Hi Sir, i am 42 years old. I have invested 41 lakhs in dividend yield mutual fund in 2024. Also, i am investing Rs. 3 lkhs per year with max insurance with assured return of monthly income of approx 40 thousand per month from 60 years on my age for next 25 years. I have some funds approx 3 lakhs invested in various mutual funds for emergency use only and also investing 1 lakh per year in NPS. Also, i have health insurance for my family. Sir, please advise me how to get 4 lakhs (plus 5% per years increment) after my retirement age. I have only a car loan of 20 thousand per month and in hand salary is 1.75 lakhs as of now.
Ans: At 42, you have already made strong moves like investing in mutual funds, having health insurance, and contributing to NPS. Your clarity about retirement goal of Rs. 4 lakh monthly income with yearly increase is very powerful. With structured planning, discipline and proper allocation, this can be achieved. Let me now give a 360-degree step-by-step roadmap for you.
» Current Financial Snapshot
You are 42 years old.
Mutual fund investment of Rs. 41 lakh in dividend yield fund.
Insurance-cum-return plan with yearly Rs. 3 lakh contribution.
Expected monthly income of Rs. 40,000 from age 60 under that plan.
Rs. 3 lakh kept in mutual funds for emergencies.
Rs. 1 lakh yearly contribution to NPS.
Health insurance for family is active.
Car loan EMI of Rs. 20,000 monthly.
Current take-home salary Rs. 1.75 lakh monthly.
» First Observations
You are disciplined in savings and insurance.
Goal of Rs. 4 lakh monthly income with 5% increase is ambitious.
But with early preparation, it is possible.
Current asset allocation is slightly skewed. Too much into dividend-yield mutual fund and assured-return product.
Need more diversified equity exposure for long-term growth.
Insurance-cum-return product locks money at lower returns. This limits growth.
Emergency corpus is too small. Only Rs. 3 lakh is insufficient for a family.
» Insurance and Return Plan Assessment
You are paying Rs. 3 lakh per year for 25 years.
This is Rs. 75 lakh premium in total.
You expect Rs. 40,000 monthly income after age 60.
But this plan offers low effective return, around 5–6% only.
Lock-in reduces liquidity and flexibility.
Insurance cover under such plans is usually low.
Term insurance is better for protection.
Investments should be separate for wealth building.
If possible, consider surrendering after lock-in ends and reinvesting in mutual funds.
Long-term compounding in equity gives much higher wealth than such plans.
» Emergency Fund Planning
Current emergency fund of Rs. 3 lakh is not enough.
Ideal emergency fund should be 6–8 months of expenses.
Your family expenses and EMI total near Rs. 80,000–90,000 monthly.
So at least Rs. 6–7 lakh should be set aside.
Keep this in liquid funds or short-term FD.
Do not mix emergency funds with investment corpus.
» Mutual Fund Allocation
Rs. 41 lakh in dividend yield fund is highly concentrated.
Dividend yield funds are defensive and lower growth.
They are not ideal for long-term wealth building.
Over 15–18 years, diversified equity funds and flexi-cap funds deliver better growth.
Dividend yield strategy limits compounding power.
Actively managed funds with diversified style are better.
Avoid index funds because they lack downside protection.
In volatile markets, index funds may trap you in losses.
Regular funds through Certified Financial Planner guided distributor give professional support.
Direct funds look cheaper but you lose review and advice.
Regular funds are safer for long-term investors.
» Retirement Corpus Requirement
You want Rs. 4 lakh monthly from age 60.
You also want this income to grow 5% yearly.
This needs a very large retirement corpus.
Equity must play a major role to reach such corpus.
Debt and assured-return products cannot meet this goal.
You have 18 years until age 60.
With disciplined growth investing, this is possible.
» Systematic Investment Plan Strategy
From Rs. 1.75 lakh salary, aim to save 30–35% monthly.
That is Rs. 50,000–60,000 per month into mutual funds.
Increase SIP every year by 5–10%.
Over 18 years, this builds a powerful corpus.
Mix equity mutual funds with some debt allocation.
Equity allocation should be 70–75% for growth.
Debt allocation 20–25% for stability.
Gold 5% for diversification.
» Role of NPS
You contribute Rs. 1 lakh yearly to NPS.
NPS gives equity-debt mix with tax benefits.
But withdrawal rules are restrictive.
You cannot depend fully on NPS for retirement income.
Use it only as additional support.
Major wealth creation should happen through mutual funds.
» Tax Saving Structure
Current investments already cover Section 80C through insurance plan.
NPS gives additional Rs. 50,000 deduction under 80CCD(1B).
Health insurance premium qualifies under Section 80D.
Home loan interest deduction is not applicable here since you have only car loan.
Do not invest in tax-saving products just for deduction.
Invest in growth-oriented funds and claim deduction where available.
» Loan Management
Car loan EMI is Rs. 20,000 monthly.
This is manageable within your salary.
Avoid taking new consumer loans.
Focus on clearing car loan early if possible.
Once loan ends, redirect Rs. 20,000 into SIP.
» Children and Family Goals
You have not mentioned child education or marriage goals.
These are important alongside retirement.
Education cost may reach Rs. 25–30 lakh in 15 years.
Marriage corpus may need Rs. 20–25 lakh.
Create separate SIPs for these goals.
Do not mix with retirement fund.
This avoids future stress.
» Importance of Insurance Cover
Term insurance is missing in your plan.
You must take adequate term cover immediately.
At your income level, minimum Rs. 2.5–3 crore cover is required.
This protects family in case of uncertainty.
Do not depend on insurance-cum-return products for cover.
They give low sum assured.
» Rebalancing and Review
Review investments every year.
Shift from dividend yield fund gradually into diversified equity funds.
Keep risk balanced but growth focused.
Rebalance equity-debt mix every 3 years.
Adjust SIPs with changing goals.
» Taxation of Mutual Funds at Withdrawal
From April 2024, equity mutual fund taxation changed.
LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh is taxed at 12.5%.
STCG is taxed at 20%.
Debt mutual funds are taxed as per slab.
Keep this in mind while planning withdrawals.
Retirement income from mutual funds will be partly taxable.
Plan systematic withdrawal post-retirement for efficiency.
» Finally
You already have a good base with Rs. 41 lakh investments.
Main gaps are overdependence on dividend yield funds and insurance-cum-return plan.
Strengthen portfolio with diversified equity funds and SIP discipline.
Increase term insurance cover immediately.
Build larger emergency corpus.
Allocate SIPs separately for retirement and family goals.
Avoid index funds and direct funds.
Regular funds with Certified Financial Planner support give long-term stability.
With 18 years of disciplined investing, you can create corpus for Rs. 4 lakh monthly.
Growth discipline, risk balance and yearly review are the key.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment