SILVER ETF: A SILVER LINING IN INVESTMENT

Precious metals like gold and silver hold financial and emotional value for most Indians. Buying, holding and selling has become increasingly difficult. So, when paper gold in the form of Gold ETFs was launched, it was an effective way of transacting in the yellow metal without the trouble that comes with physical gold. Investors now have the option to invest in Silver ETF.

Mutual funds are ready to flood the market with silver exchange traded funds (ETFs) and silver fund-of-funds (FoFs).

At least half a dozen mutual fund houses are in the race to launch exchange traded funds and fund of funds based on silver; SEBI gave its go-ahead to silver ETFs in September 2021.

An ETF tracks an index, commodity or a sector which can be traded on a stock exchange just like shares. A fund-of-fund invests in some other mutual funds. In case of silver FoFs, these will invest in silver ETFs.

"Industrial demand for silver is huge and around 50% of silver mined globally is used in industrial applications and products. Thus, unlike gold which is considered as a pure hedge product, the prices of silver can get affected during economic crises, slowdowns and market falls especially when the industrial demand for silver is low or muted,".

Silver investment for huge returns?

Investors looking at trading in silver or expecting extraordinary returns from investments, may not like the idea of investment in ETF. “Returns from investing in silver ETF will be in line with the returns from investing in silver bars, minus the fees and the tracking error.”

Investing in silver is expected to reap better benefits than gold during recovery times. “Silver usually outperforms gold during economic recovery cycles in the longer run such as post-pandemic,”.

Why Invest in Silver?

·         Getting started to invest in silver is very easy. Physical forms of silver like coins can easily be purchased from banks and jewelers near you. For small size investors, this is a big boon.

·         Storage of physical silver is easy as well. You can buy silver jewelry and silver coins and store them at your home. There is no need to worry as you would when storing gold jewelry.

·         Silver is used a lot in industries around the world. In the year 2017, industries consumed 59% of the total silver produced. If you have any paper forms of silver investments with you, the future looks good for you. Since silver mcx price is determined mainly by the market, this is a trend that will help all silver investors.

·         Silver is relatively less risky. If you have invested in silver in the form of a portfolio, this is good news for you because silver will help to mitigate your portfolio’s risk. This is mainly because MCX silver’s prices don’t fluctuate in value too much.

·         There are many ways you can invest in silver. If you wish to go by the traditional route, buy silver bars, silver coins, and silver jewelry. Buy them and sell them when you need to. If you would rather not deal with physical silver, there are paper forms of silver too like silver futures, NSEL, ETF and many more.

SIP for as low as ₹100

Nippon Life India Asset Management, said investors can start Systematic Investment Plan of as low as ₹100 in silver FoFs; most broking firms facilitate SIP in ETFs.

What Makes Price of Silver Move?

Silver tends to be sensitive to interest rates, inflation, and energy prices, just like gold, though the sensitivity may vary.

Industrial activity, demand-supply forces worldwide, the movement of the rupee against the dollar, mining supply, and inflation are some of the prices determining factors.

Silver tends to play "follow the leader" behind gold with a small lag.

When it comes to investing in silver keep in mind that it moves every 6-8 years in spurts and makes big gains or losses.

Dandruff: Prevent from flaring up.

What causes dandruff?

It's probably caused by a fungus. Hair follicles and oil glands make an oil called sebum, which may be a breeding ground for yeast or the fungus. This fungus usually lives on your skin, but too much fungus may lead to dandruff. Dandruff is very common. People with dandruff and dandruff-like symptoms might lose hair, especially if the dandruff is severe. Dandruff tends to be worse during dry months. Cold, dry winter weather in particular can make dandruff worse. Stress or fatigue can trigger or aggravate it, too.

The Root Cause of dandruff

Dandruff may occur due to climate change, sweating, or even hormonal imbalance in the body. It can also occur due to a fungal infection known as "Malassezia Furfur." Sometimes, you may also develop dandruff if you don't maintain scalp hygiene. The other reason behind dandruff could be Inflammatory conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or scalp psoriasis.

What causes dandruff flare-ups?

There’s only one cause of dandruff, but it has been shown that it can appear worse at sometimes compared to others.

That’s because there are a number of different factors which can exacerbate a problem or make it seem worse. These include:

• Heat
• Sweat
• Pollution

These don’t cause the problem, but can make it seem worse at certain times of the year or when doing particular activities like sports.

What Is Dandruff?

Dandruff is the result of when excessive dead skin cells get accumulated in the scalp.  Dead skin cell accumulation on the scalp is a natural physiological process and part of every person's hair cycle. However, excessive accumulation of dead skin scales causes the scalp to get itchy and flaky. Those flakes and itchiness associated with it are what is referred to as dandruff.

Dandruff Can Show Up in Other Places

You can get dandruff on parts of your body other than your scalp, like your forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes, or ears. Flaky skin on your chest -- or anywhere you have body hair -- could be a sign of dandruff, which is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis. If the skin on your body is oily or greasy or has a slight redness, that could also be a sign. Talk to your doctor about treatment.

