Hello Anu. I hope you are doing well. I follow your column and read your posts.
I have a different issue. I am single and 30+ years. I have no complaints as I did not find any suitable guy to marry. I had a happy and busy life before Covid. However after Covid, lockdown and this work from home life has become monotonous. I not only lost my uncle due to depression but lost my friends due to fights and misunderstanding. I believe in giving importance so I tried to patch up with my friends but they prefer to break all the connections and move on. I have always had a thing for respect and to be valued. I moved away too coz I felt it was the right thing to do but somewhere it hurts me a lot that I am not able to hold on to my friends who knew me for so many years. How can someone get abandoned and not want to talk and sort things out?
I feel I am overthinking it when the others are not even bothered or thinking about me or it. I really want to move away and focus on my life and career. I try doing it but many times there are so many things that reminds me of them and I get stuck and emotional again.
I am trying some meditation and journaling but it does not seem to clear my mind.
Hence I thought of checking with you.
Let me know if you have any advice for me.

Ans: Make a mx veggie soup, cutlets, paratha, fried rice or noodles with different veggies each time
If she doesn't finish the vegetable then withhold something else

Ans: Most likely frequent viral infections or allergic issues. Maintain a balanced diet and enrollment him in some sports. Ensure good sleep and no screen time

Ans: You need to try different recipes to make her interested in healthy food. Consult a dietician for meal plans. Don't force feed as that will just make her hate food.

Ans: You need to do a stool examination and a consultation with a pediatric gastroenterologist

Ans: Hi,

Share more details like your purpose, risk appetite, monthly withdrawal etc for me to guide you better.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Ans: Hi,

Plans like these are not good. This will hardly give you an annual return of 3% on calculation. Plus your money is locked-in.
It is better for you to surrender and redirect your funds to mutual funds to get double returns. Or a simple FD will give you better returns.

Always "keep your investments and insurances Separate".

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Ans: Hi Samarjit,

A random amount of SIP in a random fund like this give such results. Avoid investing in random funds like this for short term.
If you are investing for long term, avoid checking it on regular basis. Continue your SIP if it is for long term. Howevr, you can stop the current SIP and choose Kotak multicap fund instead to make it more diverse.

Let me know if you need more help.

Best Regards,
Reetika Sharma, Certified Financial Planner
https://www.instagram.com/cfpreetika/

Ans: Both are good options. Just compare the fee structure before taking admission. Yet from our side, if possible, prefer CSE @ Thapar.

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: I appreciate your thoughtful comparison of ETFs versus mutual funds. You are asking a very practical question and it shows good financial awareness. Let’s look at this carefully so you get clarity without confusion.

» What ETFs and index-linked products really do
– ETFs that track midcap and smallcap indices simply mirror the performance of those market benchmarks.
– There is no active management or stock picking to protect you during weak markets.
– When indices fall sharply, ETFs will fall by almost the same percentage. There is no defensive action.
– Index-linked products may seem low maintenance, but they do not adapt to market changes.

» Why actively managed midcap and smallcap mutual funds are different
– Actively managed funds have professional managers who choose stocks based on research, valuation and risk.
– They can adjust exposure to sectors and companies depending on market conditions.
– This means that in volatile phases, they can protect capital better than index trackers.
– Over long periods, learning to stay invested in well-managed funds often leads to better risk-adjusted outcomes.

» The challenge of “top performing” funds changing over time
– It is true that past performance ranking changes every year. No mutual fund stays number one forever.
– This is why selection should be based on long-term consistency, process, risk management and quality of management. Returns alone should not be the only criterion.
– A Certified Financial Planner helps you choose funds with good fundamentals, not just recent high returns.

» About monitoring and switching funds
– Frequent switching based only on short term performance is not a strong investment habit.
– Every switch can trigger capital gains tax for equity funds if sold within one year at higher short term tax rate, or after one year you still need to consider LTCG above Rs 1.25 lakh at 12.5%.
– Good investing means giving time for your chosen strategy to work unless there is a clear reason to change.

» Why ETFs are not always better for long-term goals
– Just because ETFs avoid switching does not mean they give better returns after tax. They still rise and fall strictly with the index.
– In falling markets, index trackers cannot reduce risk, but actively managed funds can.
– Even though ETFs may look simple, they can lead to larger drawdowns when markets are weak since they cannot adapt.
– In the long term, protecting capital during weak phases is as important as chasing returns.

» When actively managed funds make sense in midcap and smallcap space
– If you have a long-term horizon (10 years or more), actively managed funds can add value through stock research and risk calibration.
– They aim for better risk-adjusted returns over full market cycles, not just bull phases.
– With a CFP’s guidance, you can build a diversified portfolio that balances midcap, smallcap and broader equity exposure without frequent tax-triggering switches.

» Practical investor behaviour perspective
– ETFs can make investing easy, but easy does not always mean better outcomes.
– Investors often buy ETFs and then fail to rebalance or adjust when markets change.
– With actively managed funds, the fund manager’s decisions complement your long term holding discipline and take some burden off you.

» Final Insights
– Avoid choosing investments just by how they are labelled (ETF or mutual fund). Look at what they actually do in markets.
– For midcap and smallcap exposure over 10 years, actively managed funds tend to offer better alignment with long-term goals and risk control than index ETFs.
– The idea that ETFs avoid switching costs is true, but it is not a strong enough reason to ignore the flexibility and risk management that active funds provide.
– Tax impact matters, and with wise planning you can manage gains efficiently without frequent switches.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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