Dear Sir, i am 35 yrs old just started SIP of 5k with Tata Digital India Fund - Growth and another 5k with Tata banking and financial services fund direct- Growth and another 5k towards NPS Tata pension management Ltd, should i continue investing...

Dear Sir, i am 35 yrs old just started SIP of 5k with Tata Digital India Fund - Growth and another 5k with Tata banking and financial services fund direct- Growth and another 5k towards NPS Tata pension management Ltd, should i continue investing these with a 10% increase each year, My goal is to create a corpus of 1.5cr after 25 years, kindly advise

Ans: Dear Agasthya,

Based on your current investments and financial goals, here is my advice:

Tata Digital India Fund - Growth and Tata Banking and Financial Services Fund Direct - Growth are both sector-specific funds. While they may offer potential for higher returns, they can also be more volatile due to their focus on specific industries. It's important to diversify your portfolio by investing in funds that cover different sectors or market segments.
Increasing your SIP amount by 10% each year is a good strategy to account for inflation and enhance the growth potential of your investments.
The National Pension System (NPS) is a good long-term investment option for retirement planning, as it offers a mix of equity, corporate bonds, and government securities.
Assuming an average annual return of 12% on your investments, your current SIPs of INR 15,000 per month (with a 10% annual increase) should enable you to achieve your goal of INR 1.5 crore in 25 years.

However, I recommend that you review and rebalance your portfolio periodically to ensure you're on track to meet your goal. It's also essential to consider diversifying your investments further by adding other asset classes, such as large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap, and debt funds.

Please note that this advice is based on general financial planning principles and should not be considered as a substitute for personalized advice from a certified financial planner.

I hope this helps you make informed decisions for your financial future.

Best regards,

Ans: You have done a very good job of investing regularly for many years. Starting your SIPs in 2020 and continuing till now shows real commitment. You have created a disciplined habit, which is the base for long-term wealth. At 46, you still have around 12 years before retirement. That is a good time to create a strong and healthy corpus for your future.

Your current investment value is Rs.17.37 lakhs, and you have invested Rs.14.72 lakhs. It may feel like the growth is not enough. But this situation is normal when the market goes through temporary ups and downs. Let us look at your investments in detail and see how to plan for your retirement corpus confidently.

» Your Consistent SIP Effort

Your SIP journey started around 5 years ago. You have continued every month without stopping. This is a strong financial habit. Many investors stop their SIPs during market fall or uncertain periods. But you stayed invested. This discipline will reward you in the next few years.

Your total SIP amount every month is quite good. You are investing in multiple categories like flexicap, large and midcap, smallcap, multicap, and sector funds. You also have one multi-asset allocation fund with a large lump sum. This mix shows you are open to diversification.

At this stage, your focus should be on improving quality rather than adding new schemes. The number of funds can be reduced slightly for better tracking and better compounding.

» Evaluating the Present Value and Growth

You have invested Rs.14.72 lakhs so far, and your portfolio value is Rs.17.37 lakhs. The growth looks modest because the market went through volatility in 2022 and 2023. During such times, even good funds show short-term underperformance.

Please note that SIP returns depend on market cycles. In early years, returns may look low because your invested amount is still small. The compounding impact will be visible after 7 to 10 years of continuous investment.

The good news is that you started early enough before retirement. You have 12 years left. That means you will experience at least one full bull market phase again before retiring. During that phase, your current disciplined SIPs will grow faster than you expect today.

» Understanding the Power of Compounding Over 12 Years

Many investors underestimate what 12 years of regular SIPs can do. You are already investing systematically in equity-oriented mutual funds. Over time, these funds can generate healthy long-term returns.

Even a moderate growth rate over 12 years can multiply your corpus strongly. Equity mutual funds work well when you give them time. The longer you stay, the smoother the volatility becomes, and the returns become more stable.

Remember, short-term numbers never show the real potential. Compounding is slow in the beginning, then it grows exponentially. You are still in the early growth stage. The next 8 to 10 years will show real compounding results.

» Performance Gaps Are Temporary

You may feel your portfolio is not growing as expected. This feeling comes because we often compare mutual fund returns with fixed deposits or real estate growth in short terms. Equity funds do not grow in a straight line. They move in cycles.

Some categories like small cap or mid cap can remain sideways for some time. Then they rise suddenly when the market sentiment improves. Your portfolio includes a few such funds. They might underperform temporarily, but over a full cycle, they catch up and even outperform.

Hence, it is better to stay patient rather than stop your SIPs. If you stop now, you will miss the compounding when the market recovers. Continuation is more important than chasing high returns every year.

» Why Staying Invested Through Cycles Matters

Equity mutual funds reward investors who remain consistent. Timing the market rarely works. Nobody can predict short-term corrections or rallies. But staying through every phase helps you capture the average market return, which is always higher than inflation.

If you see your SIP growth as low, remember that SIPs work best during volatile markets because you buy more units when prices are low. These extra units will give you higher profit when markets rise.

So, the present situation is not a problem. It is a setup for your future growth. The most successful investors are those who remained invested during dull phases.

» Portfolio Composition Assessment

Your portfolio has exposure to different categories like large cap, flexi cap, multi cap, small cap, and one thematic fund. This is a diversified structure. But too many funds in the same category can cause overlap.

It is better to have 5 to 6 well-performing diversified funds instead of 9 to 10 overlapping ones. You can reduce duplication and make the portfolio more focused. That will also make review and monitoring easier.

The multi-asset fund you hold is a good balancing option. It adds stability and reduces volatility. This type of fund can protect you during market correction because it has exposure to debt and gold along with equity. Continue with that for long-term balance.

» The Advantage of Regular Plan Through a Certified Financial Planner

You are investing through regular plans, which is good. Many people think direct funds give higher returns due to lower expense ratio. But they often ignore the importance of professional review and asset allocation guidance.

Direct plans may look cheaper, but without expert monitoring, investors make emotional mistakes like stopping SIPs or switching funds unnecessarily. These mistakes cost more than the saving in expense ratio.

When you invest through a Certified Financial Planner or MFD, you get regular portfolio review, asset mix advice, and rebalancing guidance. This ongoing service helps you stay on the right track. The human support gives stability to your investment journey.

So, continuing in regular plans under expert guidance is a wise decision.

» Actively Managed Funds Work Better Than Index Funds

Some investors prefer index funds thinking they are simpler. But index funds just copy the index. They cannot take advantage of opportunities in different sectors or market caps.

Actively managed funds can move between sectors or stocks based on research. This flexibility helps in outperforming during changing market conditions.

In India, the market is still developing. Fund managers can generate extra returns using research-based decisions. So, for long-term investors like you, actively managed funds are better than index funds. Your portfolio already follows this principle.

» Taxation Awareness for Mutual Funds

From April 2024, new capital gain tax rules apply. For equity mutual funds, long-term capital gain above Rs.1.25 lakh in a year will be taxed at 12.5%. Short-term capital gain is taxed at 20%.

You can plan redemptions accordingly when you start withdrawing after retirement. As your investment horizon is long, most of your gains will become long-term, which is more tax efficient. Continue SIPs and let them compound in equity for the next 10 to 12 years.

» Expected Future Corpus by Retirement

While we will not calculate exact numbers, we can assess the potential range. With your current SIP amounts and the time frame of 12 years, your corpus can grow many times if you stay consistent.

Even with moderate annual growth, your existing SIPs and multi-asset investment can create a strong retirement base. The real growth acceleration will come after the 7th or 8th year when compounding becomes powerful.

Hence, patience is the key. Do not judge your returns from only 4 or 5 years’ data. Look at it as a 15-year journey. By the time you retire, your corpus can be large enough to give you peace of mind.

» Review and Rebalance Periodically

Reviewing once every year is enough. You can check whether each fund is performing better than its category average. If any fund continues underperformance for two or more years, you can switch to a better fund within the same category.

Avoid making frequent changes. Too much churning disturbs compounding. Continue the performing funds and replace only the lagging ones after professional review.

Also, when your portfolio grows beyond a certain size, rebalancing between equity and debt will help you protect gains. Nearing retirement, slowly shift some portion to stable hybrid or debt funds to reduce volatility.

» The Importance of Asset Allocation

Equity is your main growth driver. But for stability, you must balance it with some debt and gold exposure through hybrid or multi-asset funds. This ensures your portfolio behaves well even in uncertain markets.

The multi-asset fund you have already includes this mix. As you move closer to retirement, increasing the portion of such balanced funds will reduce risk without reducing returns drastically.

Proper allocation ensures smooth experience throughout the investment period.

» Behavioral Side of Investing

Many investors stop SIPs or withdraw when they see slow growth. But this is a mistake. Emotions can harm wealth creation. Market cycles are normal. What matters is discipline.

As long as your income is steady, continue SIPs without looking at short-term returns. Treat SIPs like your monthly expense. Over years, your corpus will surprise you.

Remember, the market rewards patience, not panic.

» Managing Expectations

Do not expect mutual funds to show same growth every year. Some years can give double-digit returns, while some years can give low or even negative returns. The long-term average matters more than short-term variation.

When you see your portfolio value increasing slowly, it only means the market is consolidating. These phases are healthy and necessary before the next growth cycle.

Keep your faith in the process. SIP is like growing a tree. You water it every month. Growth will come naturally with time.

» Importance of Goal-Based Approach

You plan to retire at 58. That gives clarity to your goal. You can treat this corpus as your retirement fund. Along with this, if you have EPF, PPF, or other savings, combine them in one plan. This gives a full picture of your post-retirement income.

When your goal is clear, every SIP has a purpose. You will not be tempted to stop or withdraw early. This clarity helps in building wealth peacefully.

» Risk Management and Diversification

Risk cannot be removed completely. But it can be managed by spreading across categories and sectors. You are already doing that.

Avoid adding more small cap or sector funds now. They are more volatile. Keep more allocation in large and flexi cap categories. This will make your journey smoother and help in consistent growth.

Diversification should be smart, not excessive.

» Importance of Liquidity

Keep a small portion of your savings in a liquid or short-term debt fund. This will act as an emergency reserve. It helps avoid redeeming your long-term SIPs during need.

A six-month expense reserve is enough. This simple step protects your compounding.

» Avoid Common Mistakes

– Don’t stop SIPs when markets fall.
– Don’t withdraw early for short-term goals.
– Don’t compare returns with FDs every year.
– Don’t switch funds frequently without reason.
– Don’t expect same return from all categories.

Following these rules will keep your wealth creation journey stable.

» Finally

You have already done the hardest part—starting and continuing for 5 years. Now you only need to stay consistent and allow time to work for you.

Continue your SIPs regularly. Review once a year. Simplify your portfolio slightly. Stay invested till retirement. You will see the true power of compounding and disciplined investing.

With your current commitment and remaining 12-year time horizon, you can expect a strong and confident retirement corpus. The key is patience, discipline, and periodic review.

Keep trusting your plan and the process.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in

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