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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Jun 21, 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
anish Question by anish on Jun 04, 2025Hindi
Money

I HAVE A BELOW INVESTMENT PRESENTLY STARTED IN 3 MONTHS WANT TO KNOW IF I AM ON WRIGHT TRACK AS I WANT TO BUILD A GOOD AMOUNT OF FUND IN 10 YEARS ICICI PRU BLU CHIP FUND RS 5000 /MONTH SBI INTERNATIONAL ACESS US EQT RS 5000/MONTH MOTILAL OSWAL MIDCAP FUND RS 5000/MONTH QUANT SMALL CAP FUND RS 3000/MONTH EDELWEISS US TECHNO EQUITY FUND 10000/MONTH TATA SMALL CAP FUND RS 10000/MONTH INVESCO INDIA GLOBAL EQUITY INCOME FUND: 3000/MONTH MOTILAL NIFTY MIDCA 150 INDEX FUND RS 5000/MONTH HDFC FLEXI CAP FUND RS 5000/MONTH QUANT FLEXI CAP FUND 2000/MONHT NIPON INDIA LARGE CAP FUND 5000/MONTH

Ans: You started investing just three months ago.

Consistent investing shows strong habit.

That is a commendable beginning.

Portfolio Assessment and Alignment with Goals
You invest across large, mid, small, flexi, and international funds.

That gives wide diversification, which is good.

But many mutual funds overlap in equities.

Overlap reduces diversification benefit and increases risks.

We need to ensure each contribution has a purpose.

Defining Your Investment Goal for 10 Years
You plan to build a ‘good amount’ in ten years.

We need clarity on amount and purpose.

Is it for retirement, education, property down payment or a fund pool?

Define realistic corpus range like Rs 1–2 crore or Rs 50 lakh.

Linking each fund to specific objectives improves tracking.

Role of Active Equity Mutual Funds
You are using actively managed funds.

These funds select promising companies and sectors.

They monitor performance and rebalance portfolios.

Actively managed funds can outperform passively managed ones.

Passive index funds simply track market indices.

They hold all index stocks, even weak ones.

No strategy to replace poor performers quickly.

Active funds allow portfolio adjustments amid risk events.

This extra management adds chance of higher returns.

Index investing offers simplicity but lacks human oversight.

For critical goals, active funds are better.

Avoiding Direct Plans for Better Discipline
You didn’t say ‘direct’ fund, so you may use regular plans.

That is good. CFP-led support brings structure.

Regular funds include advice, review, and behavioral discipline.

Investors using direct funds often leave decisions to emotion.

They may exit during market dips.

Losing discipline can hurt returns significantly.

Regular plans help to rebalance and stay committed.

Deep Dive into Your Funds
1. Large?Cap Focus
Fund A: Large?caps provide stability and core growth.

Fund B: Nippon large?cap also in same equity space.

Two separate large?cap funds causes overlap.

Better to pick one strong manager with good track record.

Keep only one large?cap active fund to reduce duplication.

2. Mid?Cap and Small?Cap Funds
You hold two mid?cap and two small?cap equity funds.

Mid?caps offer growth when economy picks up.

Small?caps bring high returns but also high volatility.

Too many may cause excessive volatility in bear cycles.

Keep one solid quality manager for each category.

Consolidate others or allocate smaller amounts.

3. Flexi?Cap Funds
Two flexi?cap funds add flexibility to shift between caps.

Flexi?cap managers can adapt to market trends.

Again, only one strong flexi?cap fund is enough.

Too many overlap in holdings across market caps.

4. International Equity Funds
SBI International US Equity and Edelweiss US Tech funds are both US exposure.

Global equity helps diversify away from Indian market risk.

But both target US equities; a more diversified global fund could be better.

Two US?oriented funds add more exposure to same country.

Option: keep one US fund and add a global multi?country actively managed fund.

5. Equity Income Fund
This invests in dividend or income generating equities.

Helps provide stability in volatile markets.

Good for medium?term goals and reduces risk.

Maintain this allocation, but keep it modest.

Portfolio Overlap and Risk Management
Many funds hold blue?chip names.

Significant overlaps lead to concentration risk.

Overlap hurts when blue?chips fall.

We need diversification with unique managers.

Consolidate similar funds across each category.

Suggested Simplified Structure:

Large?cap: pick one strong manager for large firms.

Mid?cap: one reliable fund.

Small?cap: one high conviction fund.

