I'm 42 year old man. I fell in love with my student while I was married. We found each other through social media after a decade. She is 12 years younger than me. My marriage was already in trouble but after the relationship between me and my student, things got worse. Finally my wife divorced me and I have two children which are in my wife's custody. The relationship with my student was virtual. We used to call late night every day expressing each other and this went on for couple of years till the divorce. After divorce communication with my student ceased because of her family problems. Her mother is the second wife to her father who is an influential lawyer. He has written all the property to his first wife's children. Her mother had some property in her name but that also came into dispute by the mischief of her father. Now they are homeless and stay at her aunts house fighting civil case. She says that's the reason she isn't calling me because she doesn't have privacy. It's been a year now and she stopped calling me. The last time when she called me, she said I should never call or sms her but she will be calling me when she gets chance. Now this is frustrating for me because she is adamant to get that property but her father is influential and it's almost impossible for her to get her property. She can neither tell about me to her mother and her wellwishers because already there is problem there. In this typical situation what should I do? Should I wait for her or try for a fresh marriage? She is not replying to my messages or taking my calls. I'm in a situation where I can neither blame her nor I can console myself. K

Ans: It is very good that you are planning SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan) in advance. Planning monthly income properly helps protect your capital and gives stable cash flow.

To withdraw Rs 1.5 lakh per month, the correct SWP structure depends mainly on:

– your age
– investment horizon
– whether income is required lifelong or for limited years
– existing retirement corpus
– risk tolerance

Still, I will guide you with a practical structure that suits most long-term SWP income needs.

» How much investment is required to withdraw Rs 1.5 lakh per month

Normally, safe SWP withdrawal rate should be around:

– 6% yearly for very safe structure
– 7% yearly for balanced structure
– 8% yearly for growth-oriented structure

Based on this:

Approximate investment required:

– Conservative structure: around Rs 3 crore
– Balanced structure: around Rs 2.5 crore
– Growth-oriented structure: around Rs 2.25 crore

This allows income sustainability without early capital depletion.

If withdrawal period is limited (example 15 years), required corpus may be lower.

If income required lifelong, higher corpus is safer.

» Which mutual fund categories are best for SWP income

Best SWP income normally comes from a combination approach.

Ideal structure:

– 40% Multi asset allocation category fund
– 30% Balanced advantage category fund
– 20% Flexi cap category fund
– 10% Short duration debt category fund

This structure provides:

– income stability
– inflation protection
– market downside control
– long-term capital sustainability

Avoid using only pure equity category funds for SWP.

Avoid using only debt category funds also because inflation reduces value.

Combination approach works best.

» Why multi asset allocation category fund works well for SWP

This category invests across:

– equity
– debt
– gold

It adjusts allocation automatically and supports stable withdrawal planning.

Very suitable for retirement-style monthly income planning.

» Tax efficiency advantage of SWP

SWP is more tax-efficient compared to interest income.

Because:

– only capital gain portion is taxed
– equity mutual fund LTCG above Rs 1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%
– debt fund gains taxed as per income slab

So proper category selection improves post-tax income.

» How to structure SWP correctly

Better approach:

– keep 2 years withdrawal amount in short duration debt category fund
– keep remaining corpus in multi asset + balanced advantage category funds
– review once per year
– increase withdrawal gradually based on inflation

This protects income continuity during market corrections.

» Important preparation before starting SWP

Before starting SWP ensure:

– emergency fund available separately
– health insurance active
– no high-interest loans pending
– nominee details updated

These steps protect retirement income stability.

» Finally

To withdraw Rs 1.5 lakh monthly comfortably, target corpus should ideally be between Rs 2.25 crore and Rs 3 crore depending on risk level.

Use combination of multi asset, balanced advantage, flexi cap and short duration debt category funds instead of relying on a single category. This improves income stability and protects capital for long-term sustainability.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramalingamcfp/