My daughter got Amrita CSE Nagercoil - What are the next steps?

Ans: You are doing a lot of things right.

You have built wealth across different assets. You also have a strong intent to manage retirement well.

Let us look at all angles and give you a full 360-degree financial view.

We will check your investment, retirement readiness, family responsibility, and VRS decision together.

Income and Lifestyle Readiness
You are 57 years old now.

You are considering Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

You have about 6 more years to reach official retirement.

VRS means income will stop immediately.

After that, your wealth should generate monthly cash flow.

So before VRS, we must ensure you are fully ready.

Let’s now assess the resources you have.

Current Asset Summary
You have a good spread across multiple instruments.

Rs. 1 crore in direct equity shares.

Rs. 1 crore in mutual funds.

Rs. 45 lakhs in PPF.

Rs. 50 lakhs in savings or fixed deposits.

Own flat, fully paid.

One more flat is being planned.

This is a strong financial base. You have saved well.

Appreciate your disciplined approach towards wealth creation.

Now let’s evaluate the use of each.

Evaluation of Each Investment Type
Direct Equity Shares – Rs. 1 crore

This is high-risk and volatile.

Not suited for monthly income during retirement.

Keep only part here. Shift rest to stable options.

Booking profits slowly over 2–3 years is better.

New tax rule: Long-term capital gains above Rs. 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.

Short-term gains taxed at 20%.

Don’t hold shares with poor dividends or weak performance.

Review and realign with help from a Certified Financial Planner.

Mutual Funds – Rs. 1 crore

This is a good move.

Ensure mix of equity and debt funds.

Add balanced advantage or hybrid funds.

SIPs are not needed now. SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan) is better.

Choose regular plans via MFD and CFP.

Regular plans offer continuous hand-holding and portfolio tracking.

Direct funds lack this personalised support.

In retirement, emotional guidance and periodic reviews are critical.

Actively managed funds do better in difficult markets.

Don’t rely on passive or index funds. They won’t manage downside risk well.

PPF – Rs. 45 lakhs

This is a safe and tax-free option.

But it is locked till maturity.

After maturity, you can extend it in blocks of 5 years.

Use this only when needed for liquidity.

Do not overdraw early.

Consider it as an emergency reserve or daughter’s education buffer.

Savings / Fixed Deposits – Rs. 50 lakhs

This is good for liquidity.

But FD rates are low. Returns may not beat inflation.

Keep 12-18 months of expenses here.

Rest should be moved to short-term debt funds or hybrid mutual funds.

These give slightly better returns with low risk.

Flat – Owned

No EMI. That’s good.

You don’t need to worry about rent.

Stay here for peace of mind.

Buying Another Flat – Planned

This decision needs deep thought.

Rental yield will be very low. Around 2%.

Property tax, maintenance, repairs will reduce net return.

Also, it is illiquid. Hard to sell quickly if needed.

Buying property at this age is not wise.

It will reduce your retirement corpus.

Instead, focus on generating income from mutual funds and debt instruments.

Avoid locking wealth in second flat.

Real estate is not for generating cash flow in retirement.

Family Responsibility: Children
Your son is working. He is financially independent.

That’s good.

Your daughter is in first year of law at OP Jindal.

That will need funding for next 4–5 years.

Estimate how much more is needed for her full education.

Allocate this money separately in a liquid fund or short-term FD.

Don’t mix it with retirement corpus.

Keep this amount untouched till the goal is complete.

Retirement Budgeting
Now let’s look at your lifestyle and future needs.

Estimate your monthly spending.

Include health care, groceries, utility bills, domestic help, travel, etc.

Don’t forget to add inflation.

Retirement can last 25–30 years.

So money must outlive you. Not the other way round.

Don’t assume lifestyle will reduce too much.

Health costs increase. Personal spending can remain same.

Build a retirement cash flow plan using SWP from mutual funds.

Use 3-bucket strategy:

Bucket 1: Liquid and ultra-short term funds (2 years)

Bucket 2: Hybrid mutual funds (5–7 years)

Bucket 3: Equity mutual funds (10+ years)

Withdraw monthly from bucket 1.

Refill every few years from buckets 2 and 3.

This creates a system and reduces stress.

Helps avoid market timing mistakes.

Health and Insurance Review
You are 57 now. Medical expenses will grow.

Ensure you have a comprehensive health insurance policy.

Minimum Rs. 10–15 lakhs cover for self and spouse.

Also take a top-up health cover.

Don’t depend only on employer policy after VRS.

Check for any critical illness rider.

Review all existing insurance policies.

If you hold any LIC, ULIP, or endowment policy, review them.

Surrender and reinvest in mutual funds if they give low returns.

Don’t mix insurance and investment.

Tax Efficiency Planning
Post-retirement, income will come from investments.

Mutual fund withdrawals need tax planning.

Equity fund LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.

STCG taxed at 20%.

Debt funds taxed as per your slab.

Plan redemptions to stay within lower tax brackets.

Use SWP strategy for tax efficiency.

Don’t withdraw large lump sums unnecessarily.

Estate Planning and Documentation
Plan for the future of your wealth.

Create a will now itself.

Mention asset distribution clearly.

Appoint nominee or executor.

Keep all documents updated.

Include bank accounts, mutual funds, PPF, property.

Inform your children about where the documents are stored.

This avoids legal trouble later.

Also brings peace of mind.

Should You Take VRS Now?
Let us evaluate:

You have Rs. 2.95 crores in financial assets.

Plus, own house with no rent outgo.

No loans. Dependents are manageable.

Daughter’s education is your only big financial goal.

If you need Rs. 60,000–80,000 per month post VRS, your corpus can support it.

But only if money is managed well.

You must restructure your portfolio now.

You must set up proper income-generating plans.

You must review asset mix every year.

You must stay guided by Certified Financial Planner.

If you are confident of doing this, VRS can be considered.

But avoid buying another property now.

That will reduce liquidity and cash flow.

Instead, make your corpus work for you.

Finally
You have done well till now.

You have built wealth. You have taken responsibility.

Now the next phase of life must be peaceful and stable.

Avoid emotional decisions with property or equity.

Focus on predictable cash flow.

Maintain liquidity for daughter’s education.

Secure health cover before quitting job.

Structure your money with goal tagging.

Invest through MFD with CFP qualification.

Review performance and tax impact yearly.

And most importantly—stay disciplined.

Because in retirement, wealth preservation matters more than just wealth growth.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment