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What should a 43-year-old drawing a monthly salary of 3.5 lakhs with extensive loans and investment commitments do to reach retirement goals of 3-4 crores with significant obligations and limited time?

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |7952 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Jan 14, 2025

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
Asked by Anonymous - Jan 14, 2025Hindi
Money

I am 43 years old drawing monthly salary of 3.5 lakhs. I have multiple loans going on for property and the monthly outgo is 2.4 lakhs. Rental income 30k. The loans would end in next 5-6 years. My monthly SIP amount is 34000. Total accumulated amount is 31 lacs. Annual LIC is 80k. Maturity value of LIC is 30 lacs and i policies wud mature in 4 years. My another investment is in TATA AIG life insurance for which annual outgo is 5.5 lacs for next 3 years. I would receive 65 lacs approx after 13 years. Total PF amount is 60 lacs as of now, plan to work till 65. I have term plan of 1.5 cr till 75 yrs. family health insurance of 1cr. I have son aged 12 n daughter 3 . I would need around 1cr for their education and an equal amount for their wedding. I would need a corpus of around 3 to 4 cr for retirement. What should i do to reach this goal. How do i reduce my obligations which this moment seems to be significant.

Ans: At 43, you have significant responsibilities and aspirations. Balancing your current obligations and future goals requires a structured approach. Let us create a plan that helps reduce your financial burden and achieve your long-term goals.

1. Evaluate Current Financial Situation
Your monthly salary is Rs 3.5 lakhs.

Loan EMIs amount to Rs 2.4 lakhs monthly, with 5-6 years remaining.

Rental income of Rs 30,000 offsets some EMIs.

Your SIP amount is Rs 34,000 monthly, and the accumulated corpus is Rs 31 lakhs.

LIC premiums of Rs 80,000 annually will mature in 4 years with Rs 30 lakhs.

TATA AIG life insurance premium is Rs 5.5 lakhs annually for 3 more years.

This policy offers Rs 65 lakhs after 13 years.

Your EPF corpus is Rs 60 lakhs and will grow until retirement.

You have a term insurance plan of Rs 1.5 crore till 75 years.

Family health insurance coverage is Rs 1 crore.

2. Understand Your Financial Goals
Education funds of Rs 1 crore for your children are needed over time.
Wedding expenses of Rs 1 crore are anticipated in the future.
Retirement corpus required is Rs 3-4 crore by age 65.
3. Address High Financial Obligations
Your loans consume 68% of your salary. Prioritise early closure.
Use bonuses or increments to prepay loans.
Focus on high-interest loans first, like personal loans or high-interest EMIs.
Consider restructuring loans for lower EMIs if possible.
4. Optimize Current Investments
LIC Policy:
The annual premium of Rs 80,000 adds to your financial burden.
Surrendering this policy and reinvesting in mutual funds can yield better returns.
Consult with your Certified Financial Planner for the exact process.
TATA AIG Life Insurance:
The annual outgo of Rs 5.5 lakhs is substantial.
Evaluate the policy’s cost-benefit ratio.
Surrender the policy if returns are suboptimal. Redirect funds to mutual funds.
SIP Investment:
Continue your Rs 34,000 monthly SIP.
Diversify across equity, hybrid, and debt mutual funds.
Allocate more to equity funds for long-term goals.
5. Focus on Children’s Education and Wedding Goals
For education, start investing separately in balanced mutual funds.
Target medium-term funds that align with your child’s higher education timelines.
For weddings, allocate funds into conservative equity and hybrid funds.
Review the progress every year to ensure sufficient accumulation.
6. Build Your Retirement Corpus
Your EPF corpus of Rs 60 lakhs will grow significantly by 65.
Supplement EPF with equity SIPs for long-term growth.
Increase SIP contributions gradually as loan EMIs reduce.
Reassess your retirement needs regularly, adjusting for inflation.
7. Ensure Adequate Insurance Coverage
Your term insurance of Rs 1.5 crore is sufficient for family protection.
Maintain your Rs 1 crore health insurance for unforeseen medical expenses.
Avoid ULIPs or endowment plans for insurance; stick to term insurance.
8. Tax Planning for Maximum Savings
Claim deductions under Section 80C for PF, SIPs, and insurance premiums.
Use Section 80D for health insurance premium tax benefits.
Plan investments to reduce tax outgo and boost savings.
9. Monitor and Adjust Investments
Review your portfolio every six months.
Rebalance to maintain the right asset allocation.
Seek advice from a Certified Financial Planner for better decisions.
10. Manage Lifestyle Expenses
Track discretionary expenses to identify areas for savings.
Avoid lifestyle inflation to increase your surplus.
Redirect savings toward investments and loan prepayments.
Finally
Your goals are achievable with disciplined planning. Start reducing obligations and focusing on efficient investments. Take guidance from a Certified Financial Planner to stay on track.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment
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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Ans: Given your goals of becoming debt-free and retiring comfortably by age 50 with either a monthly income of 6 lakhs or a corpus of 30 crores, it's crucial to devise a strategic financial plan.

