Hi i am 24 years old... As of now i have invested 2L in mutual funds lumpsum.... And i am also starting a new SIP of 1 lakh rupees per month and also expecting 10percent of step up every year...i want to reach a target of 50cr + before retirement(55)...please suggest

Ans: To create a corpus of Rs. 2-3 crs in 30 years the monthly investment required is Rs. 4,500 -Rs 6,500 respectively.

It’s better to have a flexi cap, mid cap and a small cap fund

Ans: Hello Rahul,

It's great to hear that you've been investing consistently over the past 6 years. Your proactive approach towards financial planning is commendable.

Considering your age and the goal of achieving a corpus of 70-80 lakhs by the time you turn 50, it seems you're on a good path. However, it's essential to periodically review and adjust your investment strategy to align with your goals and risk tolerance.

Given the funds you're currently investing in, they seem to cover a range of market segments which is good for diversification. However, ensure that the portfolio is balanced and not overly concentrated in one sector or style.

Remember, the investment landscape can be dynamic. Therefore, it might be beneficial to consult with a Certified Financial Planner periodically to reassess your goals, risk profile, and portfolio performance.

Keep up the good work, Rahul, and stay invested!

Ans: Assessment of Current Financial Situation
You are 53 years old with a plan to retire in 2029. You have a substantial investment portfolio:

Rs. 91 lakhs in mutual funds.

SIP of Rs. 37,000 per month, which you can continue for five more years.

Fixed Deposits (FDs) worth Rs. 35 lakhs.

Public Provident Fund (PPF) with a corpus of Rs. 60 lakhs.

Your target is to have Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month post-retirement. Let’s analyze your situation and how you can achieve this goal.

Continue SIPs Until Retirement
Your SIPs of Rs. 37,000 per month will compound significantly over the next five years. This steady investment is crucial for your retirement corpus.

Stay Invested: Keep your SIPs going until 2029. This will allow your investments to grow and provide a cushion against inflation.

Rebalance Periodically: As you approach retirement, consider gradually shifting some funds from equity to debt to reduce risk.

Fixed Deposits: Reevaluate and Strategize
Your FDs are a safe but low-return investment. With Rs. 35 lakhs in FDs, the interest may not keep up with inflation.

Consider Partial Redeployment: You might consider moving a portion of your FDs into debt mutual funds or hybrid funds. This will potentially give you better returns while keeping risk under control.

Laddering Strategy: If you prefer FDs, consider laddering them to benefit from varying interest rates and liquidity.

Maximizing PPF Returns
Your PPF corpus of Rs. 60 lakhs is a strong pillar of your retirement plan. PPF offers tax-free returns, which is a significant advantage.

Continue Contributing: If possible, continue contributing the maximum limit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs per year until retirement. This will help your corpus grow further.

Avoid Premature Withdrawals: Allow the PPF to compound until maturity. The longer you keep it, the better your tax-free returns.

Diversification and Risk Management
To ensure a balanced portfolio, you need to manage the risk associated with different asset classes.

Debt Funds for Stability: Consider increasing your exposure to debt funds as you near retirement. This will help in preserving your capital.

Equity Exposure: While equity is essential for growth, gradually reducing exposure as you approach retirement will reduce risk.

Hybrid Funds: These funds can offer a balance of equity and debt, providing moderate risk with decent returns. Consider these as you approach retirement.

Income Generation Post-Retirement
To achieve your goal of Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month post-retirement, your corpus needs to be strategically managed.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP): Post-retirement, you can set up an SWP from your mutual fund investments. This will provide you with regular income while keeping your corpus invested.

Debt Mutual Funds: A portion of your corpus can be invested in debt funds. They are relatively safe and can offer regular returns.

PPF Interest: After retirement, the interest from your PPF can be a tax-free income stream.

Inflation Consideration
Inflation can erode your purchasing power over time. It's crucial to plan for an income that increases to counter inflation.

Equity Component: Continue with a small equity exposure post-retirement to combat inflation. This could be in the form of hybrid funds or a balanced portfolio.

Regular Review: Regularly review your investments to ensure they are performing well and adjust if necessary.

Insurance and Contingency Planning
While your focus is on retirement, it’s important not to neglect risk management.

