Impact of US Recession & Financial Planning In Times of Covid19 – Real Conversations With Sanjay Sachdev, Zyfin Holdings

This is part of the Real Conversations Podcast, hosted by Ritu Kant Ojha, Author of Real Conversations in Digital Age & CEO of Proact Communications

We all try various ways to save our hard-earned money in different financial instruments and hope that when we are in need, they can be liquidated and utilised. One of the assets in which we all invest is equity. We usually invest in equity by buying direct shares from stock markets or indirectly through mutual funds where a fund manager takes investment call on the pool of money.

The stock markets world over have crashed and that has impacted the sentiments of equity investors. To talk more about what can investors do in these times, we are joined by Mr Sanjay Sachdev from Boston, US. He is the Chairman of Zyfin Holdings and comes with over 3 decades of experience in financial services across banking and asset management companies. He has managed billions of dollars worth of assets and if you are looking for a piece of advice on your equity investments, he is the person with a global perspective.

We cover the following questions in this podcast:

The prediction of a deep recession in the US. How bad it would be?

Do you think India is decoupled from the US equity markets or the stock exchanges?

Now equities are a long term investment tool. But people are quite anxious looking at their mutual fund and direct equity portfolio. What is your message to them?

It is advised that one should not try to catch a falling knife. But then when has the knife touched the ground, how would an average investor know? The knife being stock markets?

How do you compare the impact of the sub-prime crisis on stock markets with the novel coronavirus impact on the equity market?

For those who would want to use this opportunity to buy equities, what would be your advice?

Choosing mutual funds always becomes a nightmare for those who have never invested. What is the best way to take the first step?

What would be your advice to those who do not believe in financial planning? What lessons does this uncertainty have for such people?

What is the conversation one should have with his or her financial advisor in these times? And what is the importance of such conversations?