Home > Money > Question
Need Expert Advice?Our Gurus Can Help
Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10881 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on May 10, 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
Antony Question by Antony on May 04, 2024Hindi
Listen
Money

Hi, I have to create a corpus of 2 cr for my kids education in 5 years. What is your advise on investments, including MF, Equities, and other schemes pls ?

Ans: It's great that you're planning ahead for your kids' education. Achieving a corpus of 2 crores in 5 years requires a disciplined investment approach with a focus on growth potential and risk management. Here's some advice on suitable investment avenues:

Equities: Investing in equities can offer higher returns over the long term. Consider allocating a portion of your investment towards well-researched stocks or equity mutual funds. While equities come with volatility, they have the potential to outperform other asset classes.
Mutual Funds: Mutual funds provide diversification and professional management, making them a popular choice for goal-based investing. Opt for a mix of equity and debt mutual funds based on your risk tolerance and investment horizon. Equity funds can offer growth potential, while debt funds provide stability.
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP): SIPs allow you to invest regularly in mutual funds, helping you benefit from rupee-cost averaging and reduce the impact of market volatility. Start SIPs in suitable mutual funds to gradually build your corpus over the next 5 years.
Debt Instruments: Considering the short investment horizon, include debt instruments like fixed deposits, debt mutual funds, or short-term debt funds in your portfolio. These instruments offer stability and capital preservation, which is essential when your goal is nearing.
Regular Review and Rebalancing: Periodically review your investments to ensure they are aligned with your goal of creating a 2 crore corpus for your kids' education. Rebalance your portfolio as needed to maintain the desired asset allocation and risk level.
It's crucial to consult with a Certified Financial Planner to create a personalized investment plan tailored to your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. They can help you make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of the market.

By adopting a diversified and disciplined investment strategy, you can work towards achieving your goal of funding your kids' education with a 2 crore corpus in 5 years.

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.
Money

You may like to see similar questions and answers below

Naveenn

Naveenn Kummar  |235 Answers  |Ask -

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

Asked by Anonymous - Aug 21, 2025Hindi
Money
Hi, I am 40 yr old, I have 60k salary, I have a lic of 47k yearly in money back policy. Nps 3000per month, mutual fund 5000 per month, small cap index fund etf of 6000. Vedanta stock sip 4000, also have stock of around 2lac of different companies (lumsum). Sip of 5000 in Gold. Kindly guide me to build corpus of at least 2 crore until my retirement. Have 2 dougthers, 1st one is 12 yr old, 2nd one is 5 yr old. How can I plan for their higher education, I don't know how investment I should do for their education.
Ans: Dear Sir,

Thank you for sharing your financial details. Considering your profile—40 years old, monthly salary ?60k, LIC, NPS, mutual funds, stock investments, and two daughters aged 12 and 5—here’s an assessment and guidance.

1. Current Financial Snapshot

Salary: ?60k/month

LIC Money Back Policy: ?47k/year

NPS: ?3k/month

Mutual Fund SIP: ?5k/month

Small Cap Index ETF SIP: ?6k/month

Vedanta Stock SIP: ?4k/month

Other Stocks: ?2 L lump sum

Gold SIP: ?5k/month

Dependents: Two daughters aged 12 & 5

Observation: You have started investing in multiple avenues, including equity, debt, and gold. However, your total equity contribution is modest relative to your goal of building a corpus of ?2 Cr by retirement.

2. Key Considerations

Time Horizon:

Assuming retirement at 60, you have 20 years for your corpus growth.

Corpus Target:

To reach ?2 Cr, your investment strategy should focus on equity-oriented instruments for long-term growth.

Children’s Education:

Your daughters are 12 and 5; higher education needs may arise in 6–10 years for the elder and 13–17 years for the younger.

Education planning requires shorter-term investment horizon with lower volatility, generally a mix of balanced/mid-term debt and equity funds.

3. Recommended Approach

Retirement Corpus (?2 Cr target):

Increase monthly SIP contributions in diversified equity mutual funds.

Consider large-cap, flexi-cap, and selected mid/small-cap funds for higher growth potential.

Continue NPS, as it provides retirement tax benefits and moderate growth.

Children’s Education:

Start dedicated education corpus SIPs for each child.

Use equity-oriented funds for 10+ year horizon (younger daughter) and balanced/debt-oriented funds for 6–10 year horizon (elder daughter).

Calculate expected inflation-adjusted education cost and invest monthly accordingly.

Insurance & Risk Management:

Ensure adequate term insurance for yourself.

Health insurance for family is crucial to protect corpus from unforeseen medical expenses.

Portfolio Review:

Annual review with a QPFP professional or AMFI-registered MFD is recommended.

Adjust allocations, SIP amounts, and investments as per market conditions and changing needs.

4. Summary

Focus on equity-oriented SIPs for retirement corpus.

Start dedicated child education funds, with horizon-based allocation (equity for long term, balanced/debt for short term).

Maintain insurance coverage for family protection.

Professional guidance is important to structure SIPs for retirement and education goals.

Best regards,
Naveenn Kummar, BE, MBA, QPFP
Chief Financial Planner | AMFI Registered MFD
www.alenova.in
https://www.instagram.com/alenova_wealth

..Read more

Latest Questions
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'.

...Read more

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

...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.

Close  

You haven't logged in yet. To ask a question, Please Log in below
Login

A verification OTP will be sent to this
Mobile Number / Email

Enter OTP
A 6 digit code has been sent to

Resend OTP in120seconds

Dear User, You have not registered yet. Please register by filling the fields below to get expert answers from our Gurus
Sign up

By signing up, you agree to our
Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Already have an account?

Enter OTP
A 6 digit code has been sent to Mobile

Resend OTP in120seconds

x