Health Insurance: Ensure you have adequate health insurance coverage. Medical costs can deplete your retirement corpus quickly.

Emergency Fund: Maintain an emergency fund separate from your retirement corpus. This will help you handle unforeseen expenses without affecting your retirement funds.

Final Insights
You are on the right track with a strong foundation for your retirement. With Rs. 91 lakhs in mutual funds, substantial SIPs, FDs, and PPF, your goal of Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month is achievable. It’s important to stay disciplined, regularly review your portfolio, and adjust your strategy as needed. By diversifying wisely and considering inflation, you can ensure a comfortable and financially secure retirement.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

Ans: Hello;

Your current MF corpus of 14 L may grow into a sum of 33 L, after 11 years.

Your current monthly SIP of 26 K will need to be topped up by 15% each year upto 11 years.

If you just want to do 10% yearly top-up then the monthly sip amount will be required to be increased to 33 K.(Consider existing funds or good large and midcap type mutual fund for additional sip)

After 11 years this top-up sip may yield you a sum of 1.41 Cr.

Assuming PF corpus to grow at a modest rate of 7.75% into a sum of 22.73 L.

Since your bonus lumpsum additions amounts are not known, they are not factored into the above working.

Adding all these amounts with 5 L gratuity gives you a comprehensive corpus of 2 Cr+ by the time you complete 50 years.

A modest return of 13% is considered from pure equity funds for the calculation.

Happy Investing!!

*Investments in mutual funds are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme related documents carefully before investing.

Ans: You are 39 years old, married, and the sole breadwinner. Your monthly salary is Rs 1.2 lakh, and you have been investing in mutual funds since 2020. Your investments include a combination of tax-saving mutual funds, small-cap funds, and a sector-specific fund. You have also parked Rs 20 lakh in debt funds and fixed deposits for buying a flat within a year. Additionally, you have Rs 10 lakh in your Provident Fund (PF) and Rs 5 lakh in gratuity.

You have set a goal to accumulate Rs 2 crore by the age of 50. This is an achievable goal, but it will require some adjustments and strategic planning to optimise your savings and investments.

You are also setting aside Rs 15,000 each month towards an emergency fund and savings, while reinvesting some of your bonus into mutual funds. Let's go step-by-step to achieve your goal while ensuring financial security along the way.

Current Investment Strategy
Your investment portfolio includes:

Three tax-saving mutual funds
Small-cap mutual funds
A sector-specific fund
Rs 20 lakh parked in debt funds and fixed deposits for a future property purchase
Your current investment strategy is diversified across equity and debt instruments. This diversification is good, but there is room for improvement in your equity mutual fund selection and tax efficiency.

Analysis of Current Investments
Equity Mutual Funds
Small-Cap and Sector-Specific Funds: Small-cap funds can provide high returns over time but also carry higher risks. Over-exposure to small-cap funds can make your portfolio volatile, especially as you near your retirement goal. A sector-specific fund, while offering focused growth, can also be risky if the sector underperforms.

Tax-Saving Funds: While tax-saving mutual funds (ELSS) provide tax benefits, there may be an overlap in the holdings of your ELSS funds. Additionally, ELSS funds have a 3-year lock-in period, which reduces liquidity.

Debt Funds and FDs
You have wisely parked Rs 20 lakh in debt funds and fixed deposits, which ensures stability and liquidity for your property purchase. However, investing large amounts in fixed deposits may not be the most tax-efficient strategy in the long run due to the high tax on interest income.

Suggestions for Achieving Your Rs 2 Crore Goal
To accumulate Rs 2 crore by the age of 50, you need a more optimised approach. Here are the steps:

1. Review and Adjust Your Equity Allocation
Increase Mid-Cap and Flexi-Cap Exposure: As you are still 11 years away from your goal, consider shifting a portion of your investments from small-cap and sector-specific funds to more balanced options like mid-cap and flexi-cap funds. These funds offer a balance between risk and return, providing more stability than small-cap funds while still offering high growth potential.

Reduce Sector-Specific Fund Exposure: Sector funds can be volatile. Consider reallocating your investment in this fund to more diversified equity funds like flexi-cap or large-cap funds. These funds are less volatile and provide more stable returns over time.

