Presently, I have 2 SIPs running, one with DSP Regular Fund Direct Growth (Rs. 1000/ month) and another one with Nippon India Small Cap Fund Direct Growth (Rs. 1500/ month). Now, I would like to start another SIP along with the abovesaid SIPs, can you kindly guide me about the mutual fund (company name), which will be beneficial for me in a long run.

Ans: You have shown a very good discipline by continuing SIPs. Many investors start and stop. You are already running two SIPs. That itself shows your patience and trust in long term investing. SIP is like planting trees. You water them monthly. Later you enjoy the shade and fruits. Your Rs.1000 in DSP regular and Rs.1500 in Nippon India small cap are already helping you build wealth slowly.

Now, let us assess the third SIP option from different angles.

» Importance of balance in portfolio
You already have exposure to small cap through Nippon India. You also have some exposure to diversified category through DSP. This is good but still tilted towards high risk. Small cap is volatile. It can give high return but also deep fall in short term. To balance, you need one fund that brings stability. This stability protects during market falls. Stability plus growth creates sustainable wealth.

» Regular fund versus direct fund
You are now using direct plan funds. On paper, direct plan looks cheaper. Many investors think lesser expense ratio means higher return. But in real life, it is not always true. Direct funds expect you to track, review, and rebalance alone. This takes skill and time. Many investors fail to review at right time. They either stay too long or exit too soon. Mistakes in allocation cost more than saved expenses.

In regular plans, you invest through a Mutual Fund Distributor who holds Certified Financial Planner credential. They monitor portfolio. They alert you when changes are required. They bring discipline in asset allocation. Their continuous advice helps you avoid emotional decisions. This advice often adds more value than small difference in expense ratio. Over 10–15 years, disciplined allocation with CFP-backed guidance beats direct investing.

» Choosing category for third SIP
Since you already have mid and small cap exposure, the next SIP can go into:

– A large cap oriented fund. This gives stability, smoother growth, and steady compounding.
– Or a flexi cap fund. This allows the fund manager to move across large, mid, small. It creates balance automatically.

This approach makes your portfolio a mix of growth and safety. A Certified Financial Planner will recommend not to load too much on small caps. Stability matters in wealth creation journey.

» Risk assessment and tolerance
You must check how much risk you are comfortable with. You are already comfortable with SIPs. That itself is very good. If you have long horizon, you can tolerate volatility. But still, too much exposure in small cap creates stress. So balancing with large cap or flexi cap reduces sleepless nights.

» Asset allocation importance
Asset allocation is the real driver of returns. It is not fund selection alone. A Certified Financial Planner will suggest mix of equity, debt, and gold. Your current portfolio is 100% equity. This is fine if horizon is above 10 years. Still, a small allocation to debt fund can give cushion. Debt funds also help when you need money in short notice.

» SIP as a habit
Your SIP journey is already consistent. Increasing SIP amount or adding new SIP is like step-up in fitness training. Each step builds more strength. The key is not stopping. SIP works only when continued across market ups and downs.

» Taxation aspects
In equity mutual funds, long term capital gains above Rs.1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5%. Short term gains are taxed at 20%. This new rule means holding long term is more beneficial. Frequent switching will cost higher. Regular plans with advisor’s monitoring reduce unnecessary switches. Thus, taxation also favours long term disciplined SIP.

Debt mutual funds are taxed as per income tax slab. That means they are not tax free. But their role is stability, not tax saving. Hence, a small allocation to debt can still be useful.

» Behavioural benefit of regular plan
Direct plan investors often panic in market fall. They sell early. Or they buy when markets are high. This behaviour kills return. With a regular plan, you get handholding by an expert. A Certified Financial Planner ensures you do not act on fear or greed. This behavioural advantage alone can add big value over decades.

» Insurance and protection
If you have dependents, you must ensure proper term insurance. Do not mix investment with insurance. ULIP and endowment policies give poor returns. Pure term plan is cheaper and safer. Along with SIP, term plan gives complete protection. If you already hold ULIP or LIC investment-cum-insurance policies, better to surrender and reinvest in mutual funds. That improves wealth creation.

» Emergency fund
Before investing more, check if you have 6 months of expenses as emergency fund. This can be in savings account or liquid fund. Emergency fund saves you from breaking SIP during crisis. Without emergency cushion, SIP discipline may suffer.

» Financial goals clarity
Your SIPs must be linked to goals. Retirement, children education, house purchase – each needs different horizon. Equity SIPs suit long term goals above 7 years. Debt SIPs suit short term goals. So, decide the new SIP purpose. Then select fund category accordingly. If for retirement, equity is good. If for medium-term goal, balanced or hybrid funds are better.

» Monitoring and review
Every SIP needs yearly review. Not every quarter, not daily. Once in a year with Certified Financial Planner is enough. They check whether fund is performing compared to peers and benchmark. If fund is lagging continuously, they suggest switch. You don’t need to worry day-to-day.

» Long term wealth compounding
Power of compounding is like magic. Rs.2500 monthly becomes huge in 15–20 years. By adding one more SIP, you are accelerating wealth creation. Compounding works best with time and discipline. That is why staying invested matters more than timing market.

» Behavioural discipline and patience
Patience is rare in investing. Many quit after few years seeing no big growth. But real wealth comes after 10–15 years. You already showed patience. Continue it. The new SIP must be set and forgotten. Just review once in a year.

» Why avoid index funds
Some investors get attracted to index funds. They think passive is better. But in India, markets are still less efficient. Skilled managers beat index over long term. Actively managed funds adapt better in falling markets. Index funds just mirror market fall. That creates larger drawdowns. For Indian investors, actively managed funds by reputed houses are better for wealth creation.

» Role of diversification
You should not keep all SIPs in same style. Diversification across categories reduces risk. Large cap, mid cap, small cap, flexi cap – a mix creates balance. Adding debt and gold at right time adds further balance. This way, one category falls, another supports. That reduces overall shock.

» Long term mindset
The real power of SIP comes only with long term mindset. Small amounts today become large wealth later. By adding another SIP, you are stepping into stronger financial future. Long term mindset avoids distraction of short term noise.

» Psychological advantage of SIP
SIP brings habit of saving regularly. It makes you investor automatically. You don’t need to time market. Even in bad markets, SIP buys cheaper. This rupee cost averaging is silent but powerful. Over years, it reduces risk and enhances return.

» Family financial security
Wealth building is not only for self. It creates security for family. SIPs ensure you can meet big expenses without debt. This avoids financial stress. With proper planning, you can retire peacefully and support children’s education comfortably.

» Building step-up strategy
As your income grows, increase SIP. A step-up SIP ensures wealth grows faster than inflation. Even Rs.500 increase every year creates big difference later. That is more effective than one-time large lump sum.

» Final Insights
You are already on good path with SIPs. Adding a third SIP will further strengthen portfolio. Choose a fund that brings stability. Prefer regular plans through a Certified Financial Planner for guidance and discipline. Link SIPs to goals. Keep patience. Review yearly. Avoid ULIPs and endowment policies. Build emergency fund. Protect family with term insurance. Increase SIP gradually as income rises. With these steps, your wealth creation journey will be strong and worry free.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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