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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 26, 2024

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
SMS Question by SMS on May 10, 2024Hindi
Money

My age is 47. I have a salary of 2.4L per month post taxes. My savings totals up to 3Cr is cash (PF, fixed deposits etc all included) and stand to inherit another 1CR in cash from parents. I dont have any loans. I have an own house with loans paid for and a car that is 9 years old but good condition. Apart from this i stand to inherit some property (house + land) value of which would be approx 5CR. i have 2 kids - 12 and 15. My elder one will be going for Engineering college in 2 years time. My parents are largely sufficient on their own. I have just 2 major dreams of owning a BMW worth 50L and travelling the world. I work in software industry and worried about my job. But i am confident of doing anything else beyond software if i loose my job. My assumption is 10L for old car, 20L from my savings and 20L loan. Can i buy a BMW?

Ans: Congratulations on your impressive financial stability and well-thought-out future plans. Your situation reflects years of hard work and careful planning. Let’s assess whether you can comfortably buy a BMW worth Rs 50 lakh and still manage your other financial goals.

Current Financial Situation
You have a robust financial portfolio:

Monthly Salary: Rs 2.4 lakh post taxes
Savings: Rs 3 crore (including PF, fixed deposits, etc.)
Inheritance: Rs 1 crore in cash and approximately Rs 5 crore in property (house + land)
No current loans
Own house and car in good condition
Two children (ages 12 and 15)
Financial Goals
Buying a BMW worth Rs 50 lakh
Funding your children’s education
World travel
Evaluating Your Financial Goals
Buying a BMW
Your plan for purchasing a BMW involves:

Selling your old car for Rs 10 lakh
Using Rs 20 lakh from savings
Taking a Rs 20 lakh loan
Children’s Education
Your elder child will start engineering college in two years, which will require significant funds. Assuming your younger child will follow a similar path, it's essential to plan for these expenses.

World Travel
Traveling the world is a dream that will require a substantial budget, but with careful planning, it is achievable.

Financial Assessment
Buying a BMW
Given your financial situation, purchasing a BMW is feasible. Here’s why:

Down Payment and Loan: Using Rs 20 lakh from savings and a Rs 20 lakh loan is a practical approach. Your monthly salary can comfortably handle the EMIs.
Future Savings Impact: Even after spending Rs 20 lakh from your savings, you will have Rs 2.8 crore left, plus the expected inheritance of Rs 1 crore.
Children’s Education
Planning for Higher Education: Start an education fund for each child. Invest in a mix of safe instruments and equity for higher returns.
Estimate Costs: Engineering education can be expensive. Plan for tuition, accommodation, and other expenses.
World Travel
Budgeting for Travel: Create a travel fund. Decide on destinations, duration, and frequency of your travels. Budgeting will help you estimate the required amount.
Invest for Travel Goals: Allocate a portion of your investments specifically for travel. This ensures your travel fund grows over time.
Investment Strategy
Diversify Your Investments
Equity and Mutual Funds: Increase your equity and mutual fund investments. They offer higher returns over the long term, helping you grow your wealth.
Debt Instruments: Maintain some investments in fixed deposits, bonds, and other debt instruments for stability.
Education Fund
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP): Start SIPs in mutual funds dedicated to your children’s education. SIPs in diversified equity funds can help in accumulating a substantial corpus.
Education Loans: Consider education loans to spread out the financial burden. This can preserve your savings for other goals.
Emergency Fund
Maintain an Emergency Fund: Ensure you have an emergency fund that covers at least 6-12 months of expenses. This provides a safety net in case of job loss or other unforeseen events.
Earning More with BMW and World Travel
Leveraging the BMW
Business and Professional Use: Use the BMW for business purposes if applicable. It can enhance your professional image and possibly lead to more business opportunities.
Renting Out: Occasionally rent out your BMW for events or special occasions. This can help offset the maintenance costs.
World Travel
Travel Blogging or Vlogging: Share your travel experiences through a blog or vlog. Monetize your content through ads, sponsorships, and partnerships.
Freelancing While Traveling: If your job permits, consider freelancing or consulting while traveling. This can provide additional income and fund your travels.
Tax Considerations
Tax on Car Loan
Interest Deduction: Interest on a car loan is not tax-deductible. Factor this into your financial planning.
Tax on Investments
Capital Gains: Be mindful of capital gains tax on your investments. Plan your withdrawals and reinvestments to minimize tax liability.
Tax-Saving Instruments: Utilize tax-saving investments under Section 80C, such as PPF, ELSS, and NPS, to reduce your tax burden.
Conclusion
Based on your current financial situation and future plans, you can comfortably buy a BMW worth Rs 50 lakh and still achieve your other financial goals. Here’s a summary of the action points:

