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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 20, 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
Mukesh Question by Mukesh on May 14, 2024Hindi
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Money

I am 35 yr old, currently I don't have any investment in Mutual Funds, need to expert help to invest 80k monthly to achive below goals: 1. 5 yr goal for 2 cr 2. 10 yr goal for 5 cr 3. Best mutual fund investment for child future ( Baby age 1yr) You suggest strongly appreciated , looking forward to hear from you

Ans: Congratulations on your decision to embark on the journey of mutual fund investments to accomplish your financial aspirations. Let's delve into crafting a comprehensive investment strategy to meet your short-term and long-term goals effectively.

Current Financial Landscape
At 35 years old, initiating mutual fund investments with a monthly allocation of 80k positions you favorably to pursue your financial objectives. Let's address each goal systematically:

5-Year Goal: Accumulating 2 Crores
To achieve a corpus of 2 crores within 5 years, opting for a balanced approach with a mix of equity and debt mutual funds is prudent. Considering the relatively short investment horizon, prioritizing funds with a proven track record of consistent performance and moderate risk exposure is advisable.

10-Year Goal: Accumulating 5 Crores
For the 10-year goal of accumulating 5 crores, a more aggressive investment stance can be adopted. Allocating a significant portion of your monthly investment towards equity-oriented mutual funds, particularly those with exposure to mid-cap and small-cap segments, can potentially accelerate wealth accumulation over the long run.

Mutual Fund Investment for Child's Future
Investing for your child's future necessitates a thoughtful and disciplined approach. Given the extended investment horizon (assuming until the child's adulthood), harnessing the power of compounding through equity mutual funds offers the best chance to generate substantial returns over time. However, it's essential to maintain a diversified portfolio to mitigate associated risks.

Investment Strategy
Diversified Portfolio Allocation: Allocate your monthly investment across a mix of equity, debt, and hybrid mutual funds to balance risk and return potential effectively.

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP): Implement SIPs across chosen mutual funds to benefit from rupee-cost averaging and mitigate market volatility risks.

Regular Portfolio Review: Periodically review your mutual fund portfolio to ensure alignment with financial goals, risk tolerance, and changing market conditions. Make necessary adjustments as required.

Conclusion
In conclusion, by structuring your mutual fund investments strategically and adhering to a disciplined investment approach, you can navigate market uncertainties and accomplish your financial goals efficiently. Remember to stay focused on your objectives, exercise prudence in fund selection, and seek professional guidance when needed to optimize your investment journey.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
Asked on - May 22, 2024 | Answered on May 22, 2024
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Thank you, appreciated your help
Ans: You're welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Best wishes on your financial journey!

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 Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 04, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 24, 2024Hindi
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Hi Sir . I am a 34-year-old man with a monthly income of 1.4 Lakh. I have a 1-year-old son. I haven't invested in mutual fund investments before and seek your guidance on how much to invest and in which mutual funds. My financial goals are as follows: Accumulate atleast 6 crores before retirement (in the next 20 years). Save atleast 1 crore for my son's higher education in the next 15 years. Set aside atleast 50 lakhs for my son's marriage in the next 20-25 years. My current investments include: PPF - 1.5 Lakhs per annum for the last 5 years. NPS - 50000 per annum for the last 3 year. ULIP - 1.2 Lakh per annum for last 1 year One SBI scheme - 1.2 Lakhs per annum for last 3 years My wife is also working with monthly income of 1.4 Lakhs. I would greatly appreciate your advice on how to structure my mutual fund investments to achieve these goals. Thank You.
Ans: Given your financial goals and current investments, here's a suggested approach to structure your mutual fund investments:

