What Should I Do in the New Financial Year

Written by Vidya Kumar

April 4, 2017

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Executive Summary: April 1, 2017 to 31 March, 2018 is the new financial year. You can take some proactive steps to ensure that your financial year is under your control. These steps include selling off bad investments, planning taxes for the new financial year, increasing savings and investments, being disciplined and reviewing your investments and finances. This will keep your budget on track and you can have a well-performing portfolio. 

Happy New Financial Year!
April 1 is the start of the new financial year. Just like you have new year resolutions, you can also make some Financial Year resolutions. Here are a few steps that you can take so that the year ahead is smooth from a financial perspective –

1) Get out of bad investments – Are there any investments that are losing money? Check the prospects of these assets. If there is no potential for increase in value, then sell those investments. It is better to lose some money by selling off than getting your money stuck in a assets that are losing value. Two years down the line, you would be making an even bigger loss. You can use the capital to invest in a better performing instrument.

2) Plan your taxes for the financial year – It is important to do tax planning at the beginning of the financial year. Decide which instruments you want to invest in. If you plan in advance, you will invest in assets that suit your risk profile and are appropriate for your financial portfolio. Many people ignore planning for tax at the beginning and end up paying more tax. Else they buy products which are ill-suited for their investment profile.    
Submit investment proofs in time to the employer.
If you are a senior citizen who does not have to pay taxes, ensure that Form 15G and Form 15H are submitted.

3) Increase your savings and investments – You might have got a raise in the salary or earned more money. Ensure that part of the increased income is invested. You can do it in many ways – Increase your contribution to PPF, increase your SIPs in Mutual Funds that have performed well the last year. If you have done all the above and still have money to invest, you can consider NPS.

4) Be more disciplined – You can resolve to be more disciplined by following –
File tax returns before the last date of filing.

  • Pay credit card bills, utility bills and premium payments before the deadline.
  • Make sure the EMI cheques are in order. The bank instructions for debit are in order and not expired.
  • Take a look at the previous year. Did you spend unnecessarily or make impulsive purchases. Make a resolution to avoid these mistakes.

5) Review – Review your investment portfolio and asset allocation. Is it relevant to your investment needs and investment profile? If there has been a major change in your life, it might require a rebalancing of the portfolio. Check your income and expenses and if they have been in order. Check various plans and subscriptions like Internet plans, mobile plan, gym and magazine subscription (online as well as hard copy). Do you have expired credit cards or too many credit cards for which you pay fees. Are they still useful? If not update them as required. You can cancel credit cards and subscriptions that are not useful. Dispose off the old credit cards. If you have not filed taxes for the previous financial year, do so.

It helps to be proactive and do what is necessary in your financial life instead of waiting until the last minute. You will be aware of your finances and also be in control of them. If there are any issues, you will be able to find them beforehand and have time to resolve them.

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