Every year we plan, revise or modify our short-term or long-term financial goals by using a variety of money management tools and practices. This includes an understanding of spending, saving, budgeting, and investment, which can honestly be very confusing. Two terms that you will often stumble upon while self-planning or from your financial advisor are “Financial Planning” and “Investment Planning”. These terms are often used interchangeably, hence common to feel confused about the two terminologies. While investment is an important part of a sound financial plan, it is not the plan itself.

Even as an adult, we will receive financial advice and investment tips from our parents and seniors, but before implementing them you must understand the differences between the two.

What’s Investment Planning?

Investing planning is an investment strategy that involves putting your money into various investment products and staying with it through ups and downs with an end objective to maximize profits.

Investment plans are generally meant to aid you to select how much to invest in stocks, bonds, cash, and real estate to optimize your returns by taking into consideration your risk tolerance, diversification, and asset allocation. This will help you select your desired investments from a wide range of options to fund your short-term and long-term goals.

However, an Investment Plan is not as detailed as a Financial Plan because investments are subjected to market risks. Your investment plan can get changed rapidly or get modified based on the market volatility.

Before you decided to plan your Investment goals, you need to have answers to the following questions:

1. Do you have investment goals? What are they?

2. By what date and time do you need to achieve those goals?

3. How much do you need to invest right now, or how much do you need to invest over time?

4. Do you have any concerns regarding taxes or your current assets?

5. How much risk are you okay taking?

6. How often do you want to make changes to your investment plan?

What’s Financial Planning?

Financial planning is an assessment of your existing and future financial situation based on various variables. It entails saving, budgeting, taxation, retirement, insurance, and estate planning, among other things. A financial planner will assess your finances and look at every part of your financial life to develop a strategy or plan for you. They will walk you through a road map that will help you establish your objectives and prioritize them. A financial plan evolves with the client's life, taking into account changes in lifestyle, cash flows, tax rates, and inflation. When creating a financial plan, you must take into account your future income demands, vacation allotment, future asset acquisitions, and anything else (marriage, family planning) that will have a big influence on your financial life to ensure that your present financial situation will keep you on track to meet your objectives.

A detailed financial plan prepared should include:

1. A list of your assets and liabilities

2. To help you save for the future, create a budget based on your income and spending

3. To help you save for the future, create a budget based on your income and spending

4. To evaluate your current insurance coverage and requirements

5. Make an investment strategy to expand the money you've set aside

6. Make an estate plan

7. Consideration of the effects of income taxes and legislative changes (eg, Union Budget)

To stay on track to attaining your goals, a successful financial plan should be revised regularly to reflect any changes that will influence your financial life.

In Conclusion:

A financial plan is only a structure, but an investment plan is a strategy that is at the heart of the financial planning process. As a working member of society, you must prepare separately for your personal and investment needs.

Long stories short, your financial plan serves as a framework for defining your objectives, risks, and reward of your return. The investing strategy is more of a road map that will guide you along the way!

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