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Omkeshwar

Omkeshwar Singh  | Answer  |Ask -

Head, Rank MF - Answered on Apr 22, 2022

Mutual Fund Expert... more
Buddhe Question by Buddhe on Apr 22, 2022Hindi
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Kindly advise me about my MF portfolios. From last 3 years I am investing in MFs as in the form of SIPs @ Rs. 25000. Should I continue or switchover please be advice

  1. L & T Emerging Businesses Fund -- Growth -- 6000
  2. Axis Focussed 25 Fund -- Regular Growth -- 6000
  3. SBI Small Cap Fund -- Regular Growth -- 5000
  4. Nippon Small Cap Fund -- 8000

Ans: Please continue, no need to change

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 Aug 21, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 09, 2024Hindi
Money
Hello sir, I have following MF -SIP in my portfolio for last 4 years: 1. Axis bluechip - growth 2. Tata digital - growth 3. SBI small cap - Growth 4. ICICI small cap - growth 5. HDFC balanced fund - growth Kindly suggest can I continue with above or switch ... Thank in advance...
Ans: You have been investing in mutual fund SIPs for the last four years. First, it's great that you have maintained consistency. This habit builds a solid foundation for wealth creation. Now, let’s evaluate your current portfolio.

Reviewing Each Fund
Axis Bluechip Fund: Large-cap funds like this one focus on established companies. They offer stability with moderate growth. It's suitable for risk-averse investors but may not deliver high returns compared to mid and small-cap funds.

Tata Digital Fund: Sector-specific funds, such as digital or technology-focused funds, carry higher risk. These funds can give significant returns during sectoral booms. However, they also can underperform during downturns. Consider the volatility before continuing.

SBI Small Cap Fund: Small-cap funds invest in smaller companies. These funds are riskier but can deliver high returns in the long term. However, they also tend to be more volatile. Make sure you are comfortable with this risk.

ICICI Small Cap Fund: Similar to the SBI Small Cap Fund, this fund also invests in smaller companies. It comes with high risk and potential high rewards. Diversification within the small-cap segment may lead to redundancy.

HDFC Balanced Fund: Balanced funds invest in a mix of equity and debt. They offer a balanced approach to risk and return. This is a good option for moderate risk-takers who seek stability with some growth potential.

Diversification and Risk Management
Your portfolio has a mix of large-cap, small-cap, sector-specific, and balanced funds. However, there is a concentration in small-cap funds, which could increase your overall risk.

Small-Cap Exposure: Having two small-cap funds may increase the risk without significant diversification benefits. Consider reducing this exposure to manage risk better.

Sectoral Fund Caution: The Tata Digital Fund focuses on a single sector. While it may offer high returns, it also increases your exposure to sector-specific risks. Ensure this aligns with your risk tolerance.

Balanced Approach: The HDFC Balanced Fund provides stability with a mix of equity and debt. It's a good complement to your portfolio's higher-risk funds. However, you could explore other balanced funds to ensure broader diversification.

Disadvantages of Index Funds
You didn’t mention index funds, but it’s important to understand why actively managed funds might be more suitable for your goals.

Limited Flexibility: Index funds track a specific index and cannot react to market changes. They are passive and might miss opportunities to maximize returns during market fluctuations.

Lower Returns: While index funds have lower fees, they also tend to deliver returns that mirror the market average. Actively managed funds, on the other hand, strive to outperform the market, offering potential for higher returns.

Disadvantages of Direct Funds
You seem to be investing in regular funds, which is a wise choice. Let’s examine why direct funds might not be ideal.

Lack of Professional Guidance: Direct funds require you to manage and monitor your investments. This can be time-consuming and challenging without expert knowledge. Investing through a Certified Financial Planner offers guidance, helping you make informed decisions.

Potential for Mistakes: Without professional advice, it's easy to make errors, such as overexposure to a single asset class or fund type. A Certified Financial Planner can help you diversify effectively and adjust your portfolio as needed.

Recommendations for Your Portfolio
Considering the above analysis, here are some suggestions:

Reduce Small-Cap Exposure: Consider reducing your investment in one of the small-cap funds. This will lower your portfolio’s risk without significantly impacting growth potential.

Review Sectoral Fund: The Tata Digital Fund is high-risk due to its sectoral focus. Assess your comfort level with this risk and consider switching to a more diversified equity fund.

Diversify Further: Explore adding mid-cap or multi-cap funds to your portfolio. This can provide a balanced growth opportunity without overly concentrating on a single market segment.

Consider Debt Exposure: While the HDFC Balanced Fund offers some debt exposure, you might also explore pure debt funds. These can provide stability, especially during market downturns.

Regular Portfolio Review: Regularly reviewing your portfolio with a Certified Financial Planner ensures your investments stay aligned with your goals. They can help you adjust your strategy based on market conditions and personal circumstances.

Tax Efficiency in Your Portfolio
Tax planning is an integral part of investment management. Understanding the tax implications of your investments can help maximize your returns.

Capital Gains Tax: Equity funds held for over one year qualify for long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax at 10% on gains exceeding Rs. 1 lakh. Ensure you factor this into your withdrawal strategy to minimize tax liability.

Tax-Saving Opportunities: You might also explore tax-saving instruments like Equity-Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) if you are looking to optimize your tax outgo. These funds offer tax deductions under Section 80C while also providing growth potential.

Insurance and Protection
While your focus is on investments, don’t overlook the importance of insurance in your financial plan.

Life Insurance: If you haven’t already, consider a term life insurance policy. It’s crucial to ensure your family’s financial security in case of any unforeseen events.

Health Insurance: A comprehensive health insurance policy for your family is vital. With rising healthcare costs, this will protect your savings from being eroded by medical expenses.

Final Insights
Your commitment to a systematic investment plan over the last four years is commendable. However, a balanced and well-diversified portfolio is crucial for long-term success. Consider adjusting your portfolio to reduce risk and enhance diversification. Regular reviews with a Certified Financial Planner will ensure your investments remain aligned with your financial goals.

Continue to stay disciplined in your approach, and remember to reassess your strategy as you move forward.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

..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
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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