individual has different financial goals, they tend up in making wrong decisions for their investments. Most are aware that planning is critical, yet don’t have the time or the expertise to develop a plan and make the needed financial decisions. On analyzing the response 84% of the persons plan their investments while only 16% take investment decisions on ad hoc basis. Opinion of Respondents Yes No No of Respondents (in %) 84 16

What is your practice on saving money?

No of Respondents (in %)

To determine the saving habits of the investors, the questionnaire enquired the respondents as about their practice of savings. The greater the inclination of saving the more will be the funds available for investment. Around 47.5% of the respondents try to save from their income, while only 29.7% of the respondents always make an effort to save some part of their income. Opinion of Respondents Don’t believe in Savings High Expenses Try to Save Always Save Some Others No of Respondents (in %) 1.98 19.8 47.52 29.7 .99

R e s p o n s e o n p r a c t ic e o f s a v in g m o n e y

Only
50 40 No of Respondents (in%) 30 20 10 0 D o n ’t b e lie H igi h E x p e n sT e y t o S a ve lw a y s S a ve O t h e r s ve n rs A S a vin g s S om e O p i n i o n o f R e s p o n d e n ts S e ri e s 1

2% in

of

the don’t

respondents believe

savings,

which substantiate high importance of savings in Indian households. However, it was also observed that majority of the women respondents had high inclination for savings

and try to save the maximum out of their available income.

How much thought have you given to saving for retirement?
Anyone who will retire needs to plan for it. There is more than one reason to save for retirement. The all important reason is the rising cost of living. Its called inflation, which simply put, means that purchasing power of money falls over time, so you buy less for the same amount of money or you have to pay more for the same quantity of goods. On analyzing the level of importance the respondents give on saving for retirement, majority i.e. 47% of the respondents give some importance while only 18% give a lot of

importance to saving for retirement. This depicts non serious attitude of Indians while planning for their retirement. Opinion of Respondents Some A Lot Very Little None No of Respondents (in %) 47 18 18 17

When do you consider one should start planning for retirement?
If you start planning for retirement early on, you can bridge the gap between what you have in your hand today and what you would like to have when you retire. What to keep in mind while saving for retirement depends a lot on our age and how much money you are willing to set aside every month. If you begin saving for retirement early on in your life, you can set aside smaller amounts.

Planning for retirement in early age of employment is depicted on analyzing the responses as 35.8% start planning below the age of 30 years, while 42.1% of the respondents feel, the ideal age to be above 40 years.

Opinion of Respondents Below 30 31 – 40 41 – 50 Above 50

No of Respondents (in %) 35.79 22.11 22.11 20

What do you feel is considered to be the ‘fundamentally safe’ form of investment?
On enquiring from the respondent about what are the fundamental secure forms of investments, 35.4% of the respondents feel that investing in property is the safest form of investment followed by Insurance. The least secured form of investment as revealed by respondents is investment in equity as secondary market is subject to huge volatility & uncertainty. It can be seen from the response that people are more willing to put their money in property or real estate in spite of the economy experiencing a major climb in the

property prices. About 14.4% of the respondents feel that Bank deposits is also the safe form of investments as it gives assured returns on the sum invested. Opinion of Respondents Bank Deposit Property Postal Deposit Gold Insurance Bonds Mutual Fund Equity No of Respondents (in %) 14.37 35.33 7.78 3.59 15.57 12.57 7.19 2.99

R e s p o n s e o n fu n d a m e n tly s a fe fo rm o f in v e s tm e n t
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 B a n k P ro p e rty P o s ta l G o ld In s u ra n c e B o n d s M u t u a l E q u ity D e p o s it D e p o s it F und O p in io n o f R e sp o n d e n ts

No of Respondents (in%)

S e rie s 1

How do you take financial decisions?
An individual’s decision has a vital role to play in achieving investment objectives and thereby making investments in a systematic manner. Decisions can make or break investment avenues as wrong decisions would merely lead to wrong investments resulting in major loss. On enquiring from the respondents about how they take their financial decisions, majority of the respondents take their financial decisions independently which depicts they are not taking any advisory services from financial experts. There are majority of respondents who feel that they can handle their portfolio on their own and hence make their own decisions regarding investments. Opinion of Respondents No of Respondents (in %)

