Hi, I am 39 years old. Earings 1.5L excluding PF. I have mutual fund investment of 13.7 L and PF balance of 13.7L. I also have 2 LIC jeevan Labh policy of 5k per month since 2019. I have 5k per month investment I HDFC click to wealth. I have emergency fund of 1L.
I have home loan of 18L and car loan of
4.5L.
I have 2 kids, 13 & 4 years old.
How to plan kids education, my retirement at 50 years and have desire to buy 3 BHK which currently costs 90L in Pune?
Ans: You have shared multiple goals and commitments.
Let us now break them down step-by-step.
Summary of Your Current Situation
Age and Income
Age: 39 years
Monthly income: Rs. 1.5 lakh (excluding PF)
Assets
Mutual Funds: Rs. 13.7 lakh
PF balance: Rs. 13.7 lakh
Emergency Fund: Rs. 1 lakh
Insurance-cum-Investment Products
LIC Jeevan Labh: Rs. 5,000/month since 2019
HDFC Click to Wealth (ULIP): Rs. 5,000/month
Liabilities
Home loan: Rs. 18 lakh
Car loan: Rs. 4.5 lakh
Family
Two kids: Ages 13 and 4
Goals
Kids’ education
Retirement by 50
3BHK in Pune (Current cost: Rs. 90 lakh)
You have a good income.
But many financial gaps must be filled smartly.
First Step: Identify and Prioritise Goals Clearly
Three major goals
Children’s higher education
Retirement at age 50
Buying a 3BHK home
These goals have different timelines.
So, they need separate investment strategies.
Analyse Existing Investment Products
Let’s assess your current products one by one.
Mutual Funds – Rs. 13.7 lakh
This is your best asset for long-term wealth creation.
Should be reviewed for scheme quality and asset allocation.
Funds must be actively managed and diversified.
Continue SIPs and increase if possible.
Provident Fund – Rs. 13.7 lakh
Good for retirement.
Safe, but returns are limited.
Do not withdraw this fund for any short-term goals.
LIC Jeevan Labh – Rs. 5,000/month since 2019
Traditional policy. Low return, around 4%–5%.
Insurance is also inadequate.
Sum assured is small compared to actual needs.
HDFC Click 2 Wealth – Rs. 5,000/month
This is a ULIP. Returns are market-linked.
But high charges in early years.
Better to avoid for long-term goals.
You are investing Rs. 10,000/month in mixed insurance-investment products.
This money is not being used efficiently.
Action Plan for Existing LIC and ULIP
These are investment-cum-insurance products.
Hence:
Surrender both and reinvest in mutual funds.
LIC Jeevan Labh is past 5 years. Surrender now.
ULIP (HDFC Click 2 Wealth) can be surrendered after 5 years.
Until then, stop future premiums, if allowed.
After surrender, shift the entire proceeds into mutual funds via STP.
Start SIPs in regular plans through a CFP-guided Mutual Fund Distributor.
Loan Position and Its Impact on Goals
You have two liabilities.
Home Loan – Rs. 18 lakh
Acceptable. Consider prepaying if interest rate is above 9%.
Car Loan – Rs. 4.5 lakh
Car is a depreciating asset.
Try to close this loan first.
Avoid taking new car loans.
Your loan EMIs reduce your monthly surplus.
Freeing them helps fund your goals.
Goal 1: Children’s Education Planning
Your elder child is 13 years old.
You have just 4–5 years left.
Costs are rising rapidly.
Professional education may cost Rs. 20–30 lakh per child later.
What you can do:
Allocate separate mutual fund portfolio for each child.
Use a mix of large-cap, flexi-cap, and hybrid equity funds.
Do not use index funds. They do not offer active growth.
Do not use direct plans. No guidance, no fund review.
Start SIP of Rs. 15,000–20,000 for both children together.
You can allocate the existing MF corpus partly for the elder child.
Review portfolio every 6 months with your CFP.
Goal 2: Retirement by Age 50
You have 11 years left for this goal.
You want to stop working early.
This is possible only with strong discipline.
You already have:
PF: Rs. 13.7 lakh
Mutual Funds: Rs. 13.7 lakh (can’t be fully used for retirement)
What you need to do:
Calculate annual retirement expenses.
Assume you’ll live till 85 years.
Build a target retirement corpus accordingly.
You must start SIPs of at least Rs. 30,000–35,000/month now.
Use:
Large-cap and flexi-cap funds for stability
Mid-cap and aggressive hybrid funds for growth
Avoid sectoral and thematic funds now
Avoid investing through direct plans.
Go with a Certified Financial Planner and use regular plans.
It helps in portfolio balancing and review.
Goal 3: Buying a 3BHK in Pune (Rs. 90 lakh)
You should not rush for this now.
Why:
You already have a home loan of Rs. 18 lakh.
EMI pressure may increase.
Rs. 90 lakh home needs at least Rs. 20–25 lakh down payment.
Buying now will disturb all other goals.
So defer this by 5–7 years.
Meanwhile:
Build a dedicated 3BHK fund through SIPs.
Target Rs. 25 lakh in next 5–6 years.
Use large-cap and balanced hybrid funds for this.
Do not consider real estate as an investment.
Use it only for own use when needed.
Emergency Fund Needs Attention
You have only Rs. 1 lakh emergency fund.
This is not enough.
With two loans and children, you need at least Rs. 4.5–5 lakh.
Build this using monthly RD or liquid funds.
Target to reach the full amount in next 6–9 months.
Risk Protection – Life and Health Insurance
Check if you have term insurance.
If not, buy immediately.
Take:
Term plan of Rs. 1 crore or more
Tenure should be till age 60–65
Annual premium should be 0.2%–0.4% of sum assured
Also:
Take family floater health insurance of at least Rs. 10 lakh
Don’t depend only on employer cover
Avoid ULIPs, endowment, or traditional plans.
They do not give real protection.
Suggested Monthly Allocation (Based on Rs. 1.5 lakh Income)
Here is a basic structure:
Household expenses: Rs. 50,000
Home + car loan EMIs: Rs. 35,000
Mutual Fund SIPs (goals): Rs. 50,000
Emergency fund build-up: Rs. 5,000
Term + health insurance: Rs. 5,000
Balance for festivals, travel, buffer: Rs. 5,000
You can adjust this with bonus or annual increments.
Role of Actively Managed Mutual Funds
Your long-term goals need strong returns.
Actively managed funds provide:
Expert stock selection
Better risk management
Flexibility in market timing
Scope to beat market returns
Index funds only track the market.
No active decisions taken.
Returns may not match your goal timeline.
Avoid index funds completely.
Problems with Direct Mutual Funds
Direct funds offer no human guidance.
Risks include:
No portfolio rebalancing
No switching help during market volatility
No help in goal matching
Emotional investing leads to panic exit
Use regular plans through Certified Financial Planner.
They track your funds, goals, and advise reallocation.
This value is more than the small expense ratio difference.
Taxation Rules for Mutual Funds
As per the new tax rule:
Equity Funds:
LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%
STCG taxed at 20%
Debt Funds:
Taxed as per your income slab
Plan redemptions accordingly with your planner.
Use long holding periods to reduce tax.
Finally
You have a good foundation and income.
But product selection and goal matching need fine-tuning.
To move forward:
Exit LIC and ULIP. Reinvest in mutual funds.
Clear car loan fast.
Build emergency fund of Rs. 5 lakh.
Protect family with term and health insurance.
Don’t buy a new house now.
Prioritise child education and your early retirement.
Increase SIPs step-by-step to reach your dreams.
Track your progress every 6 months.
Stick to the plan. Let your money work smartly.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment