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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 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
ASHOK Question by ASHOK on Jan 10, 2024Hindi
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how to get old PF account sum up and accumulate balance thereof.

Ans: Accessing Your Old EPF Account - It's Easy!
Thinking about accessing your old EPF account? Great! Here's a breakdown of the process:

Eligibility to Withdraw:

You can withdraw your EPF corpus (total accumulated amount) if:
You're unemployed for two months or more.
You've reached retirement age (58 years).
You're migrating permanently out of India.
There are other specific situations (check EPFO website for details).
Simple Steps to Withdraw:

Activate your Universal Account Number (UAN): If you haven't already, activate your UAN on the EPFO website (https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/).

Login to Member e-SEWA: Once your UAN is active, log in to the Member e-SEWA portal using your UAN and password.

Click on "Claim (Form-31)": This section guides you through the online claim process.

Enter details and submit: Fill in the required details like your bank account information and reason for withdrawal. Submit the claim form electronically.

Track your claim: You can track the status of your claim online on the EPFO website.

Important Note:

If you haven't updated your KYC (Know Your Customer) details, you might need to submit physical documents to your previous employer.
Thinking about using your EPF corpus?

Consider if there are other options to meet your financial needs.
Withdrawing your EPF reduces your retirement savings.
Talk to a Certified Financial Planner (CFP):

They can help you assess your situation and make informed decisions about using your EPF corpus.

Remember:

The EPFO website offers clear instructions and FAQs to help you navigate the withdrawal process.

I hope this helps!

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  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Apr 23, 2024

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hi, i have worked 5 different companies starting from 01.02.1992 to 31.08.2012 and contributed to PF as per the policy. i have passbook of PF account but only amount of last company is reflecting in the passbook. I have withdrawn EPF balance but EPS part is still not withdrawn from any company. my last company has not updated the records from previous companies, . i am getting 58 years next on 29042024. i have account with EPFO and UAN. How can i get the amount accumulated or get the scheme certificate or start pension at reduced rates...i am working with a company but not registered with PF.
Ans: Given your situation, consolidating and tracking your EPF contributions and benefits can be a bit challenging but certainly manageable. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this:

Consolidation of UAN: If you have a UAN (Universal Account Number), ensure that all your previous PF accounts are linked to it. You can do this by logging into the EPFO portal and checking the 'Manage' tab under 'For Employees'. If your previous companies have not linked your UAN to their establishment IDs, you can request them to do so.
Transfer of EPF: Use the EPFO's online transfer portal to transfer the EPF accumulations from your previous accounts to your current PF account. This will consolidate all your PF accumulations into one account, making it easier to manage and track.
EPS (Employee Pension Scheme): Since you have not withdrawn the EPS contributions from any of your previous employers, you can apply for a scheme certificate through your current employer. A scheme certificate provides details of your service and contributions and can be used to avail pension benefits at the age of 58.
Pension at Reduced Rates: If you opt for pension before attaining the age of 58, it would be at a reduced rate. However, if you choose to defer it, your pension amount will increase. You can apply for a reduced pension through your current employer or directly with the EPFO after completing Form 10D.
Contact EPFO: If you face any issues or discrepancies in your PF accounts, reach out to the EPFO regional office or helpdesk. Provide them with the necessary details and documents, including your UAN, PF account numbers, and service details with each employer.
Consult a Financial Advisor: Given the complexities involved in EPF and EPS, consulting a financial advisor or a retirement planner can be beneficial. They can guide you through the process, help you understand the implications of withdrawing or transferring your EPF and EPS accumulations, and assist you in making informed decisions regarding your retirement benefits.
Remember, it's essential to keep track of your EPF and EPS contributions and benefits to ensure you maximize your retirement benefits and make informed decisions. Taking proactive steps now can help you secure a comfortable retirement.

..Read more

Sanjeev

Sanjeev Govila  | Answer  |Ask -

Financial Planner - Answered on Nov 11, 2023

Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Feb 07, 2025

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Dear sir I lost my job like 3 years back and since then there is no contribution in my pf account. I m 49. I don't hope of getting another fulltime job. There is around total 45lacs accumulated there. Can you please advice what is the best way to handle this amount? As of now I m debt free and small family with 2 school going kids, living on my savings and interest incomes from bank and equities.
Ans: You have a substantial PF balance, but with no new job, it needs careful planning. Your goal is to ensure stability, preserve capital, and generate income for the long term.

Should You Withdraw the PF Amount?
Your PF account stops earning interest after three years of inactivity. Since you haven’t contributed for three years, check with the EPFO if interest is still being credited.
If interest is not accruing, withdrawing gradually over time is better than keeping it idle.
If it’s still earning interest, you can defer withdrawal until you need the funds.
Where to Invest the PF Amount?
Once withdrawn, you need low-risk, income-generating investments to support your family.

1. Fixed Deposits for Short-Term Stability
Keep Rs 10-15 lakh in bank FDs for liquidity and stability.
Choose senior citizen or special deposit schemes for higher interest rates.
Opt for monthly or quarterly interest payout for regular income.
2. Debt Mutual Funds for Tax Efficiency
Invest Rs 15-20 lakh in debt mutual funds for stable returns and tax efficiency.
Banking & PSU Debt Funds or Corporate Bond Funds are safer choices.
Debt funds benefit from indexation, reducing capital gains tax over time.
3. Dividend-Paying Stocks for Passive Income
Allocate Rs 5-7 lakh in blue-chip dividend-paying stocks.
These stocks provide stable income and have potential for long-term appreciation.
Reinvest surplus dividends for future growth.
4. Monthly Income Plans for Regular Cash Flow
Consider conservative hybrid funds with systematic withdrawal plans (SWP).
This ensures regular cash flow while maintaining the investment corpus.
Emergency Fund & Medical Backup
Keep at least Rs 5 lakh in a separate savings account or liquid fund for unexpected expenses.
Ensure you have adequate health insurance for yourself and your family.
Set aside Rs 3-5 lakh for children’s school fees in a short-term investment.
Final Insights
Your PF corpus can provide financial security if managed well. Combining FDs, debt funds, blue-chip stocks, and SWPs ensures stability, liquidity, and income. Avoid risky investments and focus on capital protection.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP

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

..Read more

Latest Questions
Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |10872 Answers  |Ask -

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

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 06, 2025Hindi
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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.

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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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