“What do you do for a living?”
“Well, I’m an analyst…a stock market analyst to be precise.”
“Oh, stock markets? That casino?”
“Yeah, that very place!”
“What work do you do there?”
“I analyze stocks and advice people how to invest sensibly.”
“How productive is that?”
“What?”
“Stock markets don’t add to our nation’s GDP! Even your profession doesn’t! Right?”
“I didn’t get you!”
“What do you do as an analyst that’s productive and that adds to our economic growth? I mean, you don’t produce anything except words…and words have no economic value!”
“See, I can’t talk about others from my community, but I personally try to do a lot of good to the lives of investors who believe my words.”
“And how do you do that?”
“By being ethical and sensible in my analysis and recommendations, by putting the investors first, and by helping them grow their wealth to meet their long-term financial goals.”
“Are you serious?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve met so many other analysts, advisors and stock market experts who take the ‘path more travelled’ and play around with investors’ money and trust!”
“I can understand where you are coming from, but working in this industry is the true test of the principles I hold in my life.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! You see, there is no other place other than the financial services industry where your ethics and character are tested day in and day out. My courage and conviction to stand true to myself, and those who believe my words (investors) determines whether I become a ‘good analyst’ or an ‘ethically good analyst’.”
“Are analysts really ethical?”
“Yeah, there are a few who are.”
“Like you?”
“Yes, if you believe me!”
“So what do [you] believe in?”
“Do no harm…ever.”
“I wish the entire financial industry was so.”
“Even I hope so!”
“I wish the financial services industry stopped running its nailed shoes over us, the small investors.”
“You yourself can stop that from happening.”
“How?”
“Start making your own investment decisions, and take complete control of your financial destiny.”
“That’s easier said than done!”
“Believe me, I’m talking from experience!”
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that you alone are the most capable person alive to manage your money.”
“But isn’t investing difficult? People who talk about investing call themselves ‘experts’!”
“It’s because they can’t spell ‘charlatan’!”
“Seriously?”
“Yes! And believe me…investing in the stock markets is not a rocket science as it’s made out to be. You just need to form the right habits, and behave yourself.”
“That sounds helpful, but again easier said than done.”
“See, there’s no simpler way to invest sensibly.”
“And you’re saying this from your experience, right?”
“Yeah!”
“So I can say you are an experienced analyst, right?”
“You can say so.”
But then, your work still doesn’t add to India’s GDP.”
“Why do you say this again and again?”
“I simply want to tell you how unproductive your work is to the nation.”
“Oops!”
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