
Hi Experts, I am a 40 years old man employed in IT industry, with a monthly gross salary of 2.5L. I have a family of mom (60Y), spouse (33Y), daughter (12Y) and son (7Y). My mom is drawing a family pension of 30K/month. I currently live in own house in a fast developing area. My Insurance details. I have 2 Term Policies summing up to Coverage of 2.6Cr Employer provided Group term insurance - 55L Health insurance - Employer provided (Floater) - 5L (Covered All Family members) Health insurance - Self Paid (Floater) - 5L (Covered only me, Spouse, Daughter, Son) My current investments. PF - 23L Gratuity - 7.5L Gold - 22L Suganya Samriddhi Yojana - 16L (started investing in my daughter's name from 3rd year onwards) PPF - 7.75L LIC Policies (Bonus Vested) - 3.6L Land - 28L ULIP - 2.4L (yearly payment of 98K, 3 years paid so far) FD - 6L (for Emergency Fund) Liabilities - Nil My annual expenses including basic needs, school fees etc., - 5.5L I have a medical issue that could break / change my career at any point of time. Hence I want to secure my family and my goals first rather than building wealth. That's why I mostly leaned towards fixed instruments. Here comes my questions. - My primary goals are my kids education and higher studies. Should I make any change in my portfolio for that? - Should I buy a separate Health insurance for my mom / consider a floater with us? - Should I increase the current coverage for Term and Health Insurance? - My house is located in a prime area where rental income is readily available (12K for a 2 BHK). Is it advisable to build rental houses above my home? - If all goes well and If I assume I am able to survive in the work for another 10 years, when can I retire? Or how can I arrive at that number? - Any advice on tax savings as well. - I am planning to start investing in MF (index funds). Advise on that too. Thanks for your help in advance.
Ans: You are already doing a great job.
No loans. Strong income. Well-covered insurance. Good control on expenses. Solid base already built.
Let’s now assess your questions and guide you from a 360-degree perspective.
? Kids’ Education and Portfolio Adjustment
– Your goal is clear: children’s education and higher studies.
– You have fixed return instruments, which gives safety. But it also restricts long-term growth.
– For school education, fixed income is okay. But for higher studies, costs are rising fast.
– You need some growth assets to fight inflation.
– Continue Sukanya for daughter. It is safe and tax-free. Keep contributing till age 15.
– For son, consider opening a PPF account. Or else start a dedicated mutual fund.
– Since you already have LIC and ULIP, they are not efficient.
– Suggest surrendering LIC and ULIP. They give low returns and mix insurance with investment.
– Reinvest the amount in actively managed equity mutual funds.
– Use regular plans and invest through a certified financial planner.
– Regular plans give you ongoing guidance and support. Direct plans have no such help.
– Don’t invest in index funds. They lack downside protection and have no professional fund manager support.
– Actively managed funds offer better returns over the long term.
– They adapt to market conditions and provide better performance.
– Create two goal-based portfolios – one each for daughter and son.
– Allocate 60% to equity mutual funds and 40% to PPF or FD for stability.
– Rebalance every year based on market and goal progress.
? Health Insurance – Need for Mother
– Your current health cover of Rs 5L employer floater is good.
– But company insurance can stop anytime if you leave job or retire.
– You have personal family floater for Rs 5L – that’s a good step.
– But your mother is not covered under it.
– Consider buying a separate health cover for her.
– Individual senior citizen policy works better for her age.
– Include top-up cover of Rs 10L with Rs 5L base policy.
– Avoid adding mother into your floater. Premiums will rise sharply.
– Senior citizen plans may have waiting periods. So, start early while she is healthy.
– Include critical illness rider if available.
– This step will reduce risk of large out-of-pocket costs in future.
? Term Insurance and Health Cover – Need to Increase?
– You have Rs 2.6 Cr term cover and Rs 55L employer group term.
– For your income and family dependency, cover is quite good now.
– You may consider increasing cover to Rs 3 Cr for future-proofing.
– Check if the term policies cover disability or loss of income.
– Include accidental death and disability riders if not already covered.
– Regarding health insurance, Rs 5L family floater is base level.
– Add top-up policy of Rs 15L with Rs 5L deductible for enhanced protection.