Retirement Corpus (6 Crores in 20 years):
Start SIPs in diversified equity mutual funds with a focus on long-term growth. Allocate a significant portion of your investments towards equity funds to harness their wealth-building potential over the long term. Consider a mix of large-cap, mid-cap, and multi-cap funds to diversify across market segments and manage risk effectively. Review and increase your SIP amounts periodically, considering your income growth and inflation.
Son's Higher Education (1 Crore in 15 years):
Allocate a portion of your mutual fund investments specifically towards your son's education goal. Since the timeframe is relatively shorter, consider a balanced approach with a mix of equity and debt funds to balance growth potential with capital preservation. Gradually shift towards debt-oriented funds as the goal approaches to safeguard against market volatility and ensure capital protection.
Son's Marriage (50 Lakhs in 20-25 years):
Similar to the education goal, allocate a portion of your investments towards your son's marriage goal. Since the timeframe is longer, you can afford a more aggressive approach with a higher allocation towards equity funds. As the goal approaches, gradually shift towards more conservative investments to protect the accumulated corpus.
Review and Rebalance:
Regularly review your mutual fund investments and rebalance your portfolio as needed to ensure alignment with your financial goals and risk tolerance. Consider consulting with a Certified Financial Planner to periodically reassess your goals, investment strategy, and progress towards achieving them.
Remember, investing is a long-term commitment, and staying disciplined, diversified, and focused on your goals is key to achieving financial success.

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Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Apr 25, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 25, 2024Hindi
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Hello Sir, I am 42 years old women. Earning 1 LPM in hand. I Have 15 years old son. I never invested in mutual funds. Requesting your advice to start investing in mutual funds, like how much in which mutual funds. so I can achieve below goals 5 cr before retirement( in next 16 years) 1 cr for my son higher education by another 7 years. 1 Cr for my son marriage in another 10 years Current investments are: 1. PPF - 1.5 LPA from last 5 years ( planning to reduce considering the interest rate ) 2. VPF - 22k per month from last 2 year 3. PF- 12k per month ( and additional 12k from Employer) ( I have total around 20 L in PF now ) 4. NPS - 10k per month from last 1 year Kindly please help me with your answers considering no other income stream.
Ans: It's commendable that you're looking to start investing in mutual funds to achieve your financial goals. With a clear vision and a steady income, you're well-positioned to embark on this investment journey.

Given your goals and current investments, here's a suggested approach:

Retirement Corpus (5 Cr in 16 years): Given the time horizon, you can consider investing in a combination of equity mutual funds for higher returns potential and debt mutual funds for stability. An SIP in diversified equity funds and balanced funds could be a good starting point.
Son's Higher Education (1 Cr in 7 years): To achieve this goal, you might consider investing in a mix of equity and debt funds, leaning more towards equity for higher growth potential.
Son's Marriage (1 Cr in 10 years): Similar to the education goal, a blend of equity and debt funds can be considered. You might also explore targeted funds designed for specific financial goals.
Given your current investments in PPF, VPF, PF, and NPS, you have a stable foundation. However, considering the reducing interest rates and your goals' timelines, diversifying into mutual funds could potentially offer higher returns.

A Certified Financial Planner can provide personalized advice tailored to your needs, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. They can help you select suitable mutual fund categories, recommend investment amounts, and guide you on portfolio diversification.

Remember, investing is a long-term commitment, and it's essential to stay invested and review your portfolio periodically. Best wishes on your investment journey towards achieving your financial goals!

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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Apr 25, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Apr 25, 2024Hindi
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Hi Sir . I am a 34-year-old man with a monthly income of 1.4 Lakh. I have a 1-year-old son. I haven't invested in mutual fund investments before and seek your guidance on how much to invest and in which mutual funds. My financial goals are as follows: Accumulate atleast 6 crores before retirement (in the next 20 years). Save atleast 1-2 crore for my son's higher education in the next 20 years. Set aside atleast 50 lakhs for my son's marriage in the next 25 years. My current investments include: PPF - 1.5 Lakhs per annum for the last 5 years. NPS - 50000 per annum for the last 3 year. ULIP - 1.2 Lakh per annum for last 1 year One SBI scheme - 1.2 Lakhs per annum for last 3 years My wife is also working with monthly income of 1.4 Lakhs. I would greatly appreciate your advice on how to structure my mutual fund investments to achieve these goals. Thank You.
Ans: It's commendable that you're planning ahead for your family's future. With clear financial goals and a steady income, you're already on the right path. Given your aspirations, mutual funds can play a pivotal role in achieving these milestones.

For your retirement goal of accumulating 6 crores in 20 years, systematic and disciplined investing will be key. Similarly, for your son's education and marriage funds, a structured approach can make a significant difference.