Buy the BMW: Use Rs 20 lakh from savings, sell your old car, and take a Rs 20 lakh loan.
Plan for Education: Start dedicated education funds for your children through SIPs in mutual funds.
Build a Travel Fund: Allocate a portion of your investments for world travel.
Diversify Investments: Balance between equity and debt instruments for growth and stability.
Maintain an Emergency Fund: Ensure you have enough savings to cover unforeseen expenses.
Your disciplined approach to savings and investments, combined with careful planning, will help you achieve financial independence and fulfill your dreams. If you need personalized advice or assistance in structuring your investment portfolio, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help you optimize your investments and achieve your financial objectives.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
Asked on - Jul 08, 2024 | Answered on Jul 09, 2024
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thank you for your detailed response
Ans: You're welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Best wishes on your financial journey!

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
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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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Jul 18, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jul 06, 2024Hindi
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Hello. I'm 42 and Never married before. I Live in New Delhi in my Mother Bungalow .I have my own Shop in New Delhi. Property Price for Bungalow 7 cr. Property Price for Shop 5 cr. I have accumulated Corpus Money in my Mother Bank account + Sister Bank account + My own Bank account = 2 cr. I get 18 lakhs Interest money every year from Bank for the Corpus Money I have accumulated in my family members names.I want to take retirement from my Shop and rent my Shop. I can get 10 lakhs every year from Rental income of my shop . Can I take retirement from my shop.Is 30 Lakhs every year sufficient.I want to get married and have peaceful life. I want to go for holiday 1 country every year for 15 days.I want to buy a new car every 5 years.I want money for family expenses
Ans: Assessment of Financial Situation

Your financial situation is strong. You have significant assets and a steady income stream. You own a bungalow worth Rs 7 crores and a shop worth Rs 5 crores. You have Rs 2 crores in bank accounts, generating Rs 18 lakhs per year in interest. Renting your shop will add another Rs 10 lakhs per year. This gives you a total annual income of Rs 28 lakhs.

Evaluating Income Needs

You plan to retire and rely on rental income and interest. You want Rs 30 lakhs per year for a comfortable life. This includes travel, buying a new car every 5 years, and family expenses. Your current income of Rs 28 lakhs is close to your target but slightly short.

Building an Emergency Fund

An emergency fund is crucial. You should have at least 6-12 months of expenses in a liquid fund. This fund will cover unexpected costs and provide peace of mind. For you, this should be around Rs 15-30 lakhs.

Investment Strategy

To ensure a stable income and growth, consider diversifying your investments. You can look into the following options:

Mutual Funds: Actively managed mutual funds can provide better returns than direct funds. They are managed by professionals and offer growth potential.

Debt Funds: These are less volatile than equity funds and can provide steady returns. They are suitable for a part of your portfolio.

Fixed Deposits: While not the highest in returns, they provide safety and liquidity.

Retirement Planning

Calculate Expenses: Estimate your monthly and annual expenses post-retirement. Include all regular and occasional costs.

Adjust Investments: If your expenses exceed Rs 28 lakhs, adjust your investments to fill the gap. You might need to increase your corpus or look for higher-yield investments.

Tax Efficiency

Tax Planning: Consult a tax advisor to optimize your tax liabilities. Invest in tax-efficient instruments to maximize your post-tax income.
Insurance Coverage

Health Insurance: Ensure you have adequate health insurance. Medical costs can be significant, especially as you age.

Life Insurance: If you plan to start a family, life insurance is crucial. It will provide financial security to your family in case of any unforeseen events.

Lifestyle and Leisure

Travel Budget: Allocate a specific budget for your annual holidays. Plan in advance to get the best deals and manage costs effectively.