– This is cheaper than increasing base cover and gives high protection.
– Especially important since you’ve mentioned possible health risks affecting work.
? Rental Income – Is It Advisable to Build Houses Above?
– Your area has good rental potential. Rs 12K per unit is decent.
– Since you have no loans and own the land, this can be explored.
– But construction involves cost, effort, risk, and time.
– Evaluate the cost of construction and expected rental returns.
– Also, check local regulations and approvals required.
– Ensure that post-tax rental yield justifies investment.
– Rental income is taxable. Also consider vacancy and maintenance.
– If you can manage it and have surplus funds, it can support your retirement.
– But don’t depend only on real estate for income.
– Real estate is not liquid and lacks flexibility.
– Focus on financial assets as your core strategy.
? Retirement Planning – Can You Retire in 10 Years?
– You are 40 now. Planning to work till 50 is a smart step.
– Retirement depends on your future expenses and existing corpus.
– Annual spending is Rs 5.5L now. That may rise to Rs 12L in 10-15 years.
– You have PF, PPF, FD, land, gold, etc., as base retirement assets.
– To retire in 10 years, you need enough income to meet rising expenses for next 30 years.
– Start building a separate retirement corpus now.
– Use SIP in actively managed mutual funds for long-term growth.
– Keep increasing SIP as salary grows.
– Don’t touch kids’ education fund for retirement.
– Use goal-based mutual fund investing strategy.
– Combine PPF, mutual funds and small FD laddering for steady withdrawals post-retirement.
– Regularly assess your progress every year with a certified financial planner.
– Do not plan retirement based on hope or rough numbers.
– Use customised strategy and risk-based allocation.
– Don’t count on land or gold as liquid retirement support.
? Tax Saving Strategy – Ways to Save More
– You can claim deductions under Section 80C.
– PF, PPF, Sukanya, life insurance, ULIP premiums are all part of 80C.
– Maximum limit is Rs 1.5L. You are already utilising it well.
– But LIC and ULIP are inefficient. Replace them with ELSS mutual funds.
– ELSS gives better returns and has lowest lock-in among 80C options.
– Invest in ELSS through regular plans via certified financial planner.
– You can claim health insurance under 80D.
– Rs 25,000 for self and family. Rs 50,000 for senior citizen parents.
– So, your health cover for mother will also give 80D benefit.
– Home loan interest under 24(b) is not applicable now since you have no loans.
– Use HRA if eligible. Use NPS for extra deduction of Rs 50,000 under 80CCD(1B) if retirement fund needs a boost.
– Avoid investing in products only for tax saving.
– Always align tax-saving with your goals.
? Mutual Fund Plan – Planning to Start
– You are right to consider mutual funds now.
– But avoid index funds. They simply copy the market. No active management.
– Index funds fall as much as market. No downside cushion.
– They also underperform during flat or volatile periods.
– Actively managed funds try to reduce loss in tough times and beat index in good times.
– Choose funds with long-term consistency and managed by experienced teams.
– Avoid direct plans. They offer no guidance or reviews.
– Invest through regular plans via certified financial planner.
– You get portfolio reviews, fund rebalancing, goal alignment and emotional support.
– For education, retirement, contingency and growth – use different mutual fund buckets.
– Keep SIPs disciplined. Don’t pause for short-term market fear.
– Follow a mix of large-cap, flexi-cap and hybrid funds.
– Increase SIPs every year as income grows.
– Use STP (Systematic Transfer Plan) to manage lump sum investments from FD or LIC proceeds.
? Finally
– You have built a strong foundation.
– No loans. Good insurance. Decent savings. Reasonable lifestyle.
– Next step is optimising the portfolio for future goals.
– Shift from low-yield products to goal-based mutual funds.
– Surrender LIC and ULIP. They don’t align with modern financial planning.
– Secure your mother with independent health cover.
– Strengthen your own health insurance with top-up plans.
– Rental income is an optional add-on, not a primary pillar.
– Start investing monthly in mutual funds through regular plan route.
– Consult a certified financial planner every year to stay on track.
– You are just 10 years away from freedom. Plan well. Monitor well. You can reach there.
Best Regards,
K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
Chief Financial Planner,
www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment