Hi I am 35 years old working in an MNC into the Sales domain. My wife is 32 years of age, also working in the Sales domain. We do not have kids but planning for it within a year. We together earn 50-55 Lakh per year after taxes. We also have a total of 1 crore INR worth of vested RSU's. We pu together invest 1.5 per month in SIP's (60 Large Cap, 10 Mid Cap, 30 Small Cap). We have also invested in FD's, LIC policies etc which which is worth 10 Lakh maturing by 2031. We also have a total of close to 30 lakh in EPF. We have 2 apartment which is worth 1.2 cr. We wanted to know how safe is our investment strategy and how can we better it moving forward? Also if we want to retire by 50, what should be our savings and investment strategy?
Ans: You both earn well and invest consistently. That’s a great habit.
Let’s create a full financial strategy to help you retire by 50 and stay financially secure.
Let us plan every part step by step.
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Understanding Your Current Position
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You both are in a high-earning phase. It is the right time to invest more.
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RSUs worth Rs. 1 crore give you a good buffer. But don’t rely only on this.
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Your SIP of Rs. 1.5 lakh per month is a very strong start.
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EPF of Rs. 30 lakh and LIC maturity in 2031 adds safety to your long-term planning.
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Two flats worth Rs. 1.2 crore are part of your net worth. But don’t expect much return.
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You have shared a goal to retire by 50. That gives you 15 years to build the right plan.
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Planning for a child within a year means new expenses will come soon.
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Review of Your Mutual Fund SIP Portfolio
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You are doing Rs. 90K in large cap, Rs. 15K in mid cap, and Rs. 45K in small cap.
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The small cap portion is high. That increases the risk.
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In a retirement-focused plan, small cap should be under 20% of equity allocation.
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Mid cap should be 30%. Large cap can be 50% or more.
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High small cap exposure may lead to sharp losses in market corrections.
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Shift 15K from small cap to large or mid cap, slowly over the next 6-9 months.
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Stick with actively managed mutual funds through a Certified Financial Planner.
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Avoid direct plans. You may miss portfolio review, rebalancing, and goal tracking.
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Regular funds with an MFD and CFP guide will give you better control and support.
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FD and LIC Policy Review
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Rs. 10 lakh is invested in LIC and FD maturing in 2031.
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Check if your LIC policy is an investment product or pure term cover.
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If it is a money-back or endowment plan, you should surrender it.
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Surrender value should be reinvested in diversified mutual funds.
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You can build more wealth through mutual funds than through LIC plans.
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FD is okay for short-term parking. But not ideal for long-term wealth creation.
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Don’t extend FD beyond 1-2 years unless it is an emergency buffer.
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EPF Evaluation
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Rs. 30 lakh in EPF is a good base for retirement planning.
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Don’t withdraw EPF until full retirement. It is tax-free and grows steadily.
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Even if job changes happen, transfer EPF, do not withdraw.
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Do not treat EPF as a fallback for child education or marriage.
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It is your core retirement capital. Let it grow undisturbed.
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Review of RSUs and Equity Exposure
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RSUs are risky if your company stock goes down. You are also employed there.
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Sell 25% of vested RSUs every year and invest in mutual funds.
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This gives you diversification and reduces company concentration risk.
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Many employees ignore this and get affected if stock prices fall suddenly.
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Treat RSU value as bonus and shift to long-term investments.
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Asset Allocation Strategy
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You need a clear ratio between equity, debt, and cash.
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You can follow 65% in equity, 25% in debt, 10% in liquid or short term.
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Adjust this every year based on your changing goals.
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Equity can include mutual funds and stocks from RSU proceeds.
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Debt can be PPF, debt mutual funds, EPF, and fixed income options.
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Liquid can be FD or liquid funds for emergency or upcoming use.
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Rebalancing yearly helps in keeping the risk under control.
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Emergency Fund and Insurance Needs
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Keep at least Rs. 6 to 8 lakh in an emergency fund.
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Use liquid funds or short-term FD for this.
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Buy term life insurance of Rs. 2 crore for each of you.
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Buy health insurance of Rs. 10 lakh floater policy for the family.
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These covers will give peace of mind when you have children.
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Don’t depend on employer cover alone. Take your own private policies.
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Children Planning and Future Goals
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Having a child brings new costs for education, medical, and lifestyle.
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Start SIP in mutual funds for education goal from year one itself.
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Monthly SIP of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 will help build an education corpus.
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For marriage, start a SIP separately after 3 years.
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Keep goal-wise funds separate. Don’t mix it with retirement or RSUs.
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This will help you track progress better.
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Retirement Planning to Retire at 50
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You both are 35 and 32. You want to retire in 15 to 18 years.
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You need to plan for 40 years of retirement after that.
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Use current savings, SIPs, EPF, and RSUs to create a retirement fund.
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You will need Rs. 7 to 8 crore in current value to retire comfortably.
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Adjust this for inflation and target at least Rs. 12 crore by age 50.
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Your current SIP of Rs. 1.5 lakh is a strong start.
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Try to increase it by 8% to 10% every year.
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Add bonus, RSU proceeds, or surplus to your retirement corpus every year.
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Use a Certified Financial Planner to create a goal-based retirement strategy.
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Don’t rely only on SIP. You need a full plan including withdrawal strategy after retirement.
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Handling Real Estate
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You own two flats worth Rs. 1.2 crore.
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These can be used for self-usage. But not as investment return tools.
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Don’t expect these to fund your retirement.
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You cannot liquidate easily. Returns are low. Maintenance cost is high.
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Stay away from further real estate purchases.
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Use mutual funds for long-term wealth building.
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Tax Planning and Capital Gains Awareness
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Mutual funds have new capital gains rules from April 2024.
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Equity mutual fund LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh is taxed at 12.5%.
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STCG on equity mutual funds is taxed at 20%.
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For debt mutual funds, LTCG and STCG are taxed as per income slab.
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Plan your redemptions wisely to reduce tax burden.
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Withdraw during years when income is low, like during sabbatical or early retirement.
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Use a tax-saving mutual fund (ELSS) to save under Section 80C if needed.
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Yearly Review and Portfolio Rebalancing
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Every year, sit with a Certified Financial Planner and review your full portfolio.
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Check your SIP performance. Shift from underperforming funds.
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Rebalance between equity and debt if market grows or corrects sharply.
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Check goal progress and increase SIP if required.
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Update insurance needs, emergency fund, and lifestyle changes.
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Keep your financial plan flexible and updated.
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Future Income Planning and Passive Sources
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Think of part-time income or freelance income after retirement.
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You can explore consultancy or mentorship in your sales domain.
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This adds extra safety and cash flow post-retirement.
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Plan your lifestyle to be modest and cost-effective after 50.
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Avoid costly hobbies, loans, or luxury plans post-retirement.
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Keep your withdrawal rate under control.
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Finally
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You are earning well. Your savings habits are excellent.
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RSUs, SIPs, and EPF give you a solid foundation.
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Real estate should be kept as usage-only, not investment.
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Reduce small cap exposure slowly. Stick to active mutual funds via CFP.
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Surrender LIC investment plans. Invest that in good mutual funds.
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Build separate SIPs for child education, marriage, and retirement.
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Increase SIPs every year. Redeem RSUs yearly to reduce risk.
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Keep insurance and emergency fund updated.
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With discipline and yearly review, you can retire by 50 peacefully.
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Let a Certified Financial Planner help you optimise and stay on track.
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Best Regards,
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K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
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Chief Financial Planner,
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www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment