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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 21, 2024

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
Mohan Question by Mohan on May 18, 2024Hindi
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Money

Sir, i am 33yrs old and new to investment. I am planning to do SIP for long term next 15 to 20 years. What are the best MF for me to invest? Kindly help sir.

Ans: Starting Your Investment Journey
It's fantastic that you're starting your investment journey at 33. Investing in SIPs for the long term is a smart and disciplined approach.

Benefits of SIPs
Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) help inculcate a habit of regular investing. They provide the advantage of rupee cost averaging and the power of compounding. Over 15 to 20 years, these benefits can significantly grow your wealth.

Importance of Actively Managed Funds
Actively managed funds have professional managers who make strategic decisions to maximize returns. Unlike index funds, which simply track market indices, actively managed funds adapt to market conditions. This can result in better performance and higher returns.

Disadvantages of Index Funds
Index funds have lower costs but lack flexibility. They often underperform during volatile market conditions. Actively managed funds, on the other hand, can adjust their strategies to navigate market fluctuations effectively.

Benefits of Investing Through a Certified Financial Planner
Investing through a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) provides expert guidance. They can help select the right funds based on your financial goals and risk tolerance. Regular funds invested through a CFP offer professional management and strategic oversight.

Diversifying Your Portfolio
Diversification is key to managing risk and optimizing returns. A well-diversified portfolio includes a mix of equity, debt, and balanced funds. This spread reduces the impact of market volatility on your overall investment.

Equity Funds for Growth
Equity funds invest in stocks and are suitable for long-term growth. They tend to offer higher returns compared to other funds but come with higher risk. Investing in a mix of large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap funds can provide balanced growth.

Debt Funds for Stability
Debt funds invest in fixed-income securities like bonds and government securities. They offer stability and lower risk compared to equity funds. Including debt funds in your portfolio ensures a steady return and reduces overall risk.

Balanced Funds for Moderate Growth
Balanced funds, or hybrid funds, invest in both equity and debt. They provide a balance of growth and stability. These funds are suitable for investors looking for moderate returns with controlled risk.

Regular Portfolio Review
Regularly reviewing your portfolio is crucial. Market conditions and your financial goals can change over time. A CFP can help you rebalance your portfolio to ensure it remains aligned with your objectives.

Increasing SIP Contributions
As your income grows, consider increasing your SIP contributions. Even small incremental increases can significantly boost your investment corpus over time. The power of compounding will amplify these contributions, leading to substantial growth.

Avoiding Common Investment Pitfalls
Avoid making emotional investment decisions. Stick to your long-term plan and avoid reacting to short-term market fluctuations. Regular consultation with a CFP ensures you stay on track towards your financial goals.

Building an Emergency Fund
Maintain an emergency fund covering 6-12 months of expenses. This fund provides financial security and prevents the need to withdraw investments during emergencies.

Conclusion: A Balanced Approach
Your decision to invest in SIPs for the long term is wise. Focus on actively managed funds for better returns. Diversify your portfolio with a mix of equity, debt, and balanced funds. Regularly review and increase your SIP contributions, and maintain an emergency fund. Consulting with a CFP ensures professional guidance and helps you achieve your financial goals.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information to be as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision.
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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Oct 24, 2024

Money
I want to invest 8000 in SIP for next 17 years, in 50:30:20 ratio. Kindly suggest the best MF to invest
Ans: Investing Rs 8,000 in a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a smart decision. This approach allows you to accumulate wealth over time. A 17-year horizon provides you with a solid timeframe to benefit from the power of compounding.

Your proposed allocation of 50:30:20 ratio is also strategic. This means:

50% in Equities: Aimed at growth through higher returns.

30% in Debt Instruments: Provides stability and income.

20% in Hybrid or Balanced Funds: Offers a blend of both equity and debt.

Evaluating Equity Investments
Equity investments are crucial for long-term wealth creation. Here’s how to approach this:

Higher Growth Potential:

Historically, equities outperform other asset classes over time.
They can provide substantial returns if invested wisely.
Long-Term Focus:

Invest in funds with strong fundamentals.
Look for funds with consistent performance and reliable management.
Risk Management:

While equities are riskier, they offer better inflation protection.

Diversification across sectors can mitigate risks.

Assessing Debt Investments
Debt investments are essential for balancing risk. They provide stability to your portfolio. Consider the following:

Stable Returns:

Debt instruments provide regular income through interest.
They can cushion your portfolio during market volatility.
Fixed Income Security:

Debt can safeguard your capital while generating returns.
Ideal for risk-averse investors seeking stability.
Inflation Consideration:

While safer, debt returns may not always outpace inflation.

It is important to regularly reassess your debt allocation.

Exploring Hybrid Funds
Hybrid funds blend equity and debt. They can be a great choice for balanced growth. Here’s why:

Balanced Approach:

These funds adjust their allocations based on market conditions.
They provide exposure to both growth and stability.
Less Volatility:

Hybrid funds typically experience lower volatility than pure equity funds.
They are suitable for investors who want a moderate risk profile.
Ease of Management:

With hybrid funds, you do not have to constantly rebalance your portfolio.

Fund managers make allocation decisions based on market analysis.

Disadvantages of Direct Funds
If you consider investing in direct mutual funds, be aware of the drawbacks:

Lack of Professional Guidance:

Direct funds require you to manage your investments.
This can be challenging without a financial background.
Time-Consuming:

Researching and monitoring funds can be time-consuming.
You may miss opportunities without regular oversight.
Limited Access to Expertise:

You might not have the same access to professional insights.

This can affect your investment decisions and performance.

Advantages of Regular Funds via MFD
Investing through a Mutual Fund Distributor (MFD) with Certified Financial Planner credentials offers several benefits:

Professional Management:

MFDs provide guidance on fund selection based on your goals.
They help you understand market trends and fund performance.
Customized Solutions:

MFDs can tailor investment strategies to your risk profile.
They help align your investments with your financial objectives.
Regular Monitoring:

MFDs keep track of your investments and market conditions.
They can recommend adjustments based on performance.
Convenience:

Investing through MFD simplifies the investment process.

You receive consolidated statements and updates on your portfolio.

Tax Considerations for Mutual Funds
Understanding tax implications is vital for effective investing. Here’s what you need to know:

Equity Mutual Funds:

Long-term capital gains (LTCG) above Rs 1.25 lac are taxed at 12.5%.
Short-term capital gains (STCG) are taxed at 20%.
Debt Mutual Funds:

LTCG and STCG are taxed according to your income tax slab.

Keep these tax implications in mind when planning your investments.

Suggested Investment Strategy
Given your goals and preferences, consider the following investment strategy:

50% in Equity Funds:

Allocate Rs 4,000 per month.
Focus on funds with strong historical performance and management.
30% in Debt Funds:

Invest Rs 2,400 per month.
Choose funds that offer steady income and safety.
20% in Hybrid Funds:

Allocate Rs 1,600 per month.
Look for funds with a good balance of equity and debt exposure.
This allocation allows for growth while maintaining stability. Ensure you review and adjust this strategy regularly.

Final Insights
Your plan to invest Rs 8,000 in a SIP over 17 years is excellent. The 50:30:20 ratio can help you achieve your financial goals.

Consider the pros of actively managed funds through an MFD. They can provide valuable insights and professional guidance.

Regularly review your portfolio to ensure alignment with your goals. This will help you stay on track for long-term success.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

..Read more

Latest Questions
Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Dec 06, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 06, 2025Hindi
Money
Dear Sir/Ma'am, I need some guidance and advice for continuing my mutual fund investments. I am a 36 year old male, married, no kids yet and no debts/liabilities as such. I have couple of savings in PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and long term investing in direct stocks. I recently started below mentioned SIPs for long term to grow wealth. Request you to review the same and let me know if I should continue with the SIPs or need to rationalize. Kindly also advice on how to invest a lumpsum amount of around 6lacs. invesco small cap 2000 motilal oswal midcap 2700 parag parikh flexicap 3000 HDFC flexicap 3100 ICICI prudential largecap 3100 HDFC large and midcap 3100 HDFC gold etf FOF 2000 ICICI Pru equity and debt fund 3000 HDFC balanced advantage fund 3000 nippon india silver etf FOF 2000
Ans: You already built a solid foundation. Many investors delay planning. But you started early at 36. That gives you a strong advantage. You have no liabilities. You have long term thinking. You also have diversified savings like PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and direct stocks. That shows clarity and discipline. This approach builds wealth with less stress over time.

