I am 52, mother of a daughter and son. Daughter is married and has two kids. My son is only 23. He is in love with a Bengali woman who is 12 years elder to him. I have met her briefly when my son invited her to a family event. He was laughing and cuddling up to her in front of all our guests much to our embarassment. I am a modern woman who has no qualms about anyone expressing his/her emotions. However, my concern is that this woman has begun to influence my son in a bad way. He has been partying away, splurging his savings and is now seeking my help to buy a flat in his girlfriend's name. I put my foot down and since then he has stopped talking to me. My daughter tells me that he has blocked me on his phone and social media. He has quit his job and I am worried he is not taking good care of himself. Meanwhile, the girl looks happy and has been spotted with other young guys at various places. I have not disclosed any of this to my son but I want him to know that he is being cheated on before it is too late. He is love sick and all our attempts to talk to him about this have failed. I feel helpless. What can I do to help my son recover from this mess?

Ans: Taking a loan against your mutual funds and reinvesting in the same fund may seem like an opportunity to maximise gains. However, this strategy carries significant risks.

Key Risks to Consider
1. Market Uncertainty
Small-cap funds are highly volatile.
A temporary market correction doesn’t guarantee strong returns in the next 3 years.
If the fund underperforms, you could face both a loan repayment burden and lower returns.
2. Interest Cost vs. Expected Returns
Loan interest rates on mutual fund pledges typically range from 9-12% per annum.
Your small-cap fund must generate higher returns than the loan rate to make this strategy profitable.
If the fund returns below 12% CAGR, your effective gains will be negligible or negative.
3. Forced Liquidation Risk
If the market corrects further, your lender may sell your pledged mutual fund units to recover the loan.
This could happen at a loss, forcing you to exit at a lower NAV.
4. Overexposure to a Single Fund
Investing additional money into the same small-cap fund increases concentration risk.
Instead, diversification across flexi-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap funds is better.
Alternative Approaches
Instead of taking a loan, consider:

SIP Investment Strategy

Continue SIPs in a staggered manner rather than a lump-sum reinvestment.
This reduces the risk of investing at an unfavourable price.
Diversified Portfolio Allocation

If markets recover, large-caps and flexi-caps may rebound earlier than small-caps.
Diversifying into these categories will balance returns and risk.
Rebalancing Your Current Portfolio

If you have underperforming funds, consider shifting money to stronger funds.
This avoids borrowing costs and interest rate risks.
Final Insights
Taking a loan against your mutual fund for reinvestment is not advisable due to the high risk of market downturns, interest costs, and forced liquidation. Instead, a disciplined SIP approach in diversified funds will offer better risk-adjusted returns.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

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