Let’s Talk Mutual Funds is the sequel to the very enlightening and foundational book “Let’s Talk Money” by Monika Halan. As the title suggests, this book is both an introduction and a dive deep into the world of mutual funds in India. It provides a step-by-step guide for investors on investing in mutual funds at any stage of their life or financial journey.

There are a lot of similarities to its predecessor - easy-to-understand language, relatable examples, gotchas and lessons to learn, and the caring and considerate manner in which she disambiguates the complexities in mutual funds. There are also some differences; mutual funds are essentially a subset (albeit hard to understand) of your finances overall, and the jargon takes some getting used to. There are also hundreds of options, asset classes, funds, schemes, and so on that, despite the simplification, require double reading occasionally.

What one takes away from this book is that mutual funds are a fantastic instrument to grow one’s wealth, but understanding how they work, what purpose they need to serve, and planning them based on our needs are what actually provide value. Monika spends enough time covering the basics and ensuring we understand it before eventually providing us with a framework for investing and making the right choice. This book isn’t a get-rich-tomorrow book; it’s a get-rich eventually-by-making sound choices book.

There is still a lot of hard work left for the reader to go ahead and implement the suggestions provided by the author, but where the book shines is in helping us, the investor, be confident in our choices and make the right short and long-term decisions.

As someone who isn’t very financially literate, I found this an eye-opener, and I highly recommend it for youngsters starting their career and investment journey.

Also published here.