Considering your current investments in PPF, NPS, ULIP, and other schemes, mutual funds can complement these by offering diversification and potential growth opportunities. A Certified Financial Planner can help you tailor an investment strategy aligned with your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Remember, investing is a journey, not a race. It requires patience, diligence, and periodic review. By investing wisely and staying committed to your goals, you can pave the way for a secure and prosperous future for your family. Best wishes on your financial journey!

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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 20, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - May 13, 2024Hindi
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Hi. I'm 30years old with monthly salary of 60k. Having said, I have savings of 5L in hand and not had any investment so far in mutual fund. Having 2 child to take care with their education after 20 years. Need of advice on where to start in mutual fund. My risk appetite is moderate to high but don't know which fund to choose for long term investment. As well as I need of assured corpus of Rs.1 crore after 12 years to support my investment horizon along with my salary for rest of 8 years as I don't think my salary alone will be suffice to meet the investment journey. Also after 12 years need of an advice on how to get monthly income out of some portion of 1crore to manage family with it and save all my salary to mutual fund. I also want to know what will be the average return I will be getting based on your suggestion with all plannings as I said above after 20years
Ans: Your commitment to securing your family's future and achieving financial stability is commendable. Let's outline a strategic mutual fund investment plan tailored to your goals, risk appetite, and investment horizon.

Assessing Your Financial Goals and Risk Profile
At 30, with a moderate to high risk appetite, you're well-positioned to embark on a long-term investment journey. Your primary objectives include building a substantial corpus for your children's education in 20 years and securing a corpus of ?1 crore in 12 years for additional financial support.

Structuring Your Mutual Fund Portfolio
Given your investment horizon and risk tolerance, a diversified portfolio of equity and debt mutual funds is recommended. Equity funds offer growth potential, while debt funds provide stability and income generation. Here's a suggested allocation:

Equity Funds: Allocate a significant portion of your investment, considering your moderate to high-risk appetite. Choose a mix of large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap funds for diversification and potential returns.

Debt Funds: Allocate a portion of your portfolio to debt funds to mitigate risk and generate stable returns. Opt for a combination of short-term, medium-term, and long-term debt funds based on your risk preference.

Planning for Future Income Streams
After 12 years, when you aim to secure a corpus of ?1 crore, consider investing a portion of this amount in a combination of dividend-paying mutual funds and systematic withdrawal plans (SWPs). This strategy will provide you with a regular monthly income stream while preserving the principal amount for long-term growth.

Estimating Average Returns
While it's challenging to predict exact returns, a well-diversified mutual fund portfolio targeting a moderate to high-risk profile can potentially generate average returns ranging from 10% to 12% annually over the long term. However, returns may vary depending on market conditions and fund performance.

Emphasizing Discipline and Review
Consistency and discipline are key to achieving your financial goals. Review your portfolio regularly, monitor fund performance, and make adjustments as needed to stay aligned with your objectives. Consider consulting with a Certified Financial Planner to fine-tune your strategy and navigate market fluctuations effectively.