"Getting rid of dandruff is not a one-time activity. You have to do the right things to keep things cool on top of your head, and inside it, too!"

Nutritional Requirements

Hair is made primarily of special amino acids, otherwise known as proteins. We suggest eating a portion of high-protein food (eggs, milk, fish, cheese, nuts, seeds, pulses) with breakfast and lunch to provide your hair with the best daily nutrients for growth.

Treatment:

Type of shampoo: Frequent washing with a regular shampoo is the most important treatment for dandruff. Use a regular shampoo to remove the scales as quickly as they form. In addition, the detergents in the shampoo will cause smaller, less visible flakes to shed. Some people mistakenly think that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp that will improve by shampooing infrequently or by applying oily substances to the scalp. This will actually aggravate the condition by preventing the shedding of cells.

If frequent washing with a regular shampoo does not control dandruff, try a dandruff shampoo. Choose products with effective ingredients (check labels):

• Very effective: Nizoral 1% (active ingredient: ketoconazole) is an antifungal shampoo that helps reduce the number of yeast micro-organisms present on the scalp
• Moderately effective: salicylic acid and sulphur (selenium sulphide).

Dermatologists recommend alternating a regular shampoo with an antifungal shampoo when dandruff appears. Dandruff shampoos may need to be used routinely to control dandruff. As symptoms improve, you may use dandruff shampoos less frequently.

Hair washing method is important in treating dandruff. Lather the hair twice and on the second lather, leave the shampoo on the hair for five minutes (or as directed on the shampoo label) before rinsing to give the medicine time to work properly.

The frequency of shampooing necessary to control dandruff varies from person to person. Some need to shampoo twice a week, others more frequently, even daily.

Many people forget that the scalp as well as the hair needs to be shampooed. Massaging the scalp to promote circulation may be beneficial, but scrubbing the scalp may be harmful.

Prevention

Here are some tips to prevent dandruff and dry scalp:

If you have dandruff, wash your hair often with an antidandruff shampoo. Make sure to rinse out all the shampoo.

Avoid using hair products that contain harsh chemicals, like bleach and alcohol. These ingredients can dry out your scalp. Also avoid oily hair products that can build up on your scalp. Maintenance therapy is also required to prevent relapses.

Spend a few minutes out in the sun every day. There’s some evidence that ultraviolet light exposure can help control dandruff.

Manage your stress with meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other relaxation techniques.

Scalp health for better hair

'Scalp health' is the beauty buzzword du jour for good reason; the length, luster and health of your hair depends on the skin that covers your head.

With stress and pollution levels consistently creeping up and up, it's hardly surprising we've all got scalp issues on our mind. It is essential that the follicle and the scalp, at point of exit, are clean, clear, healthy and maintained; follicles that are full of sebum or blocked by dead skin, dandruff or infection will have an impact on the quality of hair growth. In fact, permanently blocked or obstructed follicles may eventually cease to produce hair at all.

Seek medical help if:

• Itching associated with dandruff increases
• Using a dandruff shampoo fails to control the problem adequately
• Inflammation (redness, swelling, severe scaling) occurs on the scalp or other parts of the body.

Two Parts of a Prayer

A prayer has two parts: one is soliciting a favour from the Almighty and the other is surrendering ourselves to His will. While the first part is practiced by most of us daily, the second part is the real and goal because it implies dedication. Dedication means feeling the light of God within your heart. If your heart is devoid of divine light, you will not be happy, cheerful and successful in your lives.

These are 16 names of Vishnu to be remembered at different occasions.
It is said that shabda (shabda), sparsha (touch), Roopa (form), rasa
(taste), gandha (smell) and the positive energy or vibration coexist
with words. Repeated chanting of each word with bhava creates
different results in our body since effort to utter each word uses
different muscles and brings different effect in the Sadhak.
Chanting can be done like in the naamaavali.

Om Vishnave Namah

Om Janaaardanaaya Namah:

Om Padmanaabhaaya Namah

We will try to analyze the meaning of each name. May be Vishnu sahastra nama interpretations will help us.

