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Milind

Milind Vadjikar  | Answer  |Ask -

Insurance, Stocks, MF, PF Expert - Answered on Sep 23, 2024

Milind Vadjikar is an independent MF distributor registered with Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and a retirement financial planning advisor registered with Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
He has a mechanical engineering degree from Government Engineering College, Sambhajinagar, and an MBA in international business from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune.
With over 16 years of experience in stock investments, and over six year experience in investment guidance and support, he believes that balanced asset allocation and goal-focused disciplined investing is the key to achieving investor goals.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Sep 23, 2024Hindi
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Sir, I am 46, I am looking for advice, i have some where 20 funds of 60L portfolio. But i am currently looking at overlap of funds and wanted to balance it out may be bring it to 10 to 13 funds. So i am listing some of the funds from long term perspective, which is 5 to 10 years . Please let me know if those funds are good or any change required from overall portfolio. I will be spending 10 to 15% on ICICI Bluechip fund , removing hdfc 50 index + Canara rebeco Bluechip due to overlap of 54%.22.5% on Midcap - HDFC Midcap oppurtunities and Motilal oswal midcap fund and i no more be investing on SBI Maganum midcap fund and removing PGIM Midcap fund as star rating 1 and majorly star rating 4/5. I am also planinng to add Debt fund of 15% ( New investment to balance portfolio, Gsec 2036 bond, let me know if any thing which can give more than 8 %) for next 5 to 8 years. Also atleast i am expecting my portfolio to generate > 15% to 20% return. My stratergy , I see all overlap of stocks is between 9-14% . whichever has more than 30% overlap reducing it. I am looking at horizon of 5 to 10 years. I will continue doing sip of 1 lakh per month may be increasing by 5% every year for next 7 years. I am already having 60L portfolio and planning to increase 1 crore by mid of next year. Reason i am asking now is in future i dont want do major rebalance MF. i would like to sustain the model so that i get return consistantly. Please guide me on my stratergy and plan. If any changes in the portfolio. After sip stop i will start the SWP withdrwal of 4 to 5%. I am looking for generating 4 to 5 crores in next 7 to 10 years. Let me know how i can reach the goal.

Ans: You have a prudent and highly admirable approach to optimize number of funds in your portfolio eliminating excess overlap and below par performance.

ICICI Pru Bluechip, HDFC Mid-Cap opportunities and Motilal Oswal Midcap Funds are good funds in their category so no need to change.

Also your choice of nifty gsec 2036 fund(hdfc/Nippon) to balance your portfolio asset allocation looks apt.

My only slight concern is your return expectation. We should follow the principle of 'hope for the best and be prepared for the worst'.

Considering your lumpsum and sip amounts, reaching target of 4-5 Cr in 7 years even with top-up appears challenging.

However if you stick to top end of your time horizon i.e. 10 years, corpus target looks comfortably achievable even without top-up.
(Modest return of 13% assumed)

As you get closer to your target, transfer your gains to liquid or ultra short duration debt funds to protect it from volatility.

*Investments in mutual funds are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme related documents carefully before investing

You may follow us on X at @mars_invest for updates

Happy Investing!!
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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Omkeshwar