Flexi?cap: one flexible fund.

International/global: one global equity fund.

Equity income: maintain as stability anchor.

Asset Allocation Strategy
Use split: 60% equity, 20% international/global, 20% debt (in later years).

Equity portion can be:

25% large?cap

15% mid?cap

10% small?cap

10% flexi?cap

Optional: 5% equity income

International/global: invest 20% to offset India-centric risk.

Debt is for capital protection as you near goal end.

Implementation for 10?Year Horizon
Identify time buckets

Years 1–5: growth stage, higher equity allocation.

Years 6–10: move some equity into debt shifts.

Rebalance annually

Reallocate if any category deviates +-5%.

Move excess from outperformers to laggards.

Use SIPs rather than lumpsum

You’ve chosen monthly SIPs correctly.

Continue to avoid lump sum due to high volatility.

Yearly SIP enhancement

Increase SIP by 10% every year.

This steps up contributions with income.

Taxation Insight for 10?Year Plan
If you sell equity funds before 1 year, STCG taxed at 20%.

After one year, LTCG above Rs 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.

For debt funds, both STCG and LTCG taxed at slab rate.

Long?term holding favours lower tax.

Plan exits after 10 years to avoid short?term tax.

Tax?efficient planning critical for final corpus.

Behaviour & Monitoring Discipline
Check fund performance annually.

Do not monitor daily or react to market noise.

Avoid frequency buying/selling.

Maintain discipline during corrections.

Update your CFP at least once yearly.

Use their review to adjust allocations.

Emergency Buffer and Risk Cover
Maintain 6 months’ living expenses in liquid fund.

This buffer keeps you invested during emergencies.

Life: term insurance to cover liabilities and family needs.

Health: adequate family medical cover.

Avoid investment products masquerading as life insurance.

Surrender Check: LIC or ULIP Policies?
You didn’t mention LIC or ULIP holdings.

If you have any, assess returns vs premium paid.

If returns are poor, surrender and redirect to equity SIPs.

Annual Review Process with CFP
Review entire portfolio each year.

Ask about performance, allocation, and future strategy.

Discuss increase in SIP and emergency buffer.

Rebalance into debt during year 6–8 period.

Why This Simplified Structure Works
Fewer funds mean easier tracking.

Reduces overlap and improves risk?adjusted returns.

Equity income adds stability buffer in volatile markets.

Global exposure offsets India?centric swings.

Flexi?cap adds tactical advantage.

What You Should Do Now
List current fund folios.

Identify duplicates in categories.

Keep one fund each for large, mid, small, flexi, international, equity income.

Redeploy remaining fund allotments into chosen ones.

Gradually stop excess SIPs or redirect future investments.

How to Redeploy Excess Investment
Stop SIPs in duplicate category funds.

Increase allocations in chosen single funds.

Ensure total monthly invested amount remains same.

Gradually channel top?ups into core funds.

Timeline for This Rebalancing
Month 1: Decide on final fund selection.

Month 2: Stop SIP in redundant funds.

Month 3–6: Redirect investments and watch flow.

Month 12: First formal portfolio review.

Long?Term Wealth Creation Outlook
Stay invested in chosen equity funds for full 10 years.

Expect portfolio to deliver significantly higher returns than fixed income.

Maintain discipline through volatility phases.

Your corpus can exceed goal if stays invested.

Continual monitoring with CFP helps catch issues early.

Final Insights
Your current habit is great—keep it up.

Reduce fund overlap to simplify your portfolio.

Active equity funds deliver stronger return potential.

Equity exposure must reduce as goal nears.

Use aligned allocation to meet 10?year goal.

Regular review with Certified Financial Planner is essential.

Emergency buffer and insurance protect your plan.

Stay consistent, review annually, and let time compound returns.

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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Latest Questions
Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Dec 06, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 06, 2025Hindi
Money
Dear Sir/Ma'am, I need some guidance and advice for continuing my mutual fund investments. I am a 36 year old male, married, no kids yet and no debts/liabilities as such. I have couple of savings in PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and long term investing in direct stocks. I recently started below mentioned SIPs for long term to grow wealth. Request you to review the same and let me know if I should continue with the SIPs or need to rationalize. Kindly also advice on how to invest a lumpsum amount of around 6lacs. invesco small cap 2000 motilal oswal midcap 2700 parag parikh flexicap 3000 HDFC flexicap 3100 ICICI prudential largecap 3100 HDFC large and midcap 3100 HDFC gold etf FOF 2000 ICICI Pru equity and debt fund 3000 HDFC balanced advantage fund 3000 nippon india silver etf FOF 2000
Ans: You already built a solid foundation. Many investors delay planning. But you started early at 36. That gives you a strong advantage. You have no liabilities. You have long term thinking. You also have diversified savings like PPF, NPS, Emergency funds and direct stocks. That shows clarity and discipline. This approach builds wealth with less stress over time.