You also started systematic investments in equity funds. That is a positive step. Your selection covers multiple categories like large cap, mid cap, small cap, flexi cap, hybrid and precious metals. So the intent is right. You are trying to create a broad portfolio. That gives balance.

» Your Portfolio Composition Understanding
Your current SIP list includes:

Small cap

Mid cap

Flexi cap

Large cap

Large and mid cap

Hybrid category

Gold and Silver FoF

Equity and Debt allocation fund

Dynamic hybrid fund

This shows you are trying to cover many segments. But too many categories can create overlap. When there is overlap, you get confusion during review. It also makes portfolio discipline difficult. You may think you are diversified. But the holdings inside may repeat. That reduces efficiency.

Your portfolio now looks like:

Equity dominant

Hybrid for stability

Metals for hedge

So the broad direction is fine. But simplifying helps in long-term habit building.

» Fund Category Duplication
You hold:

Two flexi cap funds

One large and mid cap fund

One pure large cap fund

One mid cap fund

One small cap fund

Flexi cap funds already invest across large, mid, small. Then large and mid also overlaps. So the large cap exposure gets repeated. That may not add extra benefit. But it increases monitoring complexity.

So I suggest rationalising. Keep one fund per category in core. Keep satellite space for only high conviction.

» Core and Satellite Strategy
A structured portfolio follows core and satellite method.

Core portfolio should be:

Simple

Long term

Stable

Satellite portfolio can be:

High growth

Concentrated

Based on your thinking level, you can structure like this:

Core funds:

One large cap

One flexi cap

One hybrid equity and debt fund

One balanced advantage type fund

Satellite funds:

One mid cap

One small cap

One metal allocation if needed

This division gives clarity. You can continue SIPs with review every year. No need to stop and restart often. That reduces behavioural mistakes.

» Your Current SIP List Review with Suggested Streamlining

You can consider continuing:

One flexi cap

One large cap

One mid cap

One small cap

One balanced advantage

One equity and debt hybrid

You may reconsider keeping both flexi caps and both gold silver funds. One of each category is enough. Because too many funds do not increase returns. It complicates tracking.

Precious metal funds should not be more than 5 to 7 percent in your portfolio. This is because metals are hedge assets. They do not create compounding like equity. They act as protection during cycles. So keep them small.

» How to Use the Rs 6 Lakh Lump Sum
You asked about lump sum investing. This is important. Lump sum should not go fully into equity at one time. Markets move in cycles. So use a staggered method. You can invest the lump sum through STP (Systematic Transfer Plan). You can keep the amount in a liquid fund and set STP toward your chosen growth funds over 6 to 12 months.

This reduces timing risk. It also creates discipline. So your Rs 6 lakh can be deployed gradually. You may use 50% towards core equity funds and 30% toward satellite growth category. The remaining 20% can go into hybrid category. This gives balance and comfort.

» Regular Funds Over Direct Funds
One important point many investors miss. Direct funds look cheaper. But they demand deep knowledge, discipline, and behaviour control. Most investors lose more through emotional selling and wrong timing than they save on expense ratio.

With regular funds through a Mutual Fund Distributor with Certified Financial Planner qualification, you get guidance, structure and correction. The advisory discipline protects you during market extremes. That is more valuable than a small saving in expense ratio.

A personalised planner also tracks portfolio drift, rebalancing need and category shifts. So regular fund investing gives long-term benefit and behaviour coaching.

» Actively Managed Funds over Index or ETF
Some investors choose index funds or ETF thinking they are simple and cheap. But they ignore drawbacks.

Index funds or ETF will not avoid weak companies in the index. They will invest whether the company grows or struggles. There is no fund manager decision making. So when markets are at peak, index funds continue aggressive exposure. In downturns also they fall fully. There is no cushion.

Actively managed funds work with research teams. They can avoid bad sectors. They can shift allocation based on market and economy. Over long term, this gives better alpha and stability. So continuing with actively managed funds creates better wealth compounding.

» SIP Continuation Strategy
Once the rationalisation is done, continue SIPs every month without interruption. Pause and restart behaviour damages compounding power. SIP works best when you go through all market cycles. You benefit more during corrections because cost averaging works.

