We’re less than a month away from the third edition of Spring. We started Spring as an initiative to improve financial well-being. Our team looks back at previous editions of Spring and what we’re looking forward to.
"Spring is a unique opportunity to grow our networks and discuss personal finance in a hands-on manner. In the December edition, we wanted to create an engagement model that was relatable, fun, and thought provoking. In a stall setup we have only a few minutes to capture a person’s attention. We believe asset allocation is the foundation of wealth creation.
We found a way to visually represent this through a pizza. Slices corresponded to asset classes and toppings to options within each asset class. For instance, the slice may represent debt, and a topping represents fixed deposits. If your pizza had excessive amounts of one topping, then it shows that you’re too dependent on one type of financial product. Spring members of all ages and risk profiles loved the stall. They were quickly able to visualize their portfolios and identify how they could be re-balanced."
~Prashanth Sharma
"Spring gave me a lot of exposure. I had another opportunity to interact with my clients, greet leads in person, and connect with new faces. This was a great way for me to reestablish trust and build new connections. In the first edition of Spring, we had a panel discussion on financial planning. Through Spring, we were able to raise more awareness on financial planning and showcase the ithoughtplan team’s expertise.
I’m looking forward to meeting more people this time to understand how COVID-19 has impacted their professional lives and how they’re preparing for a post COVID world."
~ Gaurav
"The theme around the very first Spring event was “Think Big”. We started looking at broader market trends and a few things caught our attention. We noticed that investors were being swayed by market noise and missing market signals. Somehow, they were still rooted in 2017 themes and were confused by the many events of 2018 and 2019. Being an election year, the market noise was more amplified. So, we decided to do a presentation on Common investing mistakes. We felt that this session would make investors more conscious of biases and help them make better financial decisions."
~ Harshil & Roshan
"As an investment advisor, I feel there’s a very pressing need for investors to be well informed. We need to look beyond headlines and absorb informed data-driven views. In previous Spring sessions I presented a market outlook. We went back in time to decipher market trends and history. We have much to learn from past trends and a lot of decisions to make about the future. Being in tune with the investment landscape gives an investor an edge in growing their personal finances."
~ Niranjan
"Spring was a fantastic way for me to meet and work with a fresh set of people. It’s a great platform for us to showcase how our approach to personal finance is different. In a world that’s focused on returns, we focus on risk management. Investors are able to identify their priorities. They also have a chance to hear varied perspectives on personal finance from industry experts."
~ Rashmika
"Spring gave us the space to break myths about financial planning and highlight its relevance in our day to day lives. I was able to share our experiences as a team of financial planners during our panel discussion. We even had the chance to engage more deeply with our audience through our “financial health check” initiative. This initiative drew attention to the key elements of one’s finances.
During Spring 2.0, we explored interesting parallels between running a marathon, wealth creation, and financial planning. Becoming a millionaire is just like running a marathon – it takes time and effort. As a marathon runner, I was able to relate the lessons I learned from preparing for marathons to building wealth. You need a certain level of mental resilience to sail through tough times and I think this is even more relevant today. And there’s no big leap in marathon running or wealth creation. It’s the small incremental milestones that complete the journey."
~ Prashanth Warrier
"Spring as a platform gave me the opportunity to think about what people really need when it comes to managing their finances. In the first event, my power talk was about making every decision count. When we’re looking at the big picture, we often find that it’s the small things that count.
Our next edition of Spring was in December. That’s usually the time I’m thinking about resolutions and goals for the coming year. One concept that I wanted to share with a larger audience was about getting our financial affairs in order within a year. So, we curated the ithoughtwealth 12 step program – where we focused on one aspect of personal finance every month. I think this is a great tool to master one’s finances. In this session, I’d love to hear how the program is helping Spring members become more financially secure."
~ Samyuktha