Independently Friends Broker CA Bank Financial Advisor Others

48 28 1 7 1 11 4

R e s p o n s e re g a rd in g ta k in g fin a n c ia l d e c is io n s
60 No of Respondents (in%) 50 40 30 20 10 0
CA Ba nk Fin an cia lA dv is o r Br ok er ds Ind ep en de ntl y Fr ien Ot he rs

S erie s 1

O p i n io n o f Re sp o n d e n ts

Do you have any Insurance Policy?
Life is full of dangers, but with insurance, you can at least ensure that you and your dependents don’t suffer. The purpose of buying insurance is to protect your dependants from any financial difficulties in your absence. It helps individuals in providing them with the twin benefits of insuring themselves while at the same time acting as a compulsory savings instrument to take care of their future needs. The research has highlighted that majority of the respondents are availing insurance policy which signifies that people are much aware about the advantages with an insurance policy which can cover their life as well as prove to be as a savings instrument. Opinion of Respondents Yes No No of Respondents (in %) 75 25

R e s p o n s e to h a v in g a n in s u r a n c e p o lic y

Y es No

Around 75% of the respondents do have insurance policy, while 25% of the respondents are still not availing this type of investment.

If yes, why did you buy an Insurance Policy?
On enquiring from the respondents about why they bought insurance policy, majority of the respondents bought insurance as a security against death which depicts people have ensured that their dependents don’t suffer incase of any uncertainty as life insurance indemnifies the nominees in case of an eventuality to the insured. By having insurance policy, the financial future of the nominees is secured in the absence of the person insured. Of the respondents who possessed insurance, 34% of the respondents had purchased insurance mainly as a security against death while 31% had bought it primarily as a savings product. Over 7% of the respondents purchased insurance as a word-of-mouth due to high demand of the product and it was also observed that around 28% of the respondents bought insurance to save tax. Opinion of Respondents For Saving Tax For Savings No of Respondents (in %) 28 31

For Security Against Death Others

34 7

R e s p o n s e fo r b u y in g a n in s u r a n c e p o lic y
40 30 No of Respondents (in%) 20 10 0 F o r S a vin g T a x F o r S a vin g sF o r S e c u rit y A g a in O t h e r s s D e a th O p i n i o n o f R e s p o n d e n ts S e rie s 1

Are you aware about the concept of Financial Advisors?
There are a number of financial advisors offering a diverse portfolio of services to suit different financial requirements of the individuals. In order to accomplish the task, these companies provide the assistance of professional financial advisors. The advisors educate individuals on the merits of a long-term approach and regular investing and help to rebalance their portfolio. On analyzing the response 78% of the respondents were aware about financial advisors while around 22% of the respondents were still not aware about professional financial advisors which depicts there lays a scope to penetrate these people and inform them regarding the services offered by various financial institutions.

Opinion of Respondents Yes No

No of Respondents (in %) 78 22

Response on awareness of financial advisors

Yes No

Do you currently avail financial advisor services/private banking services?
Majority of the respondents are currently not availing financial advisor services, which reveal the concept of financial advisors is not that much developed in the Indian market. Individuals are earning and paying high taxes thus ignoring the taxation benefits, which they can avail by proper computation of taxes. Individuals usually rely on Chartered Accountants leaving behind the fact that they are experts in Accounting and not in wealth management so there is a need for Financial Advisors. Hence, there is a requirement for one stop shop for all the financial needs of an individual. According to the response, it can be seen that 66% of the respondents are not availing any financial advisory services while only 34% are taking financial advisory services. Thus there’s much scope left for the financial management companies to target these large number of people who are totally unaware about the whole concept.

Opinion of Respondents Yes

No of Respondents (in %) 34

No

66

Response to availing financial advisory services

Yes No

If yes, from whom?
To find out the various companies from where the investors get financial advisory services & make their decisions regarding investments. This would reveal the preference the respondents have for different companies. On analyzing the response, 73.33% of the respondents were primarily availing financial advisors services from Citibank and when they were asked the reason behind, they replied Citibank provides free advisory services and has got a strong brand name. Secondly 36% of the respondents were taking financial advisory services from HDFC Bank followed by others which include UTI Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, etc which catered around 33.3% of the total sample. Opinion of Respondents Citi Bank HDFC Bank Allegro Advisors Bajaj Capital HSBC Bank Yes Bank Religare Others No of Respondents (in %) 73.33 36.67 20 13.33 16.67 10 3.33 33.33

