I am married for 12 years. My wife has psoriasis so she was unable to find a partner. Our fathers knew each other socially so they decided to get us married. From the day we got married, we had zero compatibility. There was no love or romance. I used to get her flowers, and try to keep her happy and like most married couples in an arranged marriage, we had a child in the second year of our marriage. I have tried so many ways to find intimacy but that is missing in our relationship. There is no conversation between us apart from discussing groceries, school fee or attending family events together. I am looking for a friend, a companion which is missing. Recently, I discussed my problems with a female colleague who is facing the same with her husband. We got along quickly and there is instant chemistry, a spark. But we are both married and have young kids so we are worried how to take this forward. Please suggest the right way. I am 42, she is 39. My wife is 38.

Ans: Hi Vinoth,

Both are good and have very less differences. The ideal choice depends on personal financial goals and risk tolerance:

You can choose UPS if: Your wife prioritizes financial security and a predictable, guaranteed monthly income that is also inflation-adjusted, with minimal market risk. The assured 50% pension provides stability, which is often preferred by government employees.
OR
You can choose NPS if: Your wife is comfortable with market risks and aims for potentially higher returns and a larger retirement corpus over the next 15 years. NPS offers more flexibility in managing investments and larger tax-free lump-sum withdrawals.

Given that your wife has 15 years of service remaining, she is in an optimal position to choose the option that aligns with her comfort level. The availability of the new UPS scheme provides an excellent, secure alternative to the market-linked NPS.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi,

Please share more details such as your income, risk profile, exenses and savings potential for me to help you better.

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

Ans: Hi,

Your 2 aspects of investment are completely ok. But the approach is not correct. The funds you have mentioned are overlapped and not recommended. A portfolio like this doesn't generate good returns for capital appreciation.
Are you taking anyone's help to choose these funds? If yes, you need a better professional. If no, work with a CFP to guide you.

Investing in equity markets now is ok. Understand your concern due to recent volatility and market movements but there's a away to invest in equity. you should connect with a Certified Planner to help you with your existing 5 crore investment ( yes it needs reallocation as soon as possible) and to allocate remaining 2 cr as per your profile.

SWP from BAF is not an ideal way of SWP. There is a different strategy altogether for covering your expenses of 2 lakh pm. So please hold on to do SWP for now. Things will become more complicated and your goal of capital appreciation can vanish.

Please connect with a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi,

I am so sorry to hear about your situation. But you have a very good corpus (whole family) at your age. This can easily fund your expenses till you find a job. Let us analyse the aspects in detail:
1. Cash - 7.7 lakhs in your account. This amount can fund you for 7 months. You can easily prepare for your job & give interviews without worrying for money.
2. Gold - Good but keep it without any thought of selling it.
3. Private equity - 3 lakhs. Direct equity investment is not recommended due to high exposure and continuous monitoring. You can shift this entire amount into mutual funds.
4. Mutual Funds - 39.5 lakhs. A very good corpus at your age. But the funds you mentioned are highly scattered and overlapped. This is one example of a portfolio that we will not recommend. This needs a serious rework. Work with a professional to realign all these funds and amounts keeping in mind your profile. Otherwise it will not give good returns.
And avoid doing the same by yourself as you need to focus on getting a job instead of trying to correct your portfolio. A professional's job is to do it for you.

Your parents assets:
1. Cash - 21 lakhs - quite big amount to keep as cash. Keep minimum of 5 lakhs as cash and do FD of remaining funds.
2. SCSS - 60 lakhs - good, continue.
3. FD - 40.8 lakhs - good but the interest is quite low and taxable. Instead consider putting this money in debt mutual funds.
4. Mutual Funds - both parents have very small amounts in a lot of funds. It is of no use. You can redeem all these funds and choose only 1 fund - HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund for your parents money.

Hopefully you will get a job in 7 months without worrying the need to cover your monthly expenses, and will take a professional's help to work on your portfolio to align it and generate the better returns.