When taking medicine think of Vishnu
Before eating think of Janardhan
Before going to bed think of Padmanabhan
During marriage think of Prajapati
During fight or controversial situations think Chakradhar
When you are away from home or NRIs like lot of us think of Thrivikrama
At the time of death try to think of Narayana
When you are with your spouse, think of Sridhar
To avoid bad dream think of Govinda
When you are sad, think Him as Madhusudan
When you are in forest and afraid think of Narasimha
When you are afraid of fire, think Him as Jalashaayin (who is lying in
the Karana jala)
When you have the fear of drowning, think of Varaha
When you are climbing mountains or hard to reach places think of Him
as Raghunandanan.
Before going for a trip pray Him in the form of Vamana
And for the success of whatever we do, (in all our everyday
activities) pray Him as Madhava

॥ श्रीविष्णोः षोडशनामस्तोत्रम् ॥

औषधे चिन्तयेद्विष्णुं भोजने च जनार्दनम् ।

शयने पद्मनाभं च विवाहे च प्रजापतिम् ॥ १॥

युद्धे चक्रधरं देवं प्रवासे च त्रिविक्रमम् ।

नारायणं तनुत्यागे श्रीधरं प्रियसंगमे ॥ २॥

दुःस्वप्ने स्मर गोविंदं संकटे मधुसूदनम् ।

कानने नारसिंहं च पावके जलशायिनम् ॥ ३॥

जलमध्ये वराहं च पर्वते रघुनन्दनम् ।

गमने वामनं चैव सर्वकार्येषु माधवम् ॥ ४॥

षोडशैतानि नामानि प्रातरूत्थाय यः पठेत् ।

सर्वपापविर्निमुक्तो विष्णुलोके महीयते ॥ ५॥ ।

इति श्रीविष्णोः षोडशनामस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ।

How to boost the power of the affirmations?

Affirmations (meaning statements said with confidence about a perceived truth) have helped thousands of people make significant changes in their lives. But they don't always work for everyone. How can one person have great success using this tool, while another sees no results at all?

Affirmations can be a powerful tool to help you change your mood, state of mind, and manifest the change you desire in your life. But they work best if you can first identify the unwholesome belief that is opposing them.

Words have power and coupled with positive thinking, you are unstoppable in chasing your dreams and conquering the world, thanks to daily affirmations.

Here is a short positive affirmation definition:

A statement or declaration, stating in clear words a certain goal or situation, which you wish to achieve.

Repeating the declaration or statement can inspire, motivate, and attract opportunities and people to help you achieve your goals.

When Should You Use Affirmations? 

Our brain communicates through chemicals. Every experience in our life is creating new chemical connections. Our brain continues to re-organize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, and repetition strengthens these connections. This phenomenon is called neuroplasticity. Each time you repeat a thought, an action or affirmation, you are reinforcing those pathways into your brain.

The best time to begin to incorporate affirmations into your life is in any situation where you aspire for a positive change to take place. A positive change in your life might include times when you want to:

·         Raise your self esteem 

·         Improve your confidence before interviews, important meetings, presentations, and/or public speaking engagements

·         Reduce your tendency to procrastinate and finish projects you’ve started 

·         Increase your productivity 

·         Learn a new skill 

·         Form deeper relationships with individuals in your life or form genuine relationships with new people 

Let’s repeat what affirmations are:

·         Affirmations are proclamations and announcements about what you want to happen in your life.

·         They are declarations state in positive words, a goal that you want to achieve, a task you want to carry out, or a situation you wish to change.

·         These phrases and declarations are a great tool for changing your mindset and attitude, for motivation and for inspiration.

·         Affirmations are a useful tool for making changes in your life and for attracting the things you want.

·         They improve your state of mind-body-health, and can also transform your thought patterns and habits.

·         You can use them to program your mind to succeed with weight loss, improve your health, or achieve your dreams.

·         These declarations and statements would help you activate the law of attraction.

·         They can bring you a new job, boost your confidence and self-esteem, increase your inner strength, and much more.

Do you wish to get results? You need to avoid negative thoughts and negative words, since they neutralize your positive statements.

10 affirmations to reprogram your subconscious mind and boost your mind power today:

1.     My thoughts are under control.

2.     All of my thoughts are positive and empowering.

3.     I am full of empowering thoughts from the moment I wake up.

4.     I am deeply connected with my higher self.

5.     I am an open channel for endless creativity and wisdom.

6.     I believe I can do anything!

7.     Each day I’m developing new and positive habits.

8.     My ability to conquer my challenges is limitless.

9.     My potential to succeed is infinite.

10.I have the power to change my life by changing my thoughts.

 

Practice affirming yourself every day

To get the most benefit from affirmations, you’ll want to start a regular practice and make it a habit:

• Start with 3 to 5 minutes at least twice a day. Try saying affirmations upon waking up and getting into bed, for example.
• Repeat each affirmation about 10 times. Listen to yourself saying it, focusing on the words as they leave your mouth. As you say them, believe them to be true.
• Ask a trusted loved one to help. Listening to someone else repeat your affirmations may help reinforce your belief in them.
• Make your routine consistent. Try not to skip any days. If you meditate, affirmations can be a great addition to your daily practice.
• Be patient. It may take some time before you notice any changes, so stick with your practice!

Is There Science Behind Them?

Science, yes. Magic, no. Positive affirmations require regular practice if you want to make lasting, long-term changes to the ways that you think and feel. The good news is that the practice and popularity of positive affirmations are based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory.

Shift your mind to state of optimism, become happier, gain self-confidence, and practice positive affirmations.

THINK YOU CAN AND YOU WILL