I am 37 years old, earning 3L per month.
I have 80L investments in Mutual Funds 50:50 in Active: Passive funds, 70:30 is equity:debt ratio. I have a home loan remaining 6.5L, no other debt. I am doing a SIP of 1.25L per month in mutual funds. Could you guide me if I need to clear the home loan using investment as the interest rate is 8.7%. also should I change the investment method or asset base
Ans: You are 37 years old, earning Rs 3 lakh monthly, and have an existing mutual fund corpus of Rs 80 lakh. You’re investing Rs 1.25 lakh monthly through SIPs. You’ve maintained a 70:30 equity-to-debt allocation and have a small home loan of Rs 6.5 lakh at 8.7% interest. You're also invested 50:50 in active and passive mutual funds.
Let’s evaluate your situation from a 360-degree perspective through the lens of a Certified Financial Planner.
? Current Financial Position Assessment
– You have a strong monthly income of Rs 3 lakh.
– You’re investing over 40% of income monthly. That’s highly disciplined.
– You’ve built an Rs 80 lakh corpus already, which is solid.
– Your portfolio has a decent 70:30 equity–debt split.
– The home loan left is only Rs 6.5 lakh. It’s small compared to your assets.
– Loan EMI may be around Rs 13,000–14,000 per month.
– You’re paying 8.7% interest on this home loan.
– You’ve not mentioned any children or major upcoming obligations.
From this base, we can plan the next steps.
? Should You Close the Home Loan Now?
– Your loan is small compared to your mutual fund corpus.
– If you withdraw funds now, tax may apply depending on holding period.
– Long-term equity mutual fund gains above Rs 1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5%.
– Short-term equity fund gains are taxed at 20%.
– Debt fund gains are taxed as per your income slab.
– You may lose compounding benefits on those funds if withdrawn now.
– Interest on your home loan is fixed and moderately high.
– But your mutual fund returns may beat 8.7% over 7–10 years.
– If your investments are long-term, returns can be 11–13% in equity.
– Therefore, clearing the loan from investments is not optimal.
It’s better to keep the loan and continue SIPs.
? But When Should You Consider Prepaying?
– If you have excess cash flow beyond your SIPs.
– If you're nearing retirement or want to reduce liabilities early.
– If you become uncomfortable with EMI despite surplus funds.
– If your SIPs are enough for all long-term goals and surplus remains.
– Then consider partial prepayment to reduce tenure.
Don’t break existing mutual fund investments for prepayment.
? Benefits of Keeping Home Loan Alive
– You’re getting tax benefits under Section 24 on interest paid.
– You’re also eligible for principal repayment benefits under Section 80C.
– Tax savings reduce effective interest cost.
– Liquidity is preserved, which allows investment compounding.
– Having a small manageable loan also helps credit score.
You should continue the loan unless there’s emotional pressure to close it.
? Evaluating the Asset Allocation
– Your equity to debt ratio is 70:30. That suits your age and goals.
– At 37, this is appropriate for growth with moderate stability.
– Equity gives compounding. Debt gives cushion during market fall.
– Continue this ratio for the next 8–10 years.
– Slowly shift to 60:40 by the time you reach 45.
– That helps reduce volatility as retirement nears.
– Review your asset allocation once a year.
– You can adjust depending on goals and market conditions.
Stay disciplined with this mix unless risk appetite changes.
? Active vs Passive Fund Split
– You’ve split funds 50:50 between active and passive.
– Passive funds (index funds/ETFs) have low cost but limited flexibility.
– They don’t beat the index. They just copy it.
– During sideways markets, they give average returns.
– Actively managed funds offer better risk-adjusted returns with expert selection.
– Good fund managers can outperform benchmarks with tactical changes.
– Passive funds also have sector bias due to index weight.
– That can be risky during sector-specific down cycles.
– For long-term wealth building, active funds offer more agility and value.
You should reduce passive exposure to 30–35% only.
? Are You Using Direct or Regular Funds?
– You didn’t mention the mode of investing: direct or regular.
– If you are using direct funds, reconsider your approach.
– Direct funds may have lower expense ratios.
– But they don’t offer ongoing advice, goal mapping, or behavioural support.
– Without Certified Financial Planner guidance, you may react wrongly to volatility.
– Regular plans through CFP/MFD offer constant tracking and rebalancing.
– They also give emotional comfort in market ups and downs.
– For major life goals like retirement and child’s education, this support is crucial.
Shift to regular plans with a Certified Financial Planner if in direct mode.
? Is Your Monthly SIP Optimal?
– You are doing Rs 1.25 lakh SIP per month.
– That’s over 40% of your income. It’s excellent.
– This can create Rs 4–5 crore in 12–15 years with compounding.
– You should increase SIPs by 10–15% every year.
– As income grows, scaling SIPs is important.
– Use SIPs for specific goals like retirement, education, and major expenses.
– Each SIP should be mapped to a goal.
– This gives purpose and discipline to the investments.
Don’t stop or pause SIPs without a major financial need.
? What Else Should You Do Now?
– Create a goal plan for retirement, child education, and large life events.
– Assign target years and amounts to each goal.
– Map your existing SIPs and lump sum investments to each goal.
– Start SWP-based planning for retirement income after age 50–55.
– Keep an emergency fund of at least 6 months' expenses in liquid funds.
– Have term insurance and health insurance for family protection.
– Avoid putting large amounts in FDs or traditional plans.
– Don’t depend on real estate for retirement needs.
– Use it only as backup or asset diversification.
Let every rupee you earn or invest work for a goal.
? Risk Assessment and Behavioural Points
– Avoid emotional decisions based on interest rates alone.
– Don’t rush to close loan if investments are giving higher post-tax returns.
– Avoid booking equity fund gains prematurely just to feel “debt free.”
– This cuts the compounding journey in the middle.
– If unsure about current schemes, review with a Certified Financial Planner.
– Review all investments once every 6 months.
– Avoid switching funds too often based on market noise.
Stay invested and stay goal-focused.
? Best Practices for You from Here
– Keep Rs 6.5 lakh loan as it is for now.
– Don’t redeem mutual fund units to repay this.
– Maintain 70:30 equity-debt allocation for 3–5 more years.
– Reduce passive fund exposure to 30–35% over time.
– Increase active fund exposure for better returns.
– Ensure you invest in regular plans through MFD + CFP combination.
– Map every SIP to a financial goal.
– Increase SIP amount by 10–15% yearly.
– Build separate buckets for retirement, child’s education, and emergencies.
– Keep real estate out of retirement planning.
– Review insurance. Get term cover and good health policy.
This discipline will lead to long-term financial freedom.
? Finally
– You have a very strong foundation already.
– Your income, corpus, and SIP are well structured.
– Don’t break investment momentum for small loan closure.
– Let your assets grow while you comfortably repay the loan.
– Review your allocation, SIPs, and fund mix annually.
– Make active funds the focus of your equity investments.
– Use Certified Financial Planner guidance for portfolio direction.
– Keep emotions out and goals in front.
– That is the best way to build true wealth and peace.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment