
Hello, I am 36 years old and would like to retire by 46 years of age. I have no loans/debts and I am earning 90k per month. My current portfolio is as below,
1. First SIP: I am investing 5000 SIP in last 6.5 years, current investment is 390000 and total return 690000 with 17.5% CAGR.
2. 2nd SIP: Investing 3000 SIP in last 5 years, current investment is 177000 and total return 271000 with 17.65% CAGR
3. 3rd SIP: Investing 5000 SIP in last 2.2 years, current investment is 130000 and total return 151000 with 15.8% CAGR
4. 4th SIP: Investing 8000 SIP in last 4.5 years, current investment is 432000 and total return 531000 with 12.15% CAGR
5. 5th SIP: Investing 33000 SIP in last 1.5 years, current investment is 589000 and total return 621000 with 8.56% CAGR
6. 1000 Rs SIP in PPF
7. 2000 Rs SIP in SSY
8. 4000 Rs SIP in NPS tier-1
9. 140000 Rs in Liquid fund
10. 280000 Rs in Direct stocks
my current monthly expense is around 26000. I have two kids, one studying 1st standard. I expect My Retirement corpus at age 46 is 2.5 Cr. Is it possible? Can i achieve this goal at my age 46 with continuing my current SIP?. or can i add more SIP to achieve this goal?
Kindly review my portfolio, and if anything i need to change please let me know.
Ans: You’ve already built a solid foundation. At 36, aiming to retire by 46 is an ambitious goal. It is not impossible, but it needs strong planning. Let’s assess from all angles and offer you a full-circle solution.
Your Income and Savings Pattern
Your income of Rs. 90,000 per month is being managed well.
Your household expense of Rs. 26,000 is modest.
That gives you high savings potential.
This reflects great discipline. Very few maintain this ratio.
Your SIPs and savings are using your surplus effectively.
Continue to avoid loans. That gives your savings strong power.
Review of Your Mutual Fund SIPs
You have 5 SIPs running. Let’s look at them one by one.
First SIP of Rs. 5000 has completed 6.5 years.
Very strong CAGR of 17.5%.
You must continue this. Long-term compounding is helping you here.
Second SIP of Rs. 3000 for 5 years.
17.65% return. Very healthy.
Maintain this SIP without changes.
Third SIP of Rs. 5000 for 2.2 years.
Return of 15.8%. Acceptable for this tenure.
You must give it time to perform.
Fourth SIP of Rs. 8000 for 4.5 years.
CAGR of 12.15% is decent.
Slightly low, but still okay for mid-term horizon.
Fifth SIP of Rs. 33,000 for 1.5 years.
Return of 8.56% is below expectation.
This is short tenure. Stay invested. Don't judge it early.
Avoid switching or stopping now.
All these SIPs are in growth mode. Your discipline is excellent. The only issue is fund selection. You may be investing in direct funds.
Disadvantages of Direct Mutual Funds
If your funds are “Direct”, there are some concerns.
No ongoing review by Certified Financial Planner.
You may miss fund rating downgrades.
Risk-reward alignment may not be proper.
Fund may underperform and you won't know when to exit.
No guidance for portfolio rebalancing.
You must consider shifting to regular plans. Choose an MFD backed by a Certified Financial Planner. Regular plans give ongoing support. Guidance will be personalised.
Why to Avoid Index Funds
Though index funds sound attractive, there are key drawbacks.
They blindly follow index stocks. No flexibility.
In market fall, index funds fall equally. No downside protection.
Fund manager cannot shift to better sectors.
Index funds don’t have any active risk control.
Past 1-year index return is high, but not consistent.
Your current funds have delivered better return than most index funds. Continue with actively managed funds. Stay with good fund managers. Do not shift to index-based investing.
PPF, SSY, and NPS Contributions
Rs. 1000 SIP in PPF is fine.
Safe and tax-free. Continue for long term.
Rs. 2000 in SSY is helpful for daughter’s education or marriage.
Rs. 4000 in NPS Tier 1 helps save tax.
But, NPS has limited flexibility.
Withdrawals are partially locked till 60.
You can reduce NPS if early retirement is your target.
These 3 are low-risk. But, NPS restricts early access. If retiring at 46, NPS won’t help you fully. Consider shifting part to mutual funds over time.
Liquid Fund and Stock Holdings
Rs. 1.4 lakh in liquid fund gives you safety.
Maintain 6 months of expense as emergency.
You are on right path. This shows good planning.
Rs. 2.8 lakh in direct stocks.
Stock selection needs active monitoring.
Stocks are risky without deep research.
Prefer actively managed equity funds over stocks.
Equity mutual funds will give better diversification. Fund managers can handle the risk better.
Expense Management and Lifestyle Planning
Rs. 26,000 as monthly expense is very good.
You should build a buffer for future increase in expenses.
With 2 kids, school and college costs will rise sharply.
Plan for child’s education goals separately from retirement.
Allocate at least one SIP for that future cost.
Can You Reach Rs. 2.5 Crores by Age 46?
Let’s understand some key points.
You are investing Rs. 54,000 per month in SIPs.
Already accumulated Rs. 22 lakh in equity and liquid funds.
Retirement goal in 10 years is Rs. 2.5 crores.
With 12–13% return assumption, it can be possible. But, you need to:
Continue all SIPs without fail.
Increase SIPs by 10–12% yearly.
Avoid withdrawing from mutual funds before 46.
Review your portfolio every year.
Align SIPs to long-term funds with good past record.
You have strong habits. Stick to this path. Add more SIP as your income grows.
Things to Improve Immediately
Rebalance portfolio. Avoid overlapping in schemes.
Avoid having too many funds. 4 to 5 funds are enough.
Invest only in regular plans through Certified Financial Planner.
Don’t rely on online platforms alone. You need personalised advice.
Exit direct stocks gradually and reinvest in mutual funds.
Build a clear plan for child’s college cost.
Prepare a corpus drawdown plan for retirement at 46.
Don’t Ignore MF Tax Rules
You must be aware of latest mutual fund taxation:
For equity mutual funds:
LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.
STCG taxed at 20%.
For debt mutual funds:
Both LTCG and STCG taxed as per income slab.
Track holding periods and fund types. Proper exit plan helps save tax.
Insurance and Protection Check
You didn’t mention any insurance. That is important.
Take term insurance of at least 15–20 times of annual income.
Buy personal health insurance too. Don’t rely only on company cover.
Any medical emergency can damage your investments.
Insurance is not investment. But protection is essential for early retirement.
Are You On Right Track?
Yes. You are on right path. But need fine-tuning. Some gaps to cover:
Direct fund exposure needs to be shifted to regular.
Stock investment risk needs to be lowered.
NPS flexibility issue must be addressed.
Retirement drawdown plan must be built now itself.
Keep lifestyle inflation in mind. That can reduce real return.
Final Insights
You have the potential to reach your Rs. 2.5 crore target.
But it needs strict discipline and smart adjustments.
Increase SIP slowly every year with income rise.
Track fund performance every 6 months.
Remove low-performing schemes regularly.
Engage with a Certified Financial Planner. That brings better accountability.
Protect your goals with proper term and health insurance.
By doing all these, early retirement is possible. And peaceful too.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment