Should I pay off my PPF investment or continue for long term?

Ans: You are 42 and targeting retirement at 50. Your current income is Rs. 2.15 lakh monthly. You are disciplined, debt-free, and have strong diversified investments. You aim for a retirement income of Rs. 2–3 lakh per month. Let us work towards this from a 360-degree planning lens.

Understand What Rs. 2–3 Lakh Monthly Means After 50
You have 8 years to build your retirement corpus

With inflation, Rs. 2–3 lakh will feel like Rs. 3–4 lakh in today’s terms by 50

To generate this, your target corpus should be around Rs. 5–6 crore

This assumes 6–8% post-tax return from mutual funds and other instruments

The focus now should be on growing wealth faster with better strategy

Reassess and Reposition Investments for Higher Growth
You already have a solid investment mix. But some parts are slow-growing.

Equity Stocks – Rs. 1 lakh

Too low exposure

Stock selection is risky unless professionally managed

Don’t increase this part unless guided by a CFP

Mutual Funds – Rs. 43 lakh total (lump sum + SIPs)

This is your core wealth driver

Maintain a balanced mix of flexi-cap, mid-cap, and hybrid funds

Ensure you invest only in regular plans via CFP-guided MFD

Direct plans lack support, monitoring, and rebalancing

Step up SIP by 10% annually to reach faster compounding

Use STP to shift FD/NSC maturity into equity MFs gradually

FD – Rs. 16 lakh

FD returns are low and fully taxable

Keep only 6–9 months of expenses here for emergencies

Rest can be shifted to hybrid or debt MF

Use SWP later for tax-efficient retirement income

NSC – Rs. 12 lakh

Locked-in and taxed on interest

Don’t renew NSC after maturity

Shift to long-term equity or hybrid mutual funds post maturity

PPF – Rs. 7.5 lakh + Rs. 1.5 lakh yearly

Good tax-free long-term tool

Continue till retirement, then use for safety allocation

Don’t over-allocate; equity should remain dominant

NPS – Rs. 4 lakh + Rs. 1 lakh yearly

NPS gives exposure to equity and debt

Low cost and tax-efficient

Continue yearly contribution till 60

Avoid annuity at withdrawal; opt for max lump sum

SSY – Rs. 7.5 lakh + Rs. 1.5 lakh yearly

Excellent for daughter’s education/marriage

Safe and tax-free

Continue till maturity (21 years from opening)

PPF for Wife – Rs. 4 lakh

Continue with Rs. 1 lakh per year

Helps as secondary retirement corpus

PPF for Daughter – Rs. 50,000 yearly from 2023

Small but steady corpus for her education/marriage

Maintain till she turns 21

Review LIC and Child Plans
You hold the following insurance-cum-investment policies:

LIC endowment policy – Rs. 10 lakh

LIC child money back – Rs. 10 lakh

SBI Smart Champ – Rs. 5 lakh

These offer poor returns (~4–5%) and lack flexibility.

What to do now:

Surrender these policies if lock-in is over

Reinvest in mutual funds for your daughter’s future

One-time loss now is better than long-term drag

Keep only term insurance for protection

Rental Income Planning
You earn Rs. 25,000 rent from one flat.

Include this as secondary income post-retirement

Avoid considering it as primary income due to risk of vacancy

Don’t buy more real estate for rental purpose

Instead, reinvest sale value (if any) into mutual funds

Estate Planning for Daughter and Spouse
Ensure your investments are legally protected:

Update nomination in all investments

Create a registered Will

List out bank accounts, MF folios, insurance in one place

Inform spouse where to find these in your absence

Emergency Fund Enhancement
You have Rs. 2 lakh in savings as emergency fund.

This is low for a family of three

Target Rs. 5–6 lakh (6–9 months of expenses)

Use liquid or ultra-short debt funds for this corpus

Avoid using equity for short-term emergencies

Step-Up Strategy for SIP
You’re investing Rs. 50,000 in SIPs monthly.

Increase it by 10% yearly

From next year, make it Rs. 55,000

Then Rs. 60,500 and so on

This will help in reaching Rs. 5–6 crore corpus faster

Equity MFs, when managed well, beat inflation and FD easily

Avoid Index Funds, Direct Funds, and Annuity Products
Many make these common errors. Let us clarify:

Index Funds:

No active management during market fall

Cannot rotate sectors or protect downside

Underperform in sideways or volatile markets

Actively managed funds with expert MFD + CFP support offer better long-term results

Direct Funds:

No support, no rebalancing

You track portfolio alone

Without advisor, emotion-driven mistakes happen

Stick with regular funds via MFD for goal-linked planning

Annuities:

Poor post-tax return (around 4–5%)

Lock your money permanently

Avoid during retirement

Use SWP from mutual funds for flexible, tax-efficient cash flow

Retirement Corpus Distribution – Bucket System
At retirement, divide assets into three buckets:

1. Safety Bucket (0–3 years):

Keep Rs. 15–20 lakh for monthly withdrawals

Use liquid fund, debt MF, FD, PPF balance

2. Medium Term Bucket (3–7 years):

Rs. 30–40 lakh in conservative hybrid or balanced advantage funds

SWP can be used from here post retirement

3. Long-Term Growth Bucket (7+ years):

Rs. 2–3 crore in large-cap, flexi-cap, mid-cap funds

To ensure long-term income with inflation beating growth

Will also help leave legacy for your daughter

Post Retirement Cash Flow Strategy
From age 50, plan for cash flows like this:

Rs. 25,000 from rent

Rs. 75,000 from SWP in mutual funds

Rs. 25,000 from FD or PPF for safety

Balance from long-term hybrid and equity fund gains

This will give Rs. 1.25–1.5 lakh per month from age 50
With step-up SIP and equity growth, income can cross Rs. 2–2.5 lakh monthly
Target should be not to withdraw capital for first 5 years

Annual Portfolio Review
Each year, meet your MFD + CFP to review:

Fund performance and asset allocation

SIP step-up and withdrawal plan

Market trend impact on retirement corpus

Shift funds based on changing risk and return needs

Track daughter’s education goals and update plans

Life Insurance & Health Coverage Adequacy
You have:

Term cover – Rs. 50 lakh (not enough)

Health insurance – Rs. 10 lakh for family

Suggested action:

Increase term cover to Rs. 1–1.5 crore until age 60

Buy critical illness or super top-up of Rs. 10–20 lakh

This ensures wealth is protected from medical emergencies

Finally
You have laid a strong foundation. Your progress is inspiring.
To hit Rs. 2–3 lakh monthly income from age 50, do the following:

Step-up SIPs every year

Exit low-yield policies and reinvest

Reduce FD, NSC allocation and use mutual funds more

Build emergency fund

Review portfolio every year with MFD + CFP

Increase insurance cover

Create Will and update nominations

You can retire rich, peacefully, and confidently at 50.

Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP
Chief Financial Planner
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment