It is my pleasure, privilege, and honour to write this Foreword for Sunil – aka MisterBond’s book – Think Hatke. I personally believe in this mantra of “Think Out of the Box” which is also aligned with this Alvin Toffler quote I like – “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” The Covid-19 pandemic and the changes it has brought to the fore, has shown the relevance of this quote beyond a shadow of a doubt. Therefore, the timing of this book couldn’t have been better.
Franklin Templeton and I have been associated with Sunil for many years and I have always appreciated his unbiased and often courageous writings. Sunil has never shied away from speaking his mind, and while some of his views may sound contrarian initially, they have always proven to be in the best interest of investors. It is said that there are always three points of view: your view, my view, and the right view. Sunil is known for always trying to provide the latter – the right view, put forward with the right perspective, and that is what has gotten MisterBond all the respect, not just across AMCs but also across distributors and investors, that he so richly deserves. I called Sunil’s writing courageous because he has often had to face flak, criticism, or trolling, for his views. But he has demonstrated the courage to continue providing the right perspective, even in the face of such adversity.
“Think Hatke” is Sunil’s third book starting with “Make Your Destination a Journey to Remember – Through Financial Planning” followed by “Pearls of Financial Wisdom”. Each book is unique in its own way and provides key insights to investors. Think Hatke is about smart investing solutions and about optimizing returns through asset allocation. What I really like about this book, is Sunil’s use of numerical, real-life, market linked examples to bring his points forward convincingly.
The markets dipped by almost 40% between January to March 2020 and have recovered over 100% from that point. How we wish we had invested more over this period to benefit from the steep rise. Sunil’s book provides answers on how one can benefit from such volatility, without taking on too much risk.
Sunil also dwells upon the impact of human emotions of greed and fear on returns and provides anecdotes on why these emotions can play havoc in the journey of creating wealth. As he says, ‘Every individual is faced with such temptations in their lives. How you react, counteract, and not fall prey, will determine your long-term investment journey and successes and failures.’
Benjamin Franklin said, ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ And reading Sunil’s book, Think Hatke, is one of the best investments you will make. I strongly recommend reading this book, whether you are a novice investor or hardened veteran of the investing world. I wish Sunil all the very best on the launch of his third book and I am sure Think Hatke will break many records.