Hello Sir, I am 39 and my current salary is 2 lakhs/month, I have completed home loan by withdrawing my MF 2 months before, I have VPF contribution of 5k per month apart from regular PF, a total of 25 lakhs corpus now.. and investing 1.4 lakhs per year in NPS HDFC fund with a total corpus of 5 lakhs. SIP I have started again last month for 15k, 5k in 3 funds parag parikh flexi, hdfc balanced advantage, motilal oswal midcap.. I have PPF of 20k per year with a corpus of 2.5 lakhs. I have a 6 lakhs medical insurance apart from the insurance from my company and I am paying 16k yearly for that. I have a daughter 9 year old.. I need to save for her college fees and our retirement.. planning to work for another 10 years.. having 6 lakhs in my SB account for emergency fund, that I am planning to invest in FD, monthly expense is 50k - 70k and Need a corpus of 3 crore, can you please advise how I can reach there?
Ans: You are 39 and have paid off your home loan. That is a great milestone. You have a stable income, good saving habit, and a strong purpose. Your planning is mainly for your daughter’s education and for retirement.
Let us now do a 360-degree analysis of your current financial setup and give you a practical roadmap.
Current Financial Snapshot
Let’s understand what you already have:
Salary is Rs. 2 lakhs per month
Monthly expenses are between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 70,000
Emergency fund of Rs. 6 lakhs in savings account
VPF + EPF total corpus is Rs. 25 lakhs
NPS corpus is Rs. 5 lakhs, contribution is Rs. 1.4 lakh per year
PPF corpus is Rs. 2.5 lakhs, yearly investment is Rs. 20,000
SIP of Rs. 15,000 just restarted
Medical insurance of Rs. 6 lakhs, apart from company cover
One daughter, 9 years old
Planning to work for 10 more years
Retirement corpus goal is Rs. 3 crores
You are already doing many things right. Now we will help you go faster and safer.
Goal 1: Retirement at Age 49 – Corpus Rs. 3 Crores
You want to retire in 10 years.
Your goal is to build Rs. 3 crore corpus
You already have around Rs. 30–35 lakhs across VPF, NPS, PPF
SIP of Rs. 15,000/month has just restarted
You are also contributing Rs. 1.4 lakhs/year in NPS
Let us now build a multi-layered retirement strategy to reach Rs. 3 crores.
Action Points:
Increase your SIP amount step by step every year
Target SIP of Rs. 30,000/month in next 2–3 years
Include actively managed mutual funds (flexi cap, balanced advantage, large-mid cap)
Avoid index funds and ETFs. These don’t give flexibility or protection in downturns.
Index funds lack active risk control and offer no advisory support
Invest through regular plans via Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
Direct plans don’t offer monitoring, rebalancing, or guidance
With regular plans, you get yearly review and tax support
With this structure, you can grow wealth safely with fewer mistakes.
VPF and EPF Strategy
You are contributing Rs. 5,000/month extra in VPF.
EPF gives steady tax-free returns
VPF is good if you are conservative
But equity mutual funds offer better growth over 10 years
If your job is stable, you can consider redirecting VPF to SIP gradually.
Use a mix of actively managed equity funds
Stick to regular plans
Do yearly SIP increase of Rs. 2,000–3,000
Focus on long-term consistency, not short-term performance
NPS Strategy
You are investing Rs. 1.4 lakh/year in NPS.
NPS gives additional tax benefit under Sec 80CCD(1B)
You already have Rs. 5 lakhs in NPS
But note:
NPS has restrictions on withdrawal
60% corpus is tax-free at retirement
40% goes to annuity (less preferred option)
Annuity income is taxable
NPS does not allow complete flexibility
So, don’t put too much in NPS. Max Rs. 1.5 lakh/year is enough.
Don’t over-depend on NPS for retirement income. Use mutual funds with SWP instead. SWP gives more control and tax efficiency.
PPF Strategy
You are investing Rs. 20,000/year in PPF.
PPF is a safe debt product
Interest is tax-free
Lock-in is long (15 years)
Keep this going. Don’t stop. You can increase the amount up to Rs. 1.5 lakh/year if needed. But don’t make PPF the main tool. Use it only for safety and diversification.
Emergency Fund and Fixed Deposit
You have Rs. 6 lakhs in savings. Planning to move it to FD.
That is a good move.
Keep at least 6 months of expenses in FD or liquid funds
Use FD laddering to improve interest
Don’t lock full amount in one FD
This money should not be used for investment or goals
Emergency fund is not for return. It is for safety.
Goal 2: Daughter’s Education After 8–10 Years
Your daughter is 9 years old. She will need funds at age 17–19.
You will need this corpus in 8 to 10 years.
Action Plan:
Estimate how much you will need in future value
Start a separate SIP of Rs. 10,000/month for this goal
Use actively managed flexi cap and large-mid cap mutual funds
Increase this SIP to Rs. 15,000/month in 2–3 years
Don’t mix education corpus with retirement fund
Don’t invest this in PPF or debt-heavy products
Education cost grows fast due to inflation
Use regular mutual funds through CFP for better planning
Don’t rely on index funds. They follow market blindly
Actively managed funds have better downside protection
You can use part of FD if needed to kickstart this goal.
Insurance Planning
You have Rs. 6 lakhs medical insurance.
You also have corporate cover
This is a good structure
Confirm if your policy has coverage for daughter and spouse
Buy super top-up plan of Rs. 10–15 lakhs
This will help in long-term health cost inflation
Premium is very low when taken early
If you don’t have life cover:
Take pure term insurance
Cover should be 10–12 times your annual income
Don’t buy ULIP or investment-cum-insurance
If you have LIC or ULIP, please surrender
Shift money to mutual funds for better growth and clarity
Monthly Budget Management
Your expenses are between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 70,000/month.
That leaves enough room for saving
Ensure you track expenses
Use budget tools or apps
Save before you spend
Increase SIP with every salary hike
Don’t use credit cards for lifestyle expenses
Avoid unnecessary gadgets, memberships, EMIs
This discipline will take you far without stress.
Tax Efficiency and Planning
Use all the sections:
80C for PPF, EPF, VPF, insurance
80CCD(1B) for NPS
Use mutual funds with SWP for future retirement withdrawals
New MF CG tax rules:
Equity LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh/year taxed at 12.5%
STCG taxed at 20%
Debt fund gains taxed as per your slab
Plan withdrawal smartly with help of a CFP. Tax harvesting and rebalancing must be done yearly.
Final Insights
You have the right mindset and base. Now is the time to optimise.
Follow these steps:
Increase SIPs every year till Rs. 30,000–35,000/month
Separate SIPs for education and retirement
Don’t over-invest in NPS or PPF
Shift from direct plans to regular plans with CFP guidance
Don’t touch emergency fund for investment
Review funds once a year
Track goals yearly
Use term insurance and super top-up
Stay away from index funds, direct funds, or annuity plans
Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. Stay invested. Review yearly with CFP.
That is how you reach Rs. 3 crores safely and help your daughter too.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP
Chief Financial Planner
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment