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How can I best manage my investment portfolio at 36 with a 15+ year horizon?

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |8317 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Feb 27, 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
KR Question by KR on Feb 26, 2025Hindi
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Hello, I am 36 years old, married & have 1 daughter (5 years old). I'm investing in following funds & have investment horizon of more than 15 years. Below is my profile, kindly review and provide your valuable feedback. Monthly Investment 53k. ============================== (A) Small Cap - 21.5k (40%) (1)SBI Small-7k (2) Axis Small-4.5k (3) Quant Small-6.5k (4)BOI small-3.5k ============================== (B) Mid Cap - 7.5k (around 15%) (1) Motilal Mid Cap - 7.5k ============================== (C) Flexi Cap - 8k (15%) (1) Quant Flexi - 4k (2) Parag Flexi - 4k ============================== (D) Large Cap - 10500 (20%) (1)Mirae Bluechip - 2.5k (2)Motilal Large & Mid-3k (3) ICICI Large & Mid-1.5k (4)ICICI Pru Dividend Yield-3.5k ============================== (E) Balance Advantage/Index/ELSS - 5.6k (10%) (1)HDFC Balanced Advantage-2.6k (2)UTI Nifty200 Momentum 30 Index-2k (3)Mirae ELSS-1k Also let me know if any changes are required in my Portfolio.

Ans: Your monthly investment of Rs 53,000 is a strong commitment to wealth creation. Your investment horizon of 15+ years allows you to take calculated risks. Below is a detailed review of your portfolio.

Strengths of Your Portfolio
Good Diversification: Your portfolio has exposure across small-cap, mid-cap, large-cap, flexi-cap, and hybrid funds.

High Growth Potential: Small-cap allocation is aggressive, which can generate high returns in the long term.

Long Investment Horizon: Investing for 15+ years helps you ride market volatility.

Balanced Risk Exposure: Your allocation across different fund categories manages risk and return efficiently.

Areas of Improvement
1. Excessive Small-Cap Allocation
You have allocated 40% to small-cap funds. Small caps can be highly volatile.
Ideal small-cap exposure should be around 20-25% of the portfolio.
Reduce small-cap allocation and shift some funds to mid-cap and large-cap categories.
2. Mid-Cap Allocation Needs an Increase
Mid-cap funds provide a balance between risk and return.
Increasing mid-cap allocation from 15% to 20% will improve stability.
3. Flexi-Cap Fund Selection is Good
These funds provide flexibility to shift across market caps.
Keep this category as it is, as it helps in market downturns.
4. Large-Cap Allocation Can be Strengthened
Large-cap stocks provide stability in volatile markets.
Increase allocation to large caps from 20% to 25%.
This will bring more consistency to your portfolio.
5. Avoid Index Funds
Your portfolio has an index fund (UTI Nifty 200 Momentum 30).
Index funds do not actively manage risks and miss opportunities in volatile markets.
Actively managed funds outperform index funds in the long run.
Shift this allocation to a well-managed flexi-cap or large-cap fund.
6. Balanced Advantage Fund Can Stay, but Avoid ELSS If Not Needed
HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund is a good choice for stability.
Mirae ELSS is only needed if you require tax-saving benefits.
If you don’t need tax savings, move this allocation to a flexi-cap fund.
Suggested Portfolio Allocation
Revised Category Allocation
Small Cap: 20-25%
Mid Cap: 20%
Flexi Cap: 15%
Large Cap: 25%
Hybrid/Balanced Advantage: 10%
Additional Investment Recommendations
1. Increase SIP When Income Grows
Consider increasing your SIP amount by 10% every year.
This will help you achieve larger financial goals over time.
2. Review Performance Every Year
Check fund performance annually and replace underperforming funds.
Compare with category averages, not just past returns.
3. Asset Allocation Adjustment
As you get closer to your goals, reduce equity exposure and move to safer instruments.
After 10 years, start shifting some funds to balanced and debt funds.
Final Insights
Your current portfolio is well-structured but slightly aggressive. Reducing small-cap exposure and increasing mid-cap and large-cap allocations will balance risk and return. Avoid index funds, as actively managed funds provide better returns in the long run.

Stay consistent with SIPs and review your funds yearly to maximize wealth creation.

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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