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Ramalingam Kalirajan |10874 Answers |Ask -Follow

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Sep 24, 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

Question by Pawan on Sep 23, 2025

Hi sir...like to plan for corpus of my retirement... Am at 55 now,, like to retire by age 60. I have a corpus of 5.5 Cr in FD and 4.3 Cr in EPF/PPF. I have an equity exposure of around 4.0 Cr and MF/ETF around 50L and doing SIP in MF of around 2.4 L per month. I have an NPS of around 60L. My take home is around 9L and expenses around 1.5-2L. Balance gets into equity for short term and long term. I have 3 houses(Worth around 5 Cr) ..2 occupied and one on rental. I also have bought another flat which is around 3.5 Cr and expected to b ready in next 4 years (Have already paid 30% and intend to pay remaining without taking any loan in next 3.5 years) Have jewelry around 50L. I do not have any loan against myself/wife. My wife is a housewife. I am debt free as of now. Have medical insurance coverage of 1 Cr for family and term insurance of 1.5 Cr including accidental) I have one son in first year of engineering and need to plan for his higher education for next 5 years doing MS(Outside India). Pls suggest where to park extra money for growth at rate of 13-15%. I can easily do additional SIP of around 2-3 L in MF/stocks. Also please suggest whether SWP will be good option as against FD which is not able to beat inflation.

Ans: You have shared your situation in detail. I truly appreciate the clarity and transparency. You have built a very strong foundation. At 55, being debt free and with multiple assets is excellent. You are thinking about retirement and your son’s higher education with foresight. Let us now assess your situation and plan forward in detail.

» Present Assets and Wealth
– You hold Rs 5.5 crore in fixed deposits.
– You have Rs 4.3 crore in EPF and PPF combined.
– Equity exposure is Rs 4 crore.
– Mutual funds and ETFs are Rs 50 lakh.
– Monthly SIP is Rs 2.4 lakh.
– NPS balance is Rs 60 lakh.
– Real estate value is around Rs 8.5 crore.
– Jewellery is around Rs 50 lakh.
– You have strong diversification across asset classes.
– Your net worth is far above average and impressive.

» Income and Expenses
– Take home income is Rs 9 lakh monthly.
– Expenses are around Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh monthly.
– This leaves high investible surplus each month.
– Current surplus is flowing into equity and SIPs.
– Rental income adds to cash flow stability.
– This level of surplus is rare and powerful.

» Loans and Liabilities
– You have no loans or liabilities.
– You plan to fund your under-construction flat fully from savings.
– This will be done without taking any loan.
– This approach reduces risk.
– It ensures retirement is debt free.

» Insurance and Protection
– You have Rs 1 crore medical cover for family.
– This is excellent for current age.
– Term insurance of Rs 1.5 crore is also adequate.
– At 55, you do not need to increase further.
– Insurance side is fully secured.

» Retirement Horizon
– You plan to retire at 60.
– This gives 5 years for wealth accumulation.
– Current assets are already enough for a comfortable retirement.
– But, inflation and rising lifestyle cost must be managed.
– Retirement planning should balance growth and safety.

» Child Education Goal
– Your son is in first year engineering.
– MS abroad will need funds in 5 years.
– This will be a major outflow.
– Likely cost will be Rs 70–80 lakh or more.
– You must set aside a dedicated fund.
– Do not mix retirement corpus with this goal.
– Use part of FD maturity or systematic transfer to equity hybrid funds for 5 years.
– Keep this investment safe with moderate growth focus.

» Fixed Deposits and Inflation
– Rs 5.5 crore in FD is safe but return is low.
– FD interest is taxable at slab rate.
– Net return after tax may be less than inflation.
– This erodes wealth in long term.
– FD should be reduced to minimal level.
– Only emergency corpus should stay in FD.

» Mutual Fund and Equity Strategy
– You are already investing Rs 2.4 lakh per month in SIP.
– You can increase to Rs 4–5 lakh as per capacity.
– SIP should be spread across flexi-cap, mid-cap, small-cap, and focused funds.
– Actively managed funds are better than index funds.
– Index funds only follow the market passively.
– In India, fund managers often beat index.
– Actively managed funds give higher alpha and adjust during downturns.
– This will suit your 13–15% return expectation.

» Why Not ETFs or Index Funds
– ETFs and index funds look low cost but give no active control.
– They mirror the index fully.
– If index falls, your portfolio falls equally.
– There is no rebalancing or sector shift.
– Actively managed funds reduce downside risk with allocation changes.
– They capture sector opportunities better.
– For your goal, active mutual funds remain better.

» Direct Funds or Regular Funds
– Direct funds look cheaper on expense ratio.
– But they lack professional review and discipline.
– Most investors stop or switch wrongly in direct funds.
– With a Certified Financial Planner, regular funds keep you disciplined.
– You also get asset allocation and rebalancing advice.
– This adds more long-term value than cost savings in direct.

» SWP vs FD in Retirement
– SWP from mutual funds is far better than FD.
– SWP gives monthly cash flow like pension.
– Returns are tax efficient.
– Only gains are taxed, not principal.
– Current tax rules:

Equity mutual funds LTCG above Rs 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.

STCG taxed at 20%.

Debt mutual funds gains taxed as per slab.
– FD interest is fully taxable every year.
– SWP therefore beats FD in both returns and taxation.
– For retirement, SWP is a good choice.

» Asset Allocation Strategy for Retirement
– At 55, you should keep balance between growth and safety.
– Suggested mix:

Around 45–50% in equity mutual funds.

Around 25–30% in debt mutual funds.

Around 10% in gold.

Around 10% in liquid and emergency funds.
– This allocation will give growth plus stability.
– Rebalance once a year with guidance.

» Handling Under-Construction Flat Payment
– You have already paid 30% for the flat.
– Remaining 70% in next 3.5 years.
– Do not disturb retirement corpus for this.
– Use FD maturity and equity profit booking for payments.
– This way you stay debt free and liquid.

» Education Funding Action Plan
– Start earmarking Rs 10–15 lakh now into hybrid mutual funds.
– Add yearly lumpsum from bonus or surplus.
– Target Rs 70–80 lakh in 5 years.
– This will cover MS abroad smoothly.
– Keep this goal independent of retirement assets.

» Parking Extra Surplus
– Current surplus allows you to invest Rs 2–3 lakh more per month.
– Add this to SIP in actively managed mutual funds.
– Spread across equity categories with focus on growth.
– Keep some part in short-term debt funds for near expenses.
– This way you balance liquidity and growth.

» Lifestyle and Expenses Post Retirement
– Current expenses are Rs 1.5–2 lakh monthly.
– After retirement, inflation will push it higher.
– At 6% inflation, this doubles in 12 years.
– So, you may need Rs 3–3.5 lakh monthly after 12 years.
– Your corpus must generate this safely.
– With SWP, you can manage rising expenses better.

» Final Insights
You are already in a very strong position. You have diversified assets, no debt, and high surplus. With disciplined SIPs, clear education funding, and retirement SWP strategy, you can secure a comfortable retirement at 60. Reduce FD exposure, channel more into actively managed funds, and use annual rebalancing. Keep child education goal separate and debt free flat purchase from surplus. Your Rs 13–15% return target is possible with right mix of equity and mutual funds. SWP will serve you far better than FD in retirement years. With your financial discipline, your family future is fully safe.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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

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