You also started systematic investments in equity funds. That is a positive step. Your selection covers multiple categories like large cap, mid cap, small cap, flexi cap, hybrid and precious metals. So the intent is right. You are trying to create a broad portfolio. That gives balance.

» Your Portfolio Composition Understanding
Your current SIP list includes:

Small cap

Mid cap

Flexi cap

Large cap

Large and mid cap

Hybrid category

Gold and Silver FoF

Equity and Debt allocation fund

Dynamic hybrid fund

This shows you are trying to cover many segments. But too many categories can create overlap. When there is overlap, you get confusion during review. It also makes portfolio discipline difficult. You may think you are diversified. But the holdings inside may repeat. That reduces efficiency.

Your portfolio now looks like:

Equity dominant

Hybrid for stability

Metals for hedge

So the broad direction is fine. But simplifying helps in long-term habit building.

» Fund Category Duplication
You hold:

Two flexi cap funds

One large and mid cap fund

One pure large cap fund

One mid cap fund

One small cap fund

Flexi cap funds already invest across large, mid, small. Then large and mid also overlaps. So the large cap exposure gets repeated. That may not add extra benefit. But it increases monitoring complexity.

So I suggest rationalising. Keep one fund per category in core. Keep satellite space for only high conviction.

» Core and Satellite Strategy
A structured portfolio follows core and satellite method.

Core portfolio should be:

Simple

Long term

Stable

Satellite portfolio can be:

High growth

Concentrated

Based on your thinking level, you can structure like this:

Core funds:

One large cap

One flexi cap

One hybrid equity and debt fund

One balanced advantage type fund

Satellite funds:

One mid cap

One small cap

One metal allocation if needed

This division gives clarity. You can continue SIPs with review every year. No need to stop and restart often. That reduces behavioural mistakes.

» Your Current SIP List Review with Suggested Streamlining

You can consider continuing:

One flexi cap

One large cap

One mid cap

One small cap

One balanced advantage

One equity and debt hybrid

You may reconsider keeping both flexi caps and both gold silver funds. One of each category is enough. Because too many funds do not increase returns. It complicates tracking.

Precious metal funds should not be more than 5 to 7 percent in your portfolio. This is because metals are hedge assets. They do not create compounding like equity. They act as protection during cycles. So keep them small.

» How to Use the Rs 6 Lakh Lump Sum
You asked about lump sum investing. This is important. Lump sum should not go fully into equity at one time. Markets move in cycles. So use a staggered method. You can invest the lump sum through STP (Systematic Transfer Plan). You can keep the amount in a liquid fund and set STP toward your chosen growth funds over 6 to 12 months.

This reduces timing risk. It also creates discipline. So your Rs 6 lakh can be deployed gradually. You may use 50% towards core equity funds and 30% toward satellite growth category. The remaining 20% can go into hybrid category. This gives balance and comfort.

» Regular Funds Over Direct Funds
One important point many investors miss. Direct funds look cheaper. But they demand deep knowledge, discipline, and behaviour control. Most investors lose more through emotional selling and wrong timing than they save on expense ratio.

With regular funds through a Mutual Fund Distributor with Certified Financial Planner qualification, you get guidance, structure and correction. The advisory discipline protects you during market extremes. That is more valuable than a small saving in expense ratio.

A personalised planner also tracks portfolio drift, rebalancing need and category shifts. So regular fund investing gives long-term benefit and behaviour coaching.

» Actively Managed Funds over Index or ETF
Some investors choose index funds or ETF thinking they are simple and cheap. But they ignore drawbacks.

Index funds or ETF will not avoid weak companies in the index. They will invest whether the company grows or struggles. There is no fund manager decision making. So when markets are at peak, index funds continue aggressive exposure. In downturns also they fall fully. There is no cushion.

Actively managed funds work with research teams. They can avoid bad sectors. They can shift allocation based on market and economy. Over long term, this gives better alpha and stability. So continuing with actively managed funds creates better wealth compounding.

