
Despite SEBI regulations coming into effect from 2013, the line between selling products for commissions and dispensing genuine financial advice is still a whole lot blurry. Look at the nomenclature used in the world of personal finance. There is an agent who sells insurance – traditional policies in the garb of child plans/retirement plans, a distributor who sells mutual funds, a broker who provides platform for investments and the so-called advice dispensed in the transaction process lead people to believe the intermediaries are financial planners/advisors. Prospects who approach me come with cluttered portfolios, no sense of whether they are saving or investing enough, unsure whether they will be smoothly able to handle the important life transitions and emergencies, fear if they will outlive their finite retirement savings, etc. But after coming onboard and going through the entire financial planning process, they are able to gain so much clarity and connect the dots of their financial lives. Hope this infographic provides further clarity on how a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) adds so much value to an individual’s financial life by giving unbiased, conflict-free advice and solutions.