Omkeshwar Singh  | Answer  |Ask -

Head, Rank MF - Answered on Mar 17, 2020

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I am Binoy working in UAE as a sales executive age 39. From kochin, Kerala. May I kindly get some advice for my mutual funds portfolio? I am doing below mutual funds SIP direct growth. & I stopped some SIPs and hold the funds. Now I am doing 96k SIP. Need to start & continue total 1 lakh SIP for the next 8 to 10 years. Now current total SIP value is around 27 lakhs. This SIP s are for my retirement monthly income 30 to 35k (all are current value) after 10 years, and for my 2 children’s education 35 lakhs lumpsum after 10 & 15 years respectively. I am thinking to stop ICICI pru blue chip & Birla frontline equity and to start Mirae large cap & one more Multi cap fund. I am moderate to little aggressive risk taker. What are the changes required? Should I hold the stopped funds or I need to redeem and deposit it to another funds? if to do so, in which funds I need to invest this lumpsum amounts? Please advise me for the necessary changes required to make a good portfolio to invest for the next 8-10 years. Looking forward to get your reply positively.  Fund name Catgory Star Rating Binoy Nair     LARGE CAPS & HYBRID     AXIS BLUE CHIP EQUITY Equity - Large Cap Funds: 5 ICICI BLUE CHIP EQUITY Equity - Thematic Funds: - Global 4 BIRLA FRONTLINE EQTY Equity - Large Cap Funds: 3 ICICI PRU DEBT& EQUITY Hybrid - Aggressive Hybrid Fund 3 MULTI CAPS     KOTAK STANDARD MULTCAP Equity - Multi Cap Funds: 3 AXIS MULTICAP Equity - Multi Cap Funds: 5 AXIS FOCUSED 25 Equity - Focused Funds: 5 Franklin India Focused Equity Equity - Focused Funds: 2 MIDCAP, LARGE & MIDCAP     AXIS MIDCAP Equity - Mid Cap Funds: 3 HDFC MIDCAP Equity - Mid Cap Funds: 2 MIRAE ASSET EMERGING BLUECHIP EQUITY Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund 4 STOPPED SIPs     FRANKLIN SMALLER COMPANIES Equity - Small cap Fund 2 BIRLA FOCUSED EQUITY Equity - Focused Funds: 4 HDFC HYBRID EQUITY Hybrid - Aggressive Hybrid Fund 4
Ans: You may continue with the 5 & 4 rated funds; however for others better alternative is available

Equity - Large Cap Funds:

- LIC MF Large Cap Fund-Regular Plan-Growth

- Axis Bluechip Fund - Regular Plan - Growth

- Kotak Bluechip Fund - Growth

- Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund - Growth Plan

Equity - Mid Cap Funds:

- Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Fund (MOF30)-Regular Plan-Growth Option

- DSP Midcap Fund - Regular Plan - Growth

Equity - Value Funds:Tata Equity P/E Fund Regular Plan -(Growth Option)

Equity - Focused Funds:

- Axis Focused 25 Fund - Regular Plan - Growth Option

- Motilal Oswal Focused 25 Fund (MOF25)- Regular Plan Growth Option

Equity - Large & Mid Cap Fund

- BOI AXA Large & Mid Cap Equity Fund Regular Plan- Growth

- Canara Robeco Emerging Equities - Regular Plan - GROWTH

- Tata Large & Mid Cap Fund- Regular Plan - Growth

Hybrid - Aggressive Hybrid Fund

- Axis Equity Hybrid Fund - Regular Plan Growth

- Dsp Equity And Bond Fund - Growth

- Motilal Oswal Equity Hybrid Fund-regular Plan Growth

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Naveenn

Naveenn Kummar  |235 Answers  |Ask -

Financial Planner, MF, Insurance Expert - Answered on Sep 04, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Aug 12, 2025
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Good Afternoon Sir I am Anand from Delhi.I am a 37 yrs old Central Govt Salaried Person. I am looking for long term investment and a goal of 10 crores in 15 years. I am contributing 20000 per month in provident fund and 60000 per month in MF through SIP and have planned for 10 percent step up.I have started investing from 2023 and have approx 7 lakhs in PF and 6 lakhs MF portfolio. Please review my portfolio and also suggest deletions you it as I feel I have too many funds.I am planning to stop my SIP in Kotak Multi Cap Fund and do it instead in Parag Parikh Flexi Cap and Motillal Midacp fund. Please suggest. My portfolio is as under. 1. Nifty 50 Index10000 2. Parag Parikh Flexicap10000 3. Motilal Midcap10000 4. Edelweiss Aggressive Hybrid Fund7000 5. Nippon Small Cap5000 6. Quant Small Cap5000 7. SBI Contra5000 8. Motilal MicroCap2000 9. ICICI Pru Gold ETF2000 10. Motilal NASDAQ ETF4000
Ans: Good Evening Anand Ji,

Thank you for sharing your detailed portfolio. At age 37, with a goal of ?10 crores in 15 years, you are on the right track — your current SIP of ?60,000/month + 10% step-up along with PF contribution can help you reach this corpus, provided you stay disciplined.

