Return of capital vs Return on capital
As investors our focus should primarily be on return of capital ( can we get our money back) but we tend to focus more in return on capital (what is the % we will get !) Tell someone to put his entire wealth in equities and they would shudder in horror, what happens if the markets crash would be the question. Which is why we dont put everything in equity but some in safe options like PPF, FD or even bond funds. This is sensible especially for a first time investor, but as we mature as investors, some of us may be fine with high equity allocation as the capital itself grows in equities the most. These investors understand that equity is a rocky boat but are fine with it since it is the boat that creates wealth. So, equities create wealth but with risk involved, debt safeguards wealth but with low returns and high taxes.
Trouble starts when we want high returns with low risk ! Which is what seems to have happened recently in Bengaluru ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/cops-put-fraud-size-at-rs-400cr-for-now/articleshow/63291147.cms) where in people were lured into high returns ‘safely’. So these investors gave money to someone who advertised himself as commodities trader, investment consultant etc promising very high returns, and like all good MLM Ponzi schemes they paid the high returns for old investors from new investors capital 🙂 this continued till one day they shut shop. The people affected seem to be big businessmen, doctors, sports professionals etc, but no one seems to have asked any questions about whether the investments were regulated, the company had license etc. Even with all of that the high returns promised should have raised an alarm but no, in fact the high returns seems to have made the gullible blind into investing with out checking anything at all. This is not the first time, though, and will not be the last time.
Return on capital ( interest, growth etc) is very important, but return of capital is the most important thing. After all the capital is what one has worked and saved over a long period of time. Being lured into unregulated investments, MLM Scams, etc may give high return on capital initially but chances of geting your capital back is almost nil.