So continue SIP amount. You can also review SIP increase every year based on income. Increasing SIP by 10 to 15 percent every year helps you reach large corpus faster.

» Asset Allocation Based Approach
One key point in wealth creation is having the right asset mix. Equity gives growth. Hybrid gives balance. Metals give hedge. Debt gives safety. Your asset allocation should stay aligned to your risk profile and time horizon.

Since you are young and have long term horizon, higher equity allocation is fine. But as time moves, rebalancing is important. Rebalancing protects gains and restores allocation.

So review your asset allocation every year or during major life events like child birth, home buying or retirement planning.

» Behaviour Management
Many portfolios fail not due to bad funds. They fail due to bad decisions. Selling during correction. Stopping SIP when market falls. Chasing past return performance. These mistakes reduce wealth.

Your discipline so far is good. Continue to stay patient during volatility. Equity rewards patience and time.

» Financial Goals Clarity
Since you have no children now, you can decide your long-term goals. Typical goals may include:

Retirement

Future child education

Dream lifestyle purchase

Health care reserves

When goals are clear, investment purpose becomes stronger. So you can map each fund category to goal horizon. Short-term goals should not use equity. Long-term goals should use equity with hybrid support.

» Role of Review and Monitoring
Review once in a year is enough. Frequent review can create anxiety. Annual review helps check:

Fund performance

Expense drift

Category relevance

Allocation balance

Then adjust only if needed. This progress helps you stay confident and aligned.

» Taxation Awareness
Equity mutual funds taxation rules are:

Short term (below one year holding) taxable at 20 percent

Long term (above one year holding) gains above Rs 1.25 lakh taxable at 12.5 percent

Debt mutual funds are taxed as per your income slab.

So always hold equity funds for long term. That reduces tax impact and gives better growth.

» SIP Increase Plan
You can create a simple plan to increase SIP over time. For example:

Increase SIP at every salary increment

Increase SIP during bonus time

Use rewards or extra income for investing

This habit accelerates wealth. So by the time you reach 45 to 50 years, your investments could reach a strong level.

» Insurance and Protection
Before investing large, ensure you have term insurance and health insurance. If not already done, it is important. Insurance protects wealth. Without insurance, even a small medical event can impact investment plan. So review this part also. Since you are married, cover both.

» Wealth Behaviour Mindset
You are already disciplined. Just keep these simple principles:

Invest without stopping

Review once a year

Avoid funds overlap

Follow asset allocation

Avoid reacting to media noise

This helps you reach long term milestones.

» Finally
You are on the right track. Only fine tuning and simplification is needed. Your discipline is visible. Your portfolio will grow well with structure, patience and periodic review. Use the Rs 6 lakh with STP approach. And continue SIP with rationalised categories.

With time and consistency, wealth creation becomes effortless and peaceful. You just need to stay committed and avoid overthinking during market movements.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

...Read more

Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1837 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 05, 2025

Career
Dear Sir, I did my BTech from a normal engineering college not very famous. The teaching was not great and hence i did not study well. I tried my best to learn coding including all the technologies like html,css,javascript,react js,dba,php because i wanted to be a web developer But nothing seem to enter my head except html and css. I don't understand a language which has more complexities. Is it because of my lack of experience or not devoting enough time. I am not sure. I did many courses online and tried to do diplomas also abroad which i passed somehow. I recently joined android development course because i like apps but the teaching was so fast that i could not memorize anything. There was no time to even take notes down. During the course i did assignments and understood the code because i have to pass but after the course is over i tend to forget everything. I attempted a lot of interviews. Some of them i even got but could not perform well so they let me go. Now due to the AI booming and job markets in a bad shape i am re-thinking whether to keep studying or whether its just time waste. Since 3 years i am doing labour type of jobs which does not yield anything to me for survival and to pay my expenses. I have the quest to learn everything but as soon as i sit in front of the computer i listen to music or read something else. What should i do to stay more focused? What should i do to make myself believe confident. Is there still scope of IT in todays world? Kindly advise.
Ans: Your story does not show failure.
It shows persistence, effort, and desire to improve.

Most people give up.
You didn’t.
That means you will succeed — but with the right method, not the old one.

...Read more

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related document carefully before investing. The securities quoted are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information and as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision. RediffGURUS is an intermediary as per India's Information Technology Act.

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