Financial Planning: A Ready Reckoner

Good financial planning starts with a question: how can today’s resources be shaped around the goals a person hopes to meet later? Madhu Sinha’s Financial Planning: A Ready Reckoner approaches that question through the practical work of setting goals, evaluating investments, and building a plan that can be reviewed as circumstances change.

Connect financial decisions to life goals

The book introduces the purpose and process of financial planning, then considers needs that may arise at different stages of life. Its coverage includes planning for education, buying a home or car, retirement, tax obligations, and estate building. Rather than treating investments as isolated products, it frames them as choices to assess in relation to a person’s financial objectives.

Make the numbers more approachable

Financial mathematics is a substantial part of the book. It covers ideas such as time value of money, annuities and systematic investment plans, present value, investment returns, and net present value and internal rate of return. The author also demonstrates financial-calculator and spreadsheet use, giving readers tools for working through the calculations behind a plan.

Put planning concepts into practice

Numerical problems and case studies connect the methods to individual financial goals. The book also discusses available investment products, including mutual funds, and addresses how a financial plan can be constructed and revised. Retirement planning receives particular attention, with additional question-and-answer material on time value of money and problems related to retirement planning.

For planners, students, and interested investors

Sinha presents the material for practicing financial-planning professionals and students preparing for work in the field, while also addressing lay investors seeking a clearer understanding of financial goals and investment choices. Guidance on the professional code of ethics adds context for readers concerned with the responsibilities involved in advising clients.

For readers who want to understand both the calculations and the planning decisions behind personal financial goals, this book offers a structured starting point for study and professional reference.