R s o s re a in s u eo fin n ia a v o e p n e g rd g o rc f a c l d is ry
No of respondents (in%) 8 0 7 0 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 C Bn iti a k HF DC Bn ak A g lle ro A v rs d iso B ja a j Cp l a ita HB S C Bn ak Ys e Bn ak R lig re e a O e th rs S rie e s1

O in n o res o d ts p io f p n en

What are the products you are getting from your service provider?
According to our response, around 22% of the respondents are availing advices on insurance products followed by mutual funds which hold 14.6% of the total sample. This depicts there is a huge demand for insurance in the Indian economy as compared to other financial instruments. It can also be inferred that individuals have started taking advises regarding tax planning and loans restructuring.

Opinion of Respondents Mutual Fund IPO Equity Post Office Schemes Insurance Property Tax Planning Loan Administration Gold Art

No of Respondents (in %) 14.63 8.13 8.13 11.38 21.95 7.32 11.38 9.76 4.07 2.44 0.81

insurance products followed by mutual funds which hold 14.6% of the total sample. This depicts there is a huge demand for insurance in the Indian economy as compared to other financial instruments. It can also be inferred that individuals have started taking advises regarding tax planning and loans restructuring.

Plan of investments?
To evaluate the level of importance the investor gives on detailed financial planning to arise in their investment decision, the respondents were asked to reveal whether their investments are result of a careful planning or it’s a mere word of mouth. As many individuals follow word of mouth leaving behind the fact that every individual has different financial goals, they tend up in making wrong decisions for their investments.

Which type of factoring you prefer?
(a) Recourse (b) Non-Recourse

Analysis and Interpretation:1.20 customers prefer recourse factoring. 2. Remaining 10 customers prefer non recourse factoring.

CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION & FINDINGS
This part of research paper determines the prospects of financial advisors in the market with relevance to the information derived from analysis of the responses. Feasibility of financial institutions can be studied by both financial feasibility and marketing feasibility.

a) Financial Feasibility
Financial feasibility will study the need of financial advisors due to changes in the inflation rate, loans, insurance charges, etc which investors usually ignored so by availing the financial advisory services, one can expect unbiased advise on the entire spectrum of personal finance and thereby adding value to the investor’s current portfolio and potential savings. The statistics regarding the investments are discussed below so as to show the trend of various factors in the Indian economy.

i) Growing Economy
The anticipated growth rate of 6 - 7 percent in 2008-09, acknowledges the momentum of development in the Indian economy. The odds are loaded heavily in favor of a continuation of the growth momentum and a virtuous cycle of growth and savings, that appears to be already underway, is likely to accelerate that pace.

India is the world’s second most populous country with a little over 1 billion people and the 10th in terms of economic size, representing around 6% of world GDP. The impact of 15 years of economic reform finally appears to have kicked in and allowed India to emerge as an attractive investment destination in the global arena India, with an anticipated growth rate of 6 to 7 % for the year 2008-09, supported by robust growth in the Indian industries and service sector would build a strong business scenario which would increase the economic activity in the country, evident from increased employment opportunities and entrepreneurship projects. As wealth management provide investors with commentary, research, and practical ideas that bridge the gap between theory and practice in contemporary global business, it would result in increase in the demand for financial advisors in the country, thereby authenticating the prospects of financial advisors in the Indian market

ii) Strong Financial Market
India's financial markets have undergone rapid changes since the country embarked on a program of economic reforms in 1991. They have embraced technology, seen a substantial increase in the variety and volume of transactions, and witnessed the emergence of new securities and new instruments. India witnesses growing number of venture capitalist bank which do not hesitate in investing in new projects and bear high risk with the entrepreneur. Therefore, the financial market scenario in India is conducive for procurement of funds for launching the business magazine in the market.

iii) Inflation
Inflation is moving at around 4% and the savings account is giving an interest of 3.5% per annum which signifies that inflation is merely eating up the money in the bank account so individuals should come out of just keeping their money in their bank accounts and should invest in the financial instruments to fetch higher returns.

b) Market Feasibility
Marketing feasibility involves determining the prospects of financial advisors in the rowing economy like India. The study includes assessing the need of financial institutions to achieve all the individual’s financial goals and keeping these goals in mind how do they recommend certain investment options in the market in order to provide value additions to individual’s current portfolio & savings potential. For assessing the satisfaction level of investors who are availing financial advisory services, the performance of the current players in the markets will be studied and their strength and weakness will be analyzed, If the investor’s satisfaction level from the current advisor is less, then greater will be the feasibility of prospects of financial advisors in the Indian market.