Firstly, let's address your loans. With a total outstanding home loan of 44 lakhs and a car loan of 4 lakhs, your monthly EMIs sum up to 140k. Your current monthly expenses are 142k, leaving little room for savings.

Considering your 7 lakhs in the PF account, utilizing a portion of it to reduce your high-interest loans can be beneficial. However, completely depleting your PF may not be advisable due to its impact on retirement savings.

Refinancing your loans to lower interest rates or increasing your income through side hustles could help manage the debt burden. Redirecting a portion of your monthly expenses towards loan repayment can also accelerate the process.

Now, regarding your investments, while Tata AIA Fortune Plus Plan can provide returns, it's essential to ensure that your insurance needs are adequately met separately. Avoid mixing investments with insurance to optimize both aspects.

For retirement planning, achieving a monthly income of 6 lakhs at age 50 or accumulating a corpus of 30 crores necessitates a disciplined approach. You may need to increase your investment contributions substantially and explore diverse investment avenues to achieve such ambitious targets.

Consulting with a Certified Financial Planner can provide personalized guidance tailored to your financial situation and goals. They can help structure a comprehensive financial plan encompassing debt management, investment strategies, and retirement planning.

Remember, achieving financial freedom requires dedication, patience, and informed decision-making. Stay committed to your goals, and with prudent financial management, you can realize your aspirations.

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I am Ashish aged 52. I recently resigned from my job. At present i have following investments Rs 42 L shares 77 L Mutual Fund 25 L in PPF 15 L in one SBI insurance policy. I am expected to get 39 L from PF and gratuity. Also expected to get 22 Lakhs from LIC in 2030 and pension from LIC @ 2500/ per month from 2027. I do not have any loans nor my child education is pending. My son is appearing for CA finals. Only Group 1 of Finals is pending. My wife is a professional baker and is making around 40 K per month. My monthly expenses are 60 k. Pls guide how can i plan. At present i have 29 K SIP which i am planning to continue and is not included in 60 K expenses
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Janak Patel  |17 Answers  |Ask -

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In early 2018, I had faced some financial problems (monthly Rs. 10,000 deficit) as I was working with a public sector enterprise. At that time, I was searching for a loan and got an agency that can provide Rs. 10,000 as Payday loan (monthly basis maximum 35 days) and rate of interest was 1% per day. These loan products were from NBFCs. I took this loan and this was the starting point. Due to my financial problems, I started taking these type loans from various agencies and rate of interest 0.7%-1% per day. In 2022, I had almost 15 payday loans amounting Rs. 10 lakhs. After that, I have been applying for a loan from almost all banks and NBFCs to close these paydays, but nobody is able to provide a loan due all payday loans have been shown in CIBIL as well as few bounces of my personal loan I had already with Kotak Bank. Now the situation is like that I have more than 25 payday loans amounting to more than Rs. 15 lakhs. Last 2 years I have been applying for a personal loan to close these but no banks and NBFCs are not providing. Every month I am giving and taking payday loans and the interest amount is too high. I have a Tata AIA pension policy as well as PF, both cannot be surrendered at this moment. Now, the major issue is how to overcome this financial mess I did. I don't have any options left at this moment. So I would request you if anybody can provide me assistance through your sources / channels to solve my financial problem. I can return the amount on a monthly installment basis and give my Tata AIA pension policy as well as PF documents for security. I have been working in an engineering consultancy firm and monthly income is almost Rs. 2 lakhs
Ans: HI Jitu,

In summary, you have 15 lakhs loans at 1% per day interest (= 365% per annum). No options to borrow from any other organized sources like Bank/NBFC. So monthly Interest is 4.5 lakhs.
Monthly Income is 2 lakhs.