Car Purchase: Budget for a new car every five years. Include maintenance and insurance costs in your annual expenses.

Monitoring and Review

Regular Review: Regularly review your financial plan. Adjust your investments and expenses as needed. Keep track of market changes and new investment opportunities.

Certified Financial Planner: Consult a Certified Financial Planner to ensure your plan remains on track. They can provide personalized advice and help you adjust your strategy as needed.

Final Insights

Your current financial situation is strong and supports your retirement plan. With proper planning and investment, you can achieve a comfortable and peaceful life. Ensure you have an emergency fund, diversify your investments, and review your plan regularly. This will help you maintain financial stability and meet your goals.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

..Read more

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Aug 02, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jul 20, 2024Hindi
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Money
Hello sir, I'm 47 old and my wife is 45 years old. We have 1 son of 13 years old. We are earning 8 lakh rupees per month and have SIP of 5L per month. We have no loan or any liability. We have liquid investment of 13.6 cr (8cr in MFs, 4 cr in PMSs, 1cr in PF, 50L in stocks, 10L cash ) and a home of 1.5cr. All of us and parents are covered with term life and medical insurances of 1cr each. I've a Kia seltos SUV. Both of us are planning to retire in next 5 years with the target of 20cr of corpus. I'm planning to buy mercedes benz of 65L. Now I know that car is a depreciating thing and is a liability. But do you think I've enough assets that I can enjoy some of the luxuries? Or do I need to accumulate more corpus to splurge on such lavish things? Or buying such an expensive car doesn't make sense at all?
Ans: ou have a strong financial base with liquid investments of about Rs. 13.6 crores and an excellent monthly income, so you are on a good wicket. Let's see if buying a luxury car makes sense.

Present Financial Situation
Monthly Income
You have a monthly income of Rs. 8 lakh, which shall definitely ensure a comfortable lifestyle.

Investments

Mutual Funds: Rs. 8 crore
PMS: Rs. 4 crore
Provident Fund: Rs. 1 crore
Stocks: Rs. 50 lakh
Cash: Rs. 10 lakh
Assets

Home: Rs. 1.5 crore
Car: Kia Seltos SUV
Insurance Coverage

Term life insurance of Rs. 1 crore each for all family members and parents.
Comprehensive medical insurance of Rs. 1 crore each.
Retirement Planning
Target Corpus
You aim for a corpus of Rs. 20 crore in 5 years. Given your current investments and SIP, this target is achievable.

Monthly SIP
You are investing Rs. 5 lakh monthly. This disciplined approach is excellent.

Luxury Purchase Consideration
Mercedes-Benz Purchase
You plan to buy a Mercedes Benz for Rs. 65 lakh.

Financial Impact

Depreciation: Cars are a depreciating asset. The value of the car will reduce over time.
Maintenace: Luxury cars are expensive to maintain.
Opportunity Cost: This money, if invested, will yield a substantial return over time.
Can You Afford It?
Current Assets
You have ample assets and no liabilities. Your liquid investments are as high as Rs. 13.6 crore alone.

Future Goals
You want to have Rs. 20 crore in 5 years. Your current savings and investments are on track to reach this goal.

Income Stability
Rs. 8 lakh per month gives you a great deal of financial stability. This income can sustain your current lifestyle as well as a whole host of future goals.

Analytical Insights
Gimme Some Luxury
Your sound financial position gives you the wherewithal to splurge a bit, but keep an eye on its impact on the future.

Needs vs. Wants Balance

Needs: Securing retirement and your child's future
Wants: Living life's good life without any financial insecurity
What the Expert Says
As a Certified Financial Planner, I will ask you to consider benefits against costs. You will have to consider the depreciation and maintenance expenses of the car.
Reinvest the Amount
Now, think of reinvesting Rs 65 lakh. It can generate better returns and provide additional security to your retirement corpus.
Balanced Approach
You can also look at a balanced approach. Part of the amount can be used for luxury and the rest for investments.

Final Insights
You have built up a robust financial foundation. With assets and no liabilities, you can afford to buy a luxury car. But do consider the long-term impact on your finances. The balancing act between luxury and financial security will give you a comfortable future.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

..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!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1840 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

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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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