am 53 , in between jobs as lost a high profile job about 8 months back. Have fulfilled all my responsibilities. no debt. own home. Me and wife are empty nesters. Monthly expenses maximum will be 60-65000 per month. Am planning to travel where the expenses could range between 10-12 lakhs per annum. What should be the ideal corpus that i should have at this point in time. i have currently close to 5.5-6.00 cr in corpus most in debt and some in ppf . Is this good enough to retire for good Am planning to go for a comprehensive medical insurance for me & my spouse. Am a very conservative & risk averse individual.
Ans: Dear Sir,
You are 53 years old with the following profile:
No dependents
Monthly expenses: ?60,000–65,000
Planned travel expenses: ?10–12 lakh/year
Current corpus: ?5.5–6 crore (majority in debt instruments and PPF)
Owns home (loan-free)
Risk profile: Very conservative, risk-averse
Planning to take comprehensive medical insurance for self & spouse
Observations
Current Corpus & Expenses
Annual lifestyle + travel expenses: ~?18–20 lakh/year
Using a safe withdrawal rate of 3.5–4% (suitable for conservative, long retirement), you would need a corpus of ~?5–6 crore to sustain current lifestyle indefinitely.
Investment Composition
Since most of your corpus is in debt and PPF, it is stable but may lag inflation slightly over long term.
With low-risk instruments, annual real returns may be ~5–6%, which is adequate if spending is controlled.
Recommendations
1. Portfolio Allocation
Maintain 70–75% in debt/PPF/FDRs for safety.
Keep 15–20% in conservative equity/balanced funds for inflation hedge.
Allocate 5–10% in gold/SGB for long-term protection.
2. Liquidity & Emergency Planning
Maintain cash or liquid funds for 12–18 months’ expenses to cover unexpected needs or medical emergencies.
3. Insurance & Health Coverage
Opt for a comprehensive family floater medical insurance covering hospitalization, critical illness, and post-hospitalization expenses.
Keep term insurance only if required for estate or inheritance planning.
4. Travel Planning
Fund travel expenses from short-term debt or liquid mutual funds to avoid liquidating PPF or long-term debt.
Set aside an annual corpus of ?10–12 lakh specifically for travel.
5. Inflation & Corpus Monitoring
Even conservative retirees should review corpus annually to account for inflation, unexpected medical costs, and lifestyle changes.
Consider modest equity allocation to maintain purchasing power over decades.
Conclusion
With ?5.5–6 crore mostly in safe instruments, your current corpus is sufficient for retirement with your conservative lifestyle and travel plans. Key actions:
Opt for comprehensive health insurance
Maintain liquidity for 12–18 months
Small equity allocation for inflation protection
Review corpus annually
Your retirement can be comfortable, low-risk, and sustainable, given disciplined spending and conservative investment approach.
Best regards,
Naveenn Kummar, BE, MBA, QPFP
Chief Financial Planner | AMFI Registered MFD
https://members.networkfp.com/member/naveenkumarreddy-vadula-chennai