Should a 46-year-old invest 3-5 lakhs annually to reach a 3-5 crore corpus in 9 years?

Ans: You’ve put together a well-diversified portfolio with a mix of equity and hybrid funds, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), Provident Fund (PF), and insurance-linked investments. Each of these investments serves a different purpose, and it’s clear that you have a strong focus on building wealth while securing your daughters' future.

Given that you plan to invest a significant portion of your bonus in the coming years, it’s important to assess whether your current strategy will meet your target corpus of Rs 3-5 crores when your daughters turn 18. Let’s evaluate your portfolio in detail.

Assessment of Equity Mutual Funds
Mirae Asset Large & Midcap Fund, Canara Robeco Small Cap Fund, Quant Small Cap Fund: These funds are growth-oriented with potential for substantial returns over the long term. Your monthly SIPs in these funds are well-placed, and their current values indicate a positive trend. However, as small-cap funds tend to be more volatile, it’s important to monitor them regularly and rebalance if necessary.

ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund, HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund, SBI Balanced Advantage Fund: These funds offer a balanced approach by investing in a mix of equity and debt. They are designed to manage volatility, making them a stable choice for medium-term goals. Your consistent investments in these funds are helping you build a solid foundation for your corpus.

Given that you are contributing significant amounts to Balanced Advantage Funds, this shows a prudent approach to managing risk while aiming for growth. However, it’s crucial to ensure that these funds align with your risk tolerance as you near retirement.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) for Your Daughter
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY): Your annual contribution to SSY for your 9-year-old daughter is a wise choice. This scheme offers guaranteed returns and tax benefits, making it an excellent option for long-term, low-risk investment. With the current value of Rs 5,65,805, you are on track, but it's essential to continue this contribution until maturity to maximize the benefit for your daughter's higher education or marriage expenses.
Provident Fund (PF)
Provident Fund (PF): Your PF balance of Rs 10 lakh is a significant component of your retirement savings. The regular contributions and employer match provide a stable, low-risk return, which is crucial for wealth preservation. This fund will serve as a backbone for your retirement corpus.
Insurance-Linked Investments
Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Pro: Insurance-cum-investment products like these generally have lower returns compared to pure investment products like mutual funds. While they provide life cover, the investment returns may not be sufficient to meet your high-growth goals. You might want to evaluate the performance after the lock-in period and consider redirecting future premiums into mutual funds if the returns are unsatisfactory.

SBI Child Plan Smart Scholar: Having completed your investment in this child plan, it's time to assess its performance. If the returns are on the lower side, consider using the maturity proceeds to invest in a high-growth equity fund or balanced fund to further boost your corpus.

Planned Bulk Investments
Future Bulk Investments: Your plan to invest Rs 3-5 lakhs annually as a lump sum from your bonuses is a great strategy. However, it's essential to deploy this lump sum in a staggered manner, like a Systematic Transfer Plan (STP), to mitigate market volatility. You might consider adding these funds to existing high-performing equity funds or explore new opportunities in growth-oriented funds.
Future Growth Potential and Target Realization
Assessing the Achievability of Rs 3-5 Crore Corpus
Your goal of building a corpus of Rs 3-5 crores by the time your daughters turn 18 is ambitious but achievable. However, it will require careful planning and disciplined execution. Here are some key points to consider:

Time Horizon: With a 9-year and a 5-year time horizon, your portfolio should focus on growth-oriented investments in the earlier years, gradually shifting towards more stable, low-risk assets as you near the target date. This will help protect your accumulated wealth from market volatility.

Asset Allocation: Currently, you have a mix of equity and balanced funds. As your daughters approach 18, you might want to shift a portion of your equity investments into safer options like debt funds or fixed deposits to preserve the capital.

Inflation and Taxation: Consider the impact of inflation on your target corpus. What may seem like a large sum today may not have the same purchasing power in the future. Also, be mindful of the tax implications on your investments, particularly on the returns from mutual funds and insurance plans.

Suggestions for Portfolio Adjustments
Enhance Equity Exposure: While you have a good mix of funds, increasing your allocation to high-growth equity funds can help you reach the Rs 5 crore target. Consider redirecting the future premiums of your insurance plans or part of your Balanced Advantage Fund investments into aggressive equity funds.