2. Reassess Your Tax-Saving Funds
Optimise ELSS Investments: You already have multiple ELSS funds, which may result in overlapping holdings and lower diversification. You could consolidate your ELSS investments into one or two well-performing funds. This will simplify your portfolio and improve returns while still offering tax benefits.

Consider the Lock-in: Keep in mind the 3-year lock-in period of ELSS funds. If liquidity is a concern, consider reducing your ELSS exposure once you’ve maximised your Section 80C limit.

3. Focus on Regular Funds over Direct Funds
Investing through a certified financial planner (CFP) in regular funds is better than investing in direct funds by yourself. A CFP can provide ongoing advice, portfolio rebalancing, and support during market fluctuations, which is crucial for reaching your Rs 2 crore goal.

4. Build a Strong Emergency Fund
You are already setting aside Rs 15,000 per month towards savings and your emergency fund. Aim to build a fund that covers at least 6 to 12 months' worth of expenses. Given your Rs 50,000 monthly expense, this would mean an emergency fund of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.

Continue to park this money in debt funds or fixed deposits for easy liquidity. This will safeguard you from any unforeseen expenses while ensuring that your long-term investments remain untouched.

5. Bonus Investment Strategy
You are already investing your bonus into mutual funds as a lump sum. This is a good practice, but consider utilising this money strategically:

Top-Up Your Existing SIPs: Rather than investing the entire bonus in one go, you could use it to top up your SIPs in your existing mutual funds. This will average your investment cost and reduce market timing risks.

Boost Equity Allocation: If your risk appetite allows, allocate more of your bonus towards equity mutual funds. This can provide higher returns in the long run, contributing significantly to your Rs 2 crore goal.

6. Step-Up Your SIPs Annually
You have mentioned that you step up your SIPs by 10-15% every year. Continue with this approach, as it aligns well with your growing income and inflation. This will accelerate your wealth accumulation and keep your goal on track.

For instance, a 10-15% increase in SIP amounts every year can make a significant difference to your final corpus. By increasing your SIPs, you will also take advantage of compounding and market growth.

7. Debt Fund Considerations
You have Rs 20 lakh in debt funds and fixed deposits. Once you buy your flat, this money will likely be reduced. However, after the purchase, you should maintain a portion of your savings in debt funds as part of your overall asset allocation.

Debt funds provide stability and reduce risk, which is essential as you approach your retirement goal. A balanced portfolio of equity and debt is necessary for sustainable growth.

8. Retirement Planning
To achieve Rs 2 crore by the time you turn 50, you need a mix of aggressive growth in the early years and risk mitigation in the later years.

Increase Equity Exposure for Now: As you have 11 years until retirement, continue focusing on equity funds for growth. However, once you are within 5 years of your retirement goal, gradually shift a portion of your equity investments to debt funds to protect your capital.

Avoid Real Estate Investments: Since you are planning to buy a flat within a year, avoid additional investments in real estate. Real estate is illiquid and may not provide returns aligned with your retirement timeline.

Maximise Provident Fund Contributions: You already have Rs 10 lakh in your PF, and this will continue growing with your monthly contributions. Provident Fund provides a safe and stable return and should remain a core part of your retirement corpus.

9. Tax Efficiency
As your investments grow, consider tax efficiency:

Tax on Equity Mutual Funds: Long-term capital gains (LTCG) on equity mutual funds above Rs 1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5%. Short-term capital gains (STCG) are taxed at 20%. Be mindful of these taxes when planning withdrawals.

Tax on Debt Funds and FDs: Interest income from fixed deposits is taxed as per your income slab, which is less tax-efficient than equity investments. You can reduce your tax burden by keeping longer-term investments in equity funds and shorter-term savings in debt funds.

Final Insights
With proper planning, accumulating Rs 2 crore by the age of 50 is within your reach. You are already on the right track with a balanced approach to savings and investments. However, minor adjustments in your mutual fund selection, better tax efficiency, and maintaining a strong emergency fund can further optimise your strategy.

Your commitment to stepping up your investments and regularly reviewing your portfolio will help you stay on track. Be consistent with your SIPs and disciplined in maintaining your long-term focus.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

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