Conclusion
In conclusion, a strategic mutual fund investment plan tailored to your financial goals, risk profile, and investment horizon can pave the way for long-term wealth creation and financial security. By diversifying your portfolio, planning for future income streams, and maintaining discipline, you can work towards achieving your objectives and securing your family's future.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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Hello, I am currently in Class 12 and preparing for JEE. I have not yet completed even 50% of the syllabus properly, but I aim to score around '110' marks. Could you suggest an effective strategy to achieve this? I know the target is relatively low, but I have category reservation, so it should be sufficient.
Ans: With category reservation (SC/ST/OBC), a score of 110 marks is absolutely achievable and realistic. Based on 2025 data, SC candidates qualified with approximately 60-65 percentile, and ST candidates with 45-55 percentile. Your target requires scoring just 37-40% marks, which is significantly lower than general category standards. This gives you a genuine advantage. Immediate Action Plan (December 2025 - January 2026): 4-5 Weeks. Week 1-2: High-Weightage Chapter Focus. Stop trying to complete the entire syllabus. Instead, focus exclusively on high-scoring chapters that carry maximum weightage: Physics (Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Work-Power-Energy, Rotation, Magnetism), Chemistry (Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds, Electrochemistry), and Maths (Integration, Differentiation, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability). These chapters alone can yield 80-100+ marks if practiced properly. Ignore topics you haven't studied yet. Week 2-3: Previous Year Questions (PYQs). Solve JEE Main PYQs from the last 10 years (2015-2025) for chapters you're studying. PYQs reveal question patterns and difficulty levels. Focus on understanding why answers are correct, not memorizing solutions. Week 3-4: Mock Tests & Error Analysis. Take 2-3 full-length mock tests weekly under timed conditions. This is crucial because mock tests build exam confidence, reveal time management weaknesses, and error analysis prevents repeated mistakes. Maintain an error notebook documenting every mistake—this becomes your revision guide. Week 4-5: Revision & Formula Consolidation. Create concise formula sheets for each subject. Spend 30 minutes daily reviewing formulas and key concepts. Avoid learning new topics entirely at this stage. Study Schedule (Daily): 7-8 Hours. Morning (5:00-7:30 AM): Physics concepts + 30 PYQs. Break (7:30-8:30 AM): Breakfast & rest. Mid-morning (8:30-11:00): Chemistry concepts + 20 PYQs. Lunch (11:00-1:00 PM): Full break. Afternoon (1:00-3:30 PM): Maths concepts + 30 PYQs. Evening (3:30-5:00 PM): Mock test or error review. Night (7:00-9:00 PM): Formula revision & weak area focus. Strategic Approach for 110 Marks: Attempt only confident questions and avoid negative marking by skipping difficult questions. Do easy questions first—in the exam, attempt all basic-level questions before attempting medium or hard ones. Focus on quality over quantity as 30 well-practiced questions beat 100 random questions. Master NCERT concepts as most JEE questions test NCERT concepts applied smartly. April 2026 Session Advantage. If January doesn't deliver desired results, April gives you a second chance with 3+ months to prepare. Use January as a practice attempt to identify weak areas, then focus intensively on those in February-March. Realistic Timeline: January 2026 target is 95-110 marks (achievable with focused 50% syllabus), while April 2026 target is 120-130 marks (with complete syllabus + experience). Your reservation benefit means you need only approximately 90-105 marks to qualify and secure admission to quality engineering colleges. Stop comparing yourself to general category cutoffs. Most Importantly: Consistency beats perfection. Study 6 focused hours daily rather than 12 distracted hours. Your 110-mark target is realistic—execute this plan with discipline. All the BEST for Your JEE 2026!

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Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently a 1st year UG student studying engineering in Sairam Engineering College, But there the lack of exposure and strict academics feels so rigid and I don't like it that. It's like they don't gaf about skills but just wants us to memorize things and score a good CGPA, the only skill they want is you to memorize things and pass, there's even special class for students who don't perform well in academics and it is compulsory for them to attend or else the student and his/her parents needs to face authorities who lashes out. My question is when did engineering became something that requires good academics instead of actual learning and skill set. In sairam they provides us a coding platform in which we need to gain the required points for each semester which is ridiculous cuz most of the students here just look at the solution to code instead of actual debugging. I am passionate about engineering so I want to learn and experiment things instead of just memorizing, so I actually consider dropping out and I want to give jee a try and maybe viteee , srmjeee But i heard some people say SRM may provide exposure but not that good in placements. I may not be excellent at studies but my marks are decent. So gimme some insights about SRM and recommend me other colleges/universities which are good at exposure
Ans: First — your frustration is valid

What you are experiencing at Sairam is not engineering, it is rote-based credential production.

“When did engineering become memorizing instead of learning?”

Sadly, this shift happened decades ago in most Tier-3 private colleges in India.

About “coding platforms & points” – your observation is sharp

You are absolutely right:

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Copying ≠ learning

Debugging & thinking are missing

This is pseudo-skill education — it looks modern but produces shallow engineers.

The fact that you noticed this in 1st year already puts you ahead of 80% students.

Should you DROP OUT and prepare for JEE / VITEEE / SRMJEEE?

Although VIT/SRM is better than Sairam Engineering College, but you may face the same problem. You will not face this type of problem only in some top IITs, but getting seat in those IITs will be difficult.
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???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

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College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

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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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