Overseas returnee in India: How to manage my investments and expenses?

Ans: Prudent approach is to have the family covered for medical and life with pure insurance product.

Post that, create a corpus for emergency fund that should be 6 month of monthly expenses.

Only post that investment is recommended.

Depending upon your cash flows, mode of investment can be SIPs or lumpsums; however, SIPs are recommended.

Existing funds are okay; for further investment Axis ESG Equity Fund – Growth or UTI Flexi Cap fund – Growth can be considered

Ans: Hello Kevin Paulson. Your modified portfolio is finely chosen as per the market. Furthermore, I would advice to continue with Edelweiss &ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund sips as your goal in near future.

To achieve a goal of 20-25 lakh in 3 years, I would suggest increasing your sip to Rs 50,000. 

Ans: Your SIP portfolio has a good foundation, but consider minor adjustments for diversification:

Small-Cap Weightage: Four funds include small-cap exposure, which can be volatile. Reduce allocation to small-cap or consider a diversified equity fund.
Large-Cap Inclusion: For stability, add a large-cap fund (represents well-established companies).
This improves balance and potentially reduces risk. Remember, consistency is key in SIPs. Consult a financial advisor for a more detailed review based on your risk tolerance.

Ans: Overview of Your Current Portfolio
You have a well-structured portfolio, with a mix of equity mutual funds and physical gold. Your current investments include:

SBI Small Cap Fund: Rs. 25,000 monthly SIP
SBI Flexicap Fund: Rs. 25,000 monthly SIP
Axis Nifty 100 Index Fund: Rs. 40,000 monthly SIP
Nippon India Small Cap 250 Index Fund: Rs. 25,000 monthly SIP
Physical Gold: Rs. 10 lakhs
You started investing in 2017 and have built a corpus of around Rs. 35 lakhs.

Analysis of Your Portfolio
Equity Mutual Funds
Diversification: Your portfolio has a good mix of large-cap, flexicap, and small-cap funds. This provides diversification across different market capitalizations.

Growth Potential: Small-cap and flexicap funds have high growth potential. However, they are also volatile.

Index Funds: You have a significant portion in the Axis Nifty 100 Index Fund. While index funds offer lower management fees, they may not outperform actively managed funds.

Physical Gold
Hedge Against Inflation: Gold serves as a good hedge against inflation and adds stability to your portfolio.

Liquidity: Physical gold is less liquid compared to other financial assets.

Recommendations for Improvement
Review Fund Allocation
Reduce Overlap: Ensure there is no significant overlap between the funds in terms of stock holdings.

Balance Between Active and Passive Funds: Consider balancing the allocation between actively managed funds and index funds. Actively managed funds have the potential to outperform the market, especially in emerging markets like India.

Increase Diversification
Add Debt Funds: To reduce volatility, consider adding debt funds to your portfolio. Debt funds provide stability and can protect your corpus during market downturns.

International Funds: Consider including international mutual funds. This adds geographical diversification and can hedge against domestic market risks.

Rebalance Regularly
Periodic Rebalancing: Rebalance your portfolio every 6-12 months. This ensures your investments align with your risk tolerance and financial goals.
Additional Investment Strategies
Emergency Fund
Maintain Liquidity: Ensure you have an emergency fund equivalent to 6-12 months of expenses. This should be kept in liquid assets like savings accounts or liquid funds.
Goal-Based Investing
Define Goals: Align your investments with specific financial goals, such as retirement, buying a house, or children's education.

Time Horizon: Match your investment choices with the time horizon for each goal. Short-term goals should have more conservative investments.

Final Insights
Review and Adjust: Regularly review your portfolio and make adjustments as needed. Stay informed about market trends and changes in your financial situation.

Seek Professional Advice: Consider consulting a Certified Financial Planner to tailor the investment strategy to your specific needs.

Focus on Long-Term Growth: Keep a long-term perspective and avoid making impulsive decisions based on short-term market movements.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in