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Ramalingam Kalirajan |11044 Answers |Ask -Follow

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Feb 24, 2026

Ramalingam Kalirajan has over 23 years of experience in mutual funds and financial planning.
He has an MBA in finance from the University of Madras and is a certified financial planner.
He is the director and chief financial planner at Holistic Investment, a Chennai-based firm that offers financial planning and wealth management advice.... more

Question by sarvothama on Feb 23, 2026Hindi

Dear Sir, My son is 29 year old Software Engineer having 14L package. He has started MF investments since 2021, 14.06 L invested through SIP and the present corpus is 14.06 @ 8.43 XIRR. Presently He is presently investing 60K monthly SIP in the following MF. 1. ICICI Prud. NASDAQ - 3K 2. P.P.Flexi Cap - 10K 3. Quant ELSS - 7K 4. HDFC Retirement Saving, Equity Plan - 10K 5. Kotak Midcap - 6K 6. SBI Focused Equity - 8K 7. Bandhan Small Cap - 8K 8. Nippon Multi Asset - 8K His investment period is 20+ years for Children's higher education / Retirement. His wife is also a Software Engineer. They can take market fluctuation risks. Please review the portfolio and suggest changes if any. With Thanks & Regards S.Salvankar

Ans: It is wonderful to see your son’s dedication to building a solid financial future at such a young age. Starting a systematic investment plan in 2021 and building a corpus of Rs. 14.06 lakh is a great achievement. With both he and his wife working in the software industry, they have a strong combined income potential and the ability to stay invested for a long 20-year horizon. This discipline will surely help them meet their goals for children's education and retirement.

» Evaluating the current portfolio structure

Your son has a very wide range of funds. While he is investing Rs. 60,000 every month, this amount is spread across eight different schemes. In the world of investing, having too many funds can sometimes lead to "over-diversification." This means he might be owning the same stocks through different schemes, which does not really help in reducing risk. A more focused portfolio with fewer, high-quality schemes often performs better over 20 years.

» Analysis of asset allocation and risk

The portfolio has a good mix of large, mid, and small-cap exposure. However, some categories like "focused" and "multi-asset" might be overlapping with his "flexi-cap" and "mid-cap" choices. Since the couple can handle market ups and downs, staying tilted toward equity is a smart move. The small and mid-cap segments are great for long-term growth, but they need to be balanced so the portfolio doesn't become too shaky during market corrections.

» Insights on international and sectoral exposure

Investing in foreign markets and specific sectors like "retirement" or "tax-saving" (ELSS) has its pros and cons. ELSS is only necessary if he needs to save tax under the old tax regime. If he has moved to the new tax regime, that money could be put into more aggressive growth funds. International exposure is good for diversification, but he must ensure the Indian equity portion remains the primary engine for his wealth creation.

» Benefits of active management over passive options

I noticed an investment in a fund that tracks a specific foreign index. It is important to know that index funds simply follow a list of stocks. They cannot move out of bad companies or pick winners before they become big. On the other hand, active funds have professional fund managers who use their skills to pick the best stocks. These managers can protect the portfolio during bad times and try to give higher returns than the market average during good times. For a 20-year goal, having an expert choose the right stocks is much better than just following a fixed list.

» The value of regular funds and professional guidance

If your son is investing in "direct" plans to save a small amount on fees, he might be missing out on much bigger benefits. Investing is not just about picking a fund; it is about staying calm when markets fall and rebalancing the portfolio at the right time. A Certified Financial Planner provides a 360-degree solution by looking at taxes, goals, and risk. By investing in "regular" plans through a distributor who is also a Certified Financial Planner, your son gets expert advice that can help him avoid costly mistakes. The small fee paid is often recovered through better decision-making and higher long-term wealth.

» Tax implications on equity gains

When he eventually sells his equity investments after many years, he should be aware of the tax rules. Long-term capital gains (LTCG) above Rs. 1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5%. If he sells any equity investment before one year, the short-term capital gains (STCG) are taxed at 20%. Keeping these rules in mind helps in better exit planning when the goals are near.

» Finally

Your son is on a very good path. To make the plan even stronger, he should consider reducing the number of schemes to avoid overlap. Focusing on a few well-managed active funds will make tracking easier and likely improve results. He should also ensure he has a separate term insurance policy and a health cover, so his investments stay protected even during emergencies.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

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

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