This is called a Debt Trap, where your income is less than your outflow (debt), so you are in a negative balance always and keep borrowing to fill the gap. No point in going into the history of the situation but I hope this has been a big life lesson for you.

Borrowing against you Pension policy can be considered but depends on the company and note that this will be at a high interest rate.
Borrowing from PF funds is only under certain situations (e.g. illness, education, marriage) and so even that is ruled out.
I assume you have already considered all/any asset you may own to repay.

The solution cannot be a very simple one. But I can recommend a couple of options which you can see if they help. You plan should simple -
1. Find a source of funds to repay your current loans
2. Stay with bare minimum requirement for next few years and repay maximum amount towards new loan
3. Do not take any new loans and stay on track for next few years, no matter what.

With a salary of 2 Lakhs, you should take a hard look at your living expenses and cut out all except the basic necessities. At least on paper come up with a number that you can discuss with prospective lenders mentioned below. Give them confidence of your ability to pay back every month with a realistic number e.g. over 1 lakh per month. Make this as high as you can make it. Make compromises everywhere possible and evaluate each expense to see what you can eliminate for the next couple of years, except food and absolutely basic needs, compromise on everything else. And ensure you make this work no matter what. You will have to be strong willed to achieve this and make it work.

Check with any close friends/family members/relatives who will trust you and provide you with some loan and provide you with time to repay. Offer to pay them interest which is higher than FD but reasonable for you and you can go as high as 20% per annum. At 20% you can pay back 55~60K per month for 3 years and payback the loan with interest.

Assuming you have a bank account for direct salary deposit, approach the bank and explain your situation truthfully to them and request an overdraft/loan and offer them to recover an agreed amount at an agreed interest rate from your account directly as soon as your salary is deposited. Again the interest rate will be high but if this works, you will be on your way to recovery. Even if they offer an interest rate of 30%~40% per annum and recover in 3 years, your EMI will be around 62K~70K per month.

Approach your employer and discuss if a loan can be provided to you at a reasonable rate of interest and recovered from your salary each month. If you have been employed with them for over a year or longer, and if they consider to extend a loan this may be the best solution you can get. You can offer to sign a contract for this (stay with employer for a period or until loan is paid up).

Is there any other source of funds you can approach with a similar proposal then do so, as long as you can get a chance to payoff your current set of loans and have a manageable EMI amount to pay back over the next few years, just take the best option and keep every desire aside and stay focused on getting back on track.

Please note that borrowing from an alternate source is not going to work if you take a loan and relax after that. You have already impacted your CIBIL score which makes lenders stay away. Now your top priority will be to find a source of funds at reasonably high interest rate between 20% to 40% resulting in an EMI of 55K to 70K for 3 years, and ensure you do not default the payments and clear this ASAP. If you can pay higher amount each month, then do that and get out of these loans as quickly as possible.

With honesty and sincerity if you continue to stay on track, you can eventually start coming back to normal life where you can plan your expenses and save and invest too. But do remember to live within your means and save as much as possible. Over time build back your CIBIL score for future requirements.

Hope this is helpful in some way.

Thanks & Regards
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Digital marketing has a promising future as businesses increasingly rely on online platforms to promote their products and services. With the rise of social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence, companies are shifting towards digital strategies to engage customers and drive sales. The industry is constantly evolving, creating a strong demand for skilled digital marketers in areas such as SEO, social media marketing, content creation, paid advertising, and email marketing.

Freelancing Opportunities in Digital Marketing:-

Freelancing in digital marketing is a highly viable career option. Many businesses, especially startups and small companies, prefer hiring freelancers to manage their online presence rather than investing in full-time employees. As a freelancer, you can offer specialized services like:
1. Social media management
2. Search engine optimization (SEO)
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Freelancers can find work through platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and LinkedIn or by directly reaching out to businesses.

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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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