Newman D’silva has hosted over 500 events since 2013 — but that’s not all he’s been up to. He is also an illustrator, especially when it’s off-season for weddings. In a former life, he used to be a dance instructor. Back then, he’s performed on stage at the IIFA awards and toured the USA with the Bachchan family, appearing alongside A-listers like Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Madhuri Dixit. For One on One — our exclusive series of leisurely interviews with people building fascinating careers that are far from traditional 9-to-5 jobs — we speak to him about his wo ..read more

Dear Qualified Financial Advisor, I recently started a new job, and as I settle into this new role, I’ve been thinking about my personal finances and how to manage them wisely. I’ve never had a credit card before. I’ve always managed my finances using a debit card and cash, but I understand that having a credit card can offer certain advantages. However, I want to make sure I make the right decision, and I’m a bit unsure about when the right time is for me to get a credit card, considering my current financial situation and my career development. I’ve heard that having a credit card can help b ..read more

As capital markets have grown, so has the concern surrounding the impact of capitalism on the environment and human rights. This is especially true for younger generations. Concerns over the environmental impact of companies have converged with discourse around the impact they have on society as a whole, as well as their internal functioning — working environment, corporate diversity, etc.—creating a scenario where many shareholders now demand transparency from companies on how they fare in these fields. A 2021 study published in The Lancet journal found that 84% of 10,000 young people, betwee ..read more

Dear Qualified Financial Advisor, A few days ago, I caught up with some friends, and our conversation shifted towards money and how we handle our personal finances. It got me thinking about my own savings and whether there’s a way to make them work harder for me without sacrificing easy accessibility. For quite some time now, I’ve been keeping my savings in a regular savings account. However, lately, I’ve started wondering if there are better options out there that can offer higher returns while still allowing me to access my money quickly when needed. After all, unexpected expenses can pop u ..read more

Kalapi Gajjar-Bordawekar has been working with fonts for about a decade. He is a typeface designer and font engineer, and helms the type foundry Universal Thirst, with his co-founder Gunnar Vilhjálmsson. Split across Bangalore and Reykjavik (in Iceland), the foundry has been working to make digital typefaces more accessible across various Indian script systems. They have designed typefaces for global brands like Google, Monotype, Frieze Art Fair, and others. For One on One — our exclusive series of leisurely interviews with people building fascinating careers that are far from traditional ..read more

Many years ago, I came home from college one afternoon to find that my father had been admitted to the hospital. I rushed there to find him in the ICU, with tubes going into his body and no explanation for his sudden collapse. Within a few hours of being admitted, he had died. Doctors said it was a heart attack. We called it medical negligence.  Ultimately, the reason was irrelevant. My reasonably healthy dad passed away at 46. I, the eldest of three, was 18 at the time and in college.  What happens when the only earning member of a family dies? Everyone else’s life changes. It’s dom ..read more

Dear Qualified Financial Advisor, My partner and I have been married for four years, but we’ve been living separately for some time. We’ve realised that our differences can’t be reconciled and are contemplating divorce. Immediately after we married, I quit my job and moved cities to live with my partner, who had a well-paying job and could support me while I was getting my start-up off the ground. I’m still in the process of setting up my business, and am not sure what financial ramifications the divorce will have on me, but I do know that I need to be prepared. How can I now take steps toward ..read more

Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are investment funds that track the performance of an index, commodity, sector, or asset class. They share similarities with both stocks and mutual funds. Like stocks, they are traded on stock exchanges, and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day at prevailing market prices. They provide liquidity and flexibility similar to trading individual stocks, and like mutual funds, pool together money from various investors and invest it in a diversified portfolio of assets. However, the assets or units that comprise mutual funds are usually bought or sold whe ..read more

We think of financial planning as a holistic exercise that should be attuned to who you are, and where you’re at in life. What that means is that we’re concerned with a lot of things about you, like your age, the industry you work in, how far you’ve studied, what your job involves. All of this, to us, counts as insight into what you need your money to do for you at the stage of life you’re in — and what you have to put in place so you’re prepared for what’s to come.  While your financial trajectory will take its own course based on a host of factors — especially the profession you choose ..read more

Dear Qualified Financial Advisor, I’m a former freelancer in my 30s, and recently took up a full-time position, thinking I could still earn some change on the side by taking up assignments in my free time. But my plate is full at work and I don’t have time to give to additional projects. I’ve heard through friends that having some sources of passive income helps, but I’m not too sure what that means or what I need to put in place for it. What are some ways I can earn passively to build on what I have and plan for a future? Yours,Too Busy for a Side Hustle Dear Too Busy for a Side Hustle, Thank ..read more