» SIP Continuation Strategy
Once the rationalisation is done, continue SIPs every month without interruption. Pause and restart behaviour damages compounding power. SIP works best when you go through all market cycles. You benefit more during corrections because cost averaging works.

So continue SIP amount. You can also review SIP increase every year based on income. Increasing SIP by 10 to 15 percent every year helps you reach large corpus faster.

» Asset Allocation Based Approach
One key point in wealth creation is having the right asset mix. Equity gives growth. Hybrid gives balance. Metals give hedge. Debt gives safety. Your asset allocation should stay aligned to your risk profile and time horizon.

Since you are young and have long term horizon, higher equity allocation is fine. But as time moves, rebalancing is important. Rebalancing protects gains and restores allocation.

So review your asset allocation every year or during major life events like child birth, home buying or retirement planning.

» Behaviour Management
Many portfolios fail not due to bad funds. They fail due to bad decisions. Selling during correction. Stopping SIP when market falls. Chasing past return performance. These mistakes reduce wealth.

Your discipline so far is good. Continue to stay patient during volatility. Equity rewards patience and time.

» Financial Goals Clarity
Since you have no children now, you can decide your long-term goals. Typical goals may include:

Retirement

Future child education

Dream lifestyle purchase

Health care reserves

When goals are clear, investment purpose becomes stronger. So you can map each fund category to goal horizon. Short-term goals should not use equity. Long-term goals should use equity with hybrid support.

» Role of Review and Monitoring
Review once in a year is enough. Frequent review can create anxiety. Annual review helps check:

Fund performance

Expense drift

Category relevance

Allocation balance

Then adjust only if needed. This progress helps you stay confident and aligned.

» Taxation Awareness
Equity mutual funds taxation rules are:

Short term (below one year holding) taxable at 20 percent

Long term (above one year holding) gains above Rs 1.25 lakh taxable at 12.5 percent

Debt mutual funds are taxed as per your income slab.

So always hold equity funds for long term. That reduces tax impact and gives better growth.

» SIP Increase Plan
You can create a simple plan to increase SIP over time. For example:

Increase SIP at every salary increment

Increase SIP during bonus time

Use rewards or extra income for investing

This habit accelerates wealth. So by the time you reach 45 to 50 years, your investments could reach a strong level.

» Insurance and Protection
Before investing large, ensure you have term insurance and health insurance. If not already done, it is important. Insurance protects wealth. Without insurance, even a small medical event can impact investment plan. So review this part also. Since you are married, cover both.

» Wealth Behaviour Mindset
You are already disciplined. Just keep these simple principles:

Invest without stopping

Review once a year

Avoid funds overlap

Follow asset allocation

Avoid reacting to media noise

This helps you reach long term milestones.

» Finally
You are on the right track. Only fine tuning and simplification is needed. Your discipline is visible. Your portfolio will grow well with structure, patience and periodic review. Use the Rs 6 lakh with STP approach. And continue SIP with rationalised categories.

With time and consistency, wealth creation becomes effortless and peaceful. You just need to stay committed and avoid overthinking during market movements.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

...Read more

Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1837 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 05, 2025

Career
Dear Sir, I did my BTech from a normal engineering college not very famous. The teaching was not great and hence i did not study well. I tried my best to learn coding including all the technologies like html,css,javascript,react js,dba,php because i wanted to be a web developer But nothing seem to enter my head except html and css. I don't understand a language which has more complexities. Is it because of my lack of experience or not devoting enough time. I am not sure. I did many courses online and tried to do diplomas also abroad which i passed somehow. I recently joined android development course because i like apps but the teaching was so fast that i could not memorize anything. There was no time to even take notes down. During the course i did assignments and understood the code because i have to pass but after the course is over i tend to forget everything. I attempted a lot of interviews. Some of them i even got but could not perform well so they let me go. Now due to the AI booming and job markets in a bad shape i am re-thinking whether to keep studying or whether its just time waste. Since 3 years i am doing labour type of jobs which does not yield anything to me for survival and to pay my expenses. I have the quest to learn everything but as soon as i sit in front of the computer i listen to music or read something else. What should i do to stay more focused? What should i do to make myself believe confident. Is there still scope of IT in todays world? Kindly advise.
Ans: Your story does not show failure.
It shows persistence, effort, and desire to improve.

Most people give up.
You didn’t.
That means you will succeed — but with the right method, not the old one.

...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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