After analyzing the response, marketing feasibility exist on the basis of following discoveries.

1. Growth of Capital is the Major Objective behind Investments
It was observed that 46.3% of the respondents do investments for achieving growth of capital i.e. revenue maximization. Safety of capital was considered secondary objective behind investments as only 15.7% of the respondents think about their safety of capital i.e. assured returns which reflects that investors are more concerned for growth rather than safety irrespective of their financial goals in life. A financial advisor can take care of all the financial goals in keeping three goals in mind, he can recommend certain investment options ranging from mutual funds, insurance, IPO, post-office schemes, secondary markets, etc

2. Low saving Potential
Out of the total sample, around 48% of the respondents said that they try to save money which depicts low saving potential among the Indian investors. They are not in the habit of saving on a regular basis as it was observed that only 29.7% always save some portion of their take home salary. The financial advisor should promote regular savings among the investors so as to open various investment channels for them to fetch good returns.

3. Investors taking Financial Decisions Independently
Investors are taking their financial decisions independently without doing any financial planning which reflects the need for financial advisors who will take note of and record all the financial goals and will simultaneously work out the money value for each of the goals. Additionally, financial advisors can also set aside some money for contingencies – medical and other emergencies in liquid form and invest the rest in diversified portfolio so that the risk gets distributed.

4. High Awareness of Financial Advisors in the Indian Market
Majority of the investors i.e. 78% of the respondents were aware about the concept of financial advisors but among them, very few investors have actually gone for availing these services which shows lack of trust and confidence in the services provided by the financial advisors in the eyes of general public. The financial advisors should find out the deficiencies and flaws in the current services being provided to the investors and attempt at suggesting ways and means to remedy the same.

5. High Level of Satisfaction from Existing Financial Advisors
Majority of the investors were very satisfied with the services provided by the existing service providers which primarily include Citibank, HDFC Bank, HSBC Bank, etc. Thus it becomes evident that the satisfaction level of the investors is high from the existing advisors and thereby validates the prospects of financial advisors in the Indian market.

As it could be seen from the above factors that investors are having low saving potential, growth of capital acts as a primary objective behind investments, investors taking financial decisions independently, high level of satisfaction from existing financial advisors, which depicts that there is a need of financial institutions to approach these investors in a proper manner so as to provide value additions to the saving potential and portfolio. To conclude, the above research substantiates both financial and marketing feasibility for the prospects of financial advisors in the Indian market.

CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATION AND SUGGESTIONS
On studying the peculiarities of the wealth management industry and analyzing the responses of the investors on their perception and expectation from a financial advisor, the following points are recommended which a general financial advisor should consider while approaching the people. India is seeing a maturing financial environment. Interest rates have fallen and unlike in the past, options to attract savings exist through a spate of financial products and services that have differing risk/growth and asset accretion propositions. It is becoming increasingly obvious to people that their money, in real terms, would fall in value if they were to keep their money in the bank. And hence the keenness to find out the right avenue that would help grows their savings or assets. While this is becoming a universally undeniable desire, the fact is that some people don’t have the knowledge and inclination to understand the financial markets and others don’t have the time to follow them. This then leads to financial decisions being taken by individuals based on either relationship hearsay or the sales call of a vendor.

a) Unbiased Advisory
Investment Advisory Services are in this business of managing the assets of individuals and corporations. However, the distinct model of services should enable the advisors to offer unbiased advise on the entire spectrum of personal finance, keeping the clients interest foremost while doing so. The investment strategies developed across perpetuity

should outline a detailed financial plan with frequent reviews of investment decisions made to ensure that portfolios are in line with what was planned.

b) Certified Financial Planner
Financial planning is a new animal in the Indian market. The big thing to happen is the coming to India of the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) mark, owned by the Board of Standards in the US and licensed out to non-profit associations in 18 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Leading financial players–asset management companies, banks, mutual funds and insurance companies, forms these associations. Another player in this space is the NSE’s Certification of Financial Markets (NCFM), an arm of the National Stock Exchange that tests and certifies insurance and mutual fund agents. A third institution, the Association of Mutual Funds (AMFI), is encouraging its agents to morph from distributors to advisors. Apart from the institutions, some individuals and small companies have set up practice anticipating that the market will move from an adhoc approach to a planned one.