???? Current Portfolio (monthly SIP):

Nifty 50 Index – ?10,000

Parag Parikh Flexicap – ?10,000

Motilal Midcap – ?10,000

Edelweiss Aggressive Hybrid – ?7,000

Nippon Small Cap – ?5,000

Quant Small Cap – ?5,000

SBI Contra – ?5,000

Motilal MicroCap – ?2,000

ICICI Pru Gold ETF – ?2,000

Motilal NASDAQ ETF – ?4,000

Observations:

Too many funds (10 in total) → causes overlap, doesn’t improve returns.

Overexposure to small-cap (Nippon, Quant, Motilal MicroCap) → higher risk. Keep small-cap allocation ≤20%.

Edelweiss Aggressive Hybrid is not necessary if you already have equity + PF exposure.

Contra funds are thematic — not core holdings.

NASDAQ ETF adds global exposure but keep to

..Read more

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Sep 16, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 15, 2025Hindi
Money
Please review my current mutual fund portfolio my aim is another 24 years i am 36 now started one year back most my i know too many funds. so i want to keep it to 4 to 5 funds and increase money in same. 1 SBi Focused regular 4k sip (started with 2k in 2023 increased 1k in 24 and 25) -- planning to continue 2 ppfas flexi cap 3k sip(started in mar 2024) -- continue 3 nippon small cap 3k sip (strated i june 2024) -- continue 4 mirae asset elss 2k sip(started in mar 2024) -- stop once reach 1 lakh current around 58k invested 5 zerodha nifty 250 large-mid 2k sip ( started from jun 2024) -- stop once reach 1 lakh current around 36k invested 6 hsbc multi cap 2k sip ( started from dec 2024) stop once reach 1 lakh current around 24k invested 7 motilal oswal 500 momentum 50 2k sip( started from oct 2024) -- continue 8 motilal oswal mid cap 2k sip (stated from july 2025) -- continue please give us your insights if i need to add one mid/small more or continue exist?
Ans: You have done well to start early at age 36.
A 24-year horizon gives you a powerful advantage.
You also seem clear in your intent to consolidate.
Too many funds create overlap and confusion.
Your step to reduce and focus is absolutely right.

» Reviewing Your Existing Portfolio

– You currently hold 8 different mutual funds.
– Some are for short goals (ELSS, HSBC, Zerodha).
– Others are long-term growth funds (Focused, Flexi, Small, Mid, Momentum).
– Your SIP commitment shows great discipline.
– Let us go through each one and evaluate.

» SBI Focused Fund – Continue

– This is a focused equity fund.
– A good long-term holding for wealth creation.
– Fund size and management are stable.
– You already increased SIP gradually.
– Continue and increase gradually with income growth.
– Avoid replacing this. It adds quality.

» PPFAS Flexi Cap – Continue

– One of the most consistent flexi-cap funds.
– Balanced risk and global exposure strategy.
– It fits long-term goals well.
– Fund manager is known for stability.
– You started recently. Give it time.
– Continue without changes. Increase SIP steadily.

» Nippon Small Cap – Continue

– Small caps bring growth but higher volatility.
– You are young. You can handle this.
– Don't go overboard with small-cap exposure.
– Keep this as your only small-cap fund.
– Avoid adding more in this category.
– Continue but cap exposure below 20% total.

» Mirae Asset ELSS – Stop After Rs.1L

– ELSS is mainly for tax saving.
– Once Rs.1 lakh 80C is done, no need.
– Keep it only if you lack 80C coverage.
– Else, stop after your Rs.1 lakh investment.
– No long-term need to retain it.
– Shorter lock-in makes it manageable.

» Zerodha Nifty 250 – Stop After Rs.1L

– This is an index fund.
– Index funds blindly copy market index.
– No fund manager input. No downside protection.
– Returns are average, not exceptional.
– Active funds give better value with skill.
– Stop at Rs.1 lakh as planned.
– Avoid further investment in index options.

» HSBC Multi Cap – Stop After Rs.1L

– Multi-cap is already covered via flexi cap.
– Also, Focused Fund gives good diversification.
– No need for overlap through this fund.
– Performance and consistency are also average.
– Stop SIP after reaching Rs.1 lakh.
– Do not increase this one further.

» Motilal Oswal 500 Momentum 50 – Continue

– This is a thematic strategy-driven fund.
– Momentum funds are volatile but can outperform.
– Keep exposure moderate, not more than 15%.
– Track performance closely every 2 years.
– Continue for now, but with caution.
– Increase SIP only if performance justifies it.

» Motilal Oswal Mid Cap – Continue

– Mid-cap is a must in long-term portfolio.
– Gives strong growth potential with some risk.
– Stick to only one mid-cap fund.
– You started recently, give it time.
– Continue and increase SIP slowly over years.

» Ideal Fund Count for You

– Keep only 4 or 5 mutual funds.
– This keeps your tracking easy and efficient.
– More funds create duplication and stress.
– Your long-term portfolio can be:

1 Focused Equity Fund

1 Flexi Cap Fund

1 Mid Cap Fund

1 Small Cap Fund

1 Thematic Fund (optional - Momentum)

– This keeps it clean and balanced.

» Recommended Action Plan Now

– Continue SBI Focused, PPFAS Flexi Cap, Nippon Small Cap.
– Continue Motilal Oswal Mid Cap and Momentum 500.
– Stop SIP in ELSS after Rs.1 lakh is reached.
– Stop Zerodha index fund after Rs.1 lakh is reached.
– Stop HSBC Multi Cap after Rs.1 lakh is reached.
– Increase SIPs in Focused, Flexi, Mid gradually.
– Keep total SIP in Small and Momentum limited.
– Let core SIPs go into Focused and Flexi Cap.

» Asset Allocation Tips

– Equity should be 80% or more at your age.
– Within equity, use this breakdown:

40% – Flexi + Focused (core funds)

25% – Mid Cap

15% – Small Cap

10% – Momentum

10% – Others (short-term goals, ELSS if needed)

– This keeps your portfolio aggressive but smart.

» Avoid Direct Plans – Stick with Regular Funds

– Direct plans save commission but offer no guidance.
– Mistakes in selection and timing are costly.
– Regular funds through a Certified Financial Planner help.
– You get human support, behaviour control and reviews.
– Good advice adds more value than saved fee.

» Don’t Add More Funds Now

– You already hold enough categories.
– Adding one more mid/small-cap fund is unnecessary.
– Instead, increase SIP in existing mid/small-cap fund.
– This keeps focus and improves compounding effect.
– Less clutter. More growth.

» Don’t Replace Core Funds

– Don’t shift from Focused or Flexi Cap funds.
– They are long-term wealth creators.
– Allow them time to show results.
– Avoid jumping to new trendy funds.

» Monitor SIPs Annually

– Review once in a year.
– Check returns against benchmarks and peers.
– Don’t panic with short-term underperformance.
– See 3 to 5 year consistency.
– Only then decide to switch or increase.

» Understand Tax Impact Clearly

– For equity MFs, LTCG above Rs.1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.
– STCG (below 1 year) taxed at 20%.
– Avoid frequent redemptions to save tax.
– Let funds grow for 10+ years.
– ELSS lock-in is 3 years but stay longer.
– Plan redemptions smartly after year 20.

» Insurance Must Be Separate

– Don't mix investment and insurance.
– Buy a pure term insurance plan separately.
– Don’t buy ULIPs or endowment policies.
– If you hold them, surrender and move to MFs.
– Insurance is for protection, not returns.

» Build Emergency Fund Separately

– Keep 6 months of expenses in a liquid fund.
– Don’t use equity mutual funds for emergencies.
– This protects SIPs during tough times.
– Helps you avoid stopping or redeeming in panic.

» Use a Certified Financial Planner

– A professional adds structure to your goals.
– They keep your asset mix balanced.
– They stop you from making emotional decisions.
– Use one to guide you for 24 years.
– Long-term plans need expert review and tracking.

» Finally

– You have started very well.
– You show great clarity and intent.
– Just reduce the clutter now.
– Focus only on 4 to 5 good funds.
– Gradually increase SIPs in your top 3.
– Don’t add new funds for now.
– Monitor and review once each year.
– Let compounding do its job slowly.
– Follow discipline, patience and planning.
– Stay invested for full 24 years.

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

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

..Read more

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |10854 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 14, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025Hindi
Career
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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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1841 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025
Career
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:

Mandatory coding points → students copy solutions

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.
Instead of dropping immediately, consider:

???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

This way:

College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

...Read more

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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