Surrender Underperforming Insurance Plans: If your Tata AIA Life Insurance and SBI Child Plan do not meet expectations, consider surrendering them after evaluating the surrender value and investing the proceeds in higher-return options.

Regular Reviews and Rebalancing: The market environment and your personal circumstances may change over time. Regular reviews of your portfolio and timely rebalancing will help ensure that your investments remain aligned with your goals.

Avoid Over-Diversification: While diversification is important, too much of it can dilute returns. Focus on a few high-performing funds and avoid spreading your investments too thin.

Risk Management: As you approach the end of your working years, it’s crucial to reduce exposure to high-risk assets. Gradually move a portion of your investments into safer instruments like debt funds, bonds, or even a fixed deposit.

Final Insights
Your dedication to building a secure financial future for your daughters is commendable. With consistent and strategic investments, your target of Rs 3-5 crores is within reach. The key will be maintaining a disciplined approach, regularly reviewing your portfolio, and making necessary adjustments based on market conditions and life changes.

Remember to keep an eye on both growth and safety as you transition into retirement. By doing so, you can confidently achieve your financial goals and provide your daughters with a strong financial foundation.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

Ans: Yes your target is achievable in the given time frame.(13% return assumed) I am sure you have planned for some regular income after you stop working (~6 years from now) to meet the regular expenses. Plz. Make sure you have good family floater health insurance coverage apart from the employer's group health policy if any. Insurers typically insist 3-4 years of continuous coverage after which pre existing illnesses are covered. Consider investing in SSY in the name of second daughter, if possible. As you approach your target move corpus away from equity MFs into liquid or ultra short term debt funds.

*Investments in mutual funds are subjected to market risks. Please read all scheme related documents carefully before investing

You may follow us on X at @mars_invest for updates

Happy Investing!!

Ans: Your goal of building a corpus of Rs 3 to 5 crores for your daughters by the time they reach 18 years of age is realistic, but it needs a detailed evaluation. Let's assess your existing portfolio and provide suggestions to help you reach your target.

You are currently 46, and your elder daughter is 9, giving you around 9 years to achieve your financial goal. Your current investments are diversified, but we’ll focus on optimising them for long-term growth and stability.

Current Investment Portfolio Breakdown
You have a balanced mix of equity mutual funds, debt-oriented instruments, and insurance. Each type of investment serves a purpose, but we’ll examine them to see if they align well with your goals.

Balanced Advantage Funds:

You are investing Rs 50,000 monthly into three balanced advantage funds. These funds are designed to switch between equity and debt, providing a mix of safety and growth. While these funds have performed decently in volatile markets, they may not offer the aggressive growth potential needed to meet your target of Rs 3 to 5 crores in a relatively short timeframe.

Consider reducing the allocation to balanced advantage funds. These funds offer stability but may not provide the aggressive growth you need at this stage of your financial journey.

Instead, consider moving a part of this allocation into funds with higher equity exposure, such as large-cap, multi-cap, or small-cap funds. These have the potential to generate higher returns over a 9-year horizon.

Small Cap and Mid Cap Funds:

You have a strong allocation to small-cap funds, which is a good strategy for long-term growth.

However, small-cap funds are known for their volatility. You should maintain a long-term perspective and not get disheartened by short-term fluctuations.

With a combined monthly SIP of Rs 15,000 in small-cap funds, you can expect higher growth if the market performs well over the next decade. Stick to this strategy but periodically review the performance.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY):

You are consistently investing Rs 50,000 annually in SSY for your 9-year-old daughter. This is a fantastic step for her future education and marriage needs, as SSY offers a high fixed interest rate with tax benefits.

Continue this investment, as it provides a solid foundation for your daughter’s future. The guaranteed returns, along with the tax-free nature, make it an excellent low-risk investment.

However, SSY alone won’t suffice for your Rs 3-5 crore target. Hence, relying on equity mutual funds will be essential for wealth creation.

Provident Fund (PF):

You have Rs 10 lakh invested in PF, which will grow at a stable, assured rate.

PF is a low-risk investment, but its growth potential is limited compared to equities. Since you are already contributing a significant amount here, you don’t need to increase this allocation.

The PF will add to your retirement security but won't contribute significantly to your Rs 3-5 crore target due to the conservative interest rate.

Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Pro and SBI Child Plan:

Insurance policies like Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Pro and SBI Child Plan serve a dual purpose—insurance and investment. However, these plans typically offer lower returns compared to mutual funds.

Since you have already paid a substantial amount into the SBI Child Plan and Tata AIA, it may be worthwhile to keep these policies until maturity. However, any additional bonus or lump-sum investments should be diverted into equity mutual funds rather than insurance-linked plans.

These investment-cum-insurance policies tend to have high fees and lower returns. If you’re considering any future insurance-linked investments, you should reconsider them in favour of pure term insurance and higher-yielding mutual funds.

Adjustments for Future Growth
Now that we’ve evaluated your existing investments, let’s discuss the adjustments that can help you reach your goal.

Increase Equity Exposure:

Equity mutual funds, particularly large-cap, multi-cap, and small-cap funds, have the potential to generate higher returns than balanced advantage funds or insurance policies.

You should increase your SIP contributions to pure equity funds. While balanced funds offer stability, pure equity funds provide better growth potential, which is necessary to reach Rs 3 to 5 crores in 9 years.

Allocate more to large-cap or multi-cap funds. These funds invest in stable, well-established companies, providing growth potential with comparatively lower risk than small-cap funds.

Diversify Your Bulk Investments:

You plan to invest Rs 3-5 lakh from your working bonus each year. This is an excellent strategy to accelerate your wealth-building process.

Consider investing your bonus in high-growth funds like mid-cap or flexi-cap funds. These funds allow the fund manager to invest across different market caps, offering the potential for better returns.

You may also consider investing a portion of the bonus in international mutual funds, which can provide diversification and protect against domestic market volatility.

Balanced Asset Allocation:

While increasing equity exposure is essential, you should also maintain a balance in your asset allocation. Diversification between equity, debt, and other instruments will help manage risk.

You have a good mix of safe investments like SSY and PF. These will provide the necessary safety net for your portfolio.

Make sure to periodically review your asset allocation based on your risk tolerance, financial goals, and market conditions.

Reconsider Insurance-Linked Investments:

Insurance-linked investments like Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Pro are not ideal for wealth creation. They offer lower returns due to high fees and a limited range of investment options.

Consider completing the premium payments on existing policies but avoid adding more money to such plans. For future lump sum or bonus investments, it’s better to focus on mutual funds or other growth-oriented products.
Maintain Term Insurance:

If your life insurance policies do not include adequate term insurance coverage, you should consider purchasing a pure term plan. Term insurance offers higher coverage at a lower premium compared to investment-linked insurance plans.

A pure term plan will provide financial security for your family, without eating into your investment returns.
Tax Efficiency:

Ensure that your portfolio is tax-efficient. Investments like SSY, PF, and certain debt funds offer tax benefits, but the taxation on mutual funds, especially long-term capital gains (LTCG), can eat into your returns.

Choose funds that are efficient in terms of post-tax returns. This will help you maximize your wealth accumulation.
Review Your Portfolio Regularly:

It’s important to periodically review your portfolio and adjust the investment strategy based on changing market conditions and financial goals.

Conduct an annual review of your portfolio to ensure that your funds are performing as expected. Switch funds if they are underperforming consistently.
Final Insights
You are on the right track with your investments, and the target of Rs 3 to 5 crores is achievable within the given timeframe. However, some fine-tuning in your asset allocation and fund choices is needed to meet this goal.

By increasing your exposure to high-growth equity mutual funds, ensuring diversification, and maintaining a disciplined investment approach, you can significantly enhance your portfolio’s growth potential. Regular reviews will help keep your portfolio aligned with your objectives.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

Ans: Yes your target is achievable in the given time frame.(13% conservative return assumed). I am sure you have planned for some regular income after you stop working(~6 years from now) to meet the regular expenses. Please make sure you have good family floater health insurance apart from employer's group health policy if any. Insurers typically insist 3-4 years of continuous coverage after which pre existing illnesses are covered. Consider investing in SSY in the name of second daughter if possible. As you approach your target move corpus away from equity MFs into liquid or ultra short duration debt funds.

*Investments in mutual funds are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme related documents carefully before investing

You may follow us on X at @mars_invest for updates.

Happy Investing