c) Financial Planning Should Be Encouraged
It is a process in which an individual sets long-term financial goals through investments, tax planning, asset allocation, risk management, retirement planning and estate planning. Most of us approach our financial lives like the disorganized traveler who gets to his destination eventually and perhaps even enjoys the rough ride. We think we have a clear roadmap in mind, but our financial lives are marked by ad-hoc decisions and capitulation to the temptations of the flavors of the financial season. One of the myths regarding financial planning is that only rich individuals and HNIs can undertake this. This perception exists because most players in the market target these people, as they are very profitable customers. However, anyone can use financial planning. In fact, individuals should use effective financial planning to build their wealth over the years.

APPENDIX: QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: ___________________________ Age: _____________ Occupation: ___________________________ Sex: ____________ Annual Income: ___________________________ City: _____________

1. What is your objective behind investments? (a) Safety of Capital (b) Retirement (c) Beating Inflation (d) Tax Minimization (e) Liquidity (f) Growth of Capital - Returns (g) Others (please specify) ________________________________

2. Since when are you investing in financial instruments? (a) Less than 3 months (b) 3 months – 6 months (c) 6 months – 8 months (d) 8 months – 12 months (e) More than 12 months (f) Others (please specify) ______________

3. Do you plan your investments? (a) Yes (b) No, why _________________________ 4. What is your practice on saving money? (a) I don’t believe in saving. (b) I’d like to save, but my expenses & financial commitments do not permit me. (c) I try to save whenever & wherever possible. (d) I always save some percentage of my take-home salary without exception. (e) Others (please specify) ________________________________

5. How much thought have you given to saving for retirement? (a) Very little (b) Some (c) A lot (d) None

6. When do you prefer one should start planning for retirement? (a) Under 30 (b) 31 – 40 (c) 41 – 50 (d) Above 50

5. What do you feel is considered to be the ‘fundamentally safe’ form of investment? (a) Bank deposits (b) Property/Land (c) Postal deposits (d) Gold (e) Life insurance policies (f) Government bonds (g) Mutual funds (h) Equity/Shares (i) Others (please specify) ________________________________

6. How do you take financial decisions? (a) Independently (b) Advise from friends / relatives (c) Broker (d) Advise from a Chartered Accountant (e) Advise from a Bank (f) Financial Advisors (g) Others (please specify) ________________________________

7. Do you have any Insurance Policy? (a) Yes (b) No

8. If yes, why did you buy an Insurance Policy? (a) As a means of saving (b) As a means of saving tax (c) For security against death (d) Others (please specify) ______________

9. Are you aware about the concept of Financial Advisors? (a) Yes (b) No

10. Do you currently avail financial advisor services/private banking services? (a) Yes (b) No, why _________________________ 11. If yes, from whom? (a) Citibank (b) HDFC Bank (c) Allegro Capital Advisors (d) Bajaj Capital (e) HSBC Bank (f) YES Bank (g) Religare (h) others (please specify) ______________

12. What are the products you are getting from your service provider? (a) Mutual Funds (b) Initial Public Offer (IPO) (c) Secondary Market (d) Post Office Schemes/Debt (e) Insurance (f) Real Estate/Property (g) Tax Planning (h) Loans (i) Administrative Services (j) Gold (k) Art/Paintings (l) Others (please specify) ______________

REFERENCES
The following companies and association’s web sites were referred while collecting information used in the research. 1. Internet Source • http://www.yesbank.in http://www.yesbank.in/index.jsp?navigationUrl=%2FYES+Bank+Repository%2Fen %2FCorporate+Banking%2FCorporate+Finance • http://www.citibank.co.in/ http://www.online.citibank.co.in/products-services/products-services.htm? eOfferCode=INHTPTB1 • http://www.hsbc.co.in http://www.hsbc.co.in/1/2/personal/investments/hsbc-personal-investments-wealthmanagement/wealth-management-product-suit • http://www.hdfcbank.com http://www.hdfcbank.com/personal/investments/default.htm • http://www.bajajcapital.com http://www.bajajcapital.com/la-premier/our-products-suit.php?id=5



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