A renowned author, economist, philosopher, scientist and more titles to his credit, Benjamin Franklin’s contribution and inventions have made the current generation forever in his debt. His significant philosophical work can be greatly used to understand personal finance and investments better. Albeit, not all quotes were authored with the purpose of conveying thoughts on finance, learning can be drawn from the same. Read 5 Key quotes by Benjamin Franklin on personal finance and investments here;
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
Arguably this could be the most famous quote by Benjamin Franklin still in use or quoted popularly. We’ve often heard our elders advising us on saving money by quoting this to us. Although this quote is self-explanatory and the thought behind it is to make one realize how saving a penny is actually an earning in disguise. Often we get tempted to buy things overlooking the price, irrespective of the requirement. Perceiving the quote from a finance and investment angle, when a penny is not spent and is saved, it could be invested. By investing the saved penny in Mutual Funds, you can earn more than its initial potential when left idle
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
To master any work or activity, knowledge is unquestionably the master key that helps us in achieving it. Partial or no knowledge can result in delayed achievement of our goals or deter the possibility of achieving it ever. Linking the quote with Mutual Fund investments, many investors are unaware of the scheme they’ve chosen to invest in. Many at times, they opt for schemes that are not in line with their financial requirements because they’re unaware of their risk appetite, investment horizon, investible surplus or their research is not aligned with their financial goals. These investment mistakes are often caused by lack of knowledge. To counter this and bring about a meaningful change, it is wise for the investor(s) to extensively read and research on the different mutual fund schemes, understand their risk appetite and list down their financial goals. Only then will it be possible for the investor to reap the full growth potential of their investments
“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.”
Any perfect budget, financial plan is only effective if it is followed diligently. In the quote, Benjamin Franklin emphasized on the little expenses that are nothing but loopholes in disguise can cost you heavily. Binge spending, irresponsible use of credit card surmounting debts with heavy interest rates and irregular investing pattern result in financial instability. To be money prudent, it is essential to strictly follow the budget or investment agenda and identify loopholes and avoid all means that conflict with your financial goals or financial stability
“You may delay, but time will not.”
Procrastination and lethargy are the biggest hurdles on your path towards creating wealth and attaining financial stability. It is widely advised to start investing in Mutual Funds at an early stage of life to reap its benefits later. It is evident that the clock will keep ticking despite you staying still and time shall not reverse. While there are several consequences of delayed investing, one such consequence is that despite making high investments, the returns in comparison would be weaker. Also, with the gradual passage of time, there comes a difference in the financial requirements, responsibilities and risk appetite. High financial responsibilities can be correlated with lower risk appetite, which eventually leads to an overshadowed investment agenda and returns. This can be explained with an example;* Consider Mr. X is 21 years old and Mr. Y is 41. Both of them invest an amount of Rs. 12,000 per annum (i.e.Rs.1,000 per month) for 20 years. Considering the 20% CAGR returns, their money grows upto about Rs. 26,88,307/- Now Mr. Y is 61 years old while Mr. X is at 41, the age where Mr. Y started to invest. If Mr. X continues to invest the same amount, considering the CAGR to be 20% by the age of 61 years his returns would be Rs. 10,57,51,552/-
“Remember that time is money.”
Although change is the only constant, change may not always occur instantly. To experience the joy of getting the salary update on your phone, one has to work the entire month and wait for it. Likewise, achieving your financial goals via Mutual Fund investments is not an overnight process and requires a certain time frame to display the desired results. As an investor, you must invest regularly as that’s how the power of compounding works. Impatient behaviour like redeeming in the midst of your wealth creation journey will bring you nowhere close to your financial goals. Investing in equities require investors to stay invested for a longer period of time to watch their financial dreams come true.
*The illustrations are used to explain the concept and should not be used for development or implementation of an investment strategy.