Hence do consult a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi Parbati,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation but marrying someone without divorce is illegal in India. You can take a legal action against him.

With respect to your investments, 1.5 crore is a really good number for you to retire and total requirement depends on your monthly expenses and other needs. Share a brief with me for me to help you further in this regard.

And to find the details, you can install MF Central App on your phone and login via your PAN/Adhaar details to fetch the exact portfolio details. You can connect with a professional who will help you in this regard in detail and manage your portfolio to fund your requirement.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi,

Private employees do not get pension benefit. You will only get PF that has been accumulated ove the years. You will find details in salary slip.
Gratuity in this will be 9.3 lakhs.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi Deepa,

% SWP really depends on the size of your portfolio and your monthly/ annual requirement. Share these details for me to help you better.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Hi Sanjay,

It is great that you are investing since 2017. Long investments and patience always gives results.
You can easily achieve your goal corpus by the time you turn 58, if investment done correctly.
The funds you mentioned have so much overlapping and scattered. It needs rework and complete reallocation. Maximum of 5 funds should be there. Take the help of a professional to align your portfolio with your goal and customized profile.
A random portfolio like yours can create an opposite impact.
Also try to increase the monthly SIP by 10% each year. This will take care of inflation power.

Hence do consult a professional Certified Financial Planner - a CFP who can guide you with exact funds to invest in keeping in mind your age, requirements, financial goals and risk profile. A CFP periodically reviews your portfolio and suggest any amendments to be made, if required.

Let me know if you need more help.

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

Ans: Your discipline in building surplus funds deserves genuine appreciation.
Reaching this stage reflects patience, planning, and financial maturity.
At 62, your focus rightly shifts toward stability and steady income.
At the same time, growth must continue to fight inflation.
A balanced approach is therefore very important now.

» Age, Life Stage, and Investment Context
You are in the early retirement transition phase.
Capital protection becomes more important than aggressive growth.
Regular income matters more than high returns now.
Volatility should be controlled carefully.
Liquidity should be available for emergencies.
Tax efficiency must be managed smartly.

Mutual funds still suit this phase well.
They offer flexibility, transparency, and diversification.
They also allow gradual withdrawals when needed.

» Core Investment Philosophy at 62
Your money must work without stressing you.
Every rupee should have a clear purpose.
Risk should be measured and intentional.
Returns should be reasonable and repeatable.
Cash flow should feel predictable.

Avoid chasing market highs at this age.
Avoid locking funds for very long periods.
Avoid complicated structures and opaque products.

» Recommended Asset Allocation for Rs.25 Lakh
This allocation balances safety, income, and growth.
It also manages market ups and downs.

– Equity-oriented mutual funds: 35%
– Debt-oriented mutual funds: 55%
– Hybrid-oriented mutual funds: 10%

This structure keeps volatility under control.
It also allows reasonable growth over time.

» Role of Equity Mutual Funds at Your Age
Equity is still necessary even after 60.
Inflation reduces purchasing power every year.
Medical costs rise faster than general inflation.
Equity helps your money stay relevant.

However, equity exposure must be limited.
It must also be diversified and disciplined.

» Equity Mutual Fund Allocation – 35%
This equals around Rs.8.75 lakh.

Suggested internal split is as follows.

– Large, established companies focused funds: 25%
– Flexibly managed equity strategies: 10%

Large company exposure provides stability.
Business models are proven and resilient.
Earnings visibility is generally better.

Flexible equity strategies add adaptability.
Fund managers adjust based on market conditions.
This reduces risk during market corrections.

Avoid aggressive mid and small company focus now.
They bring sharp volatility and emotional stress.

» Why Actively Managed Equity Funds Matter
Markets are not always efficient in India.
Corporate governance quality varies widely.
Sector cycles change unpredictably.

Active managers can avoid weak businesses.
They can reduce exposure during excess valuations.
They can increase quality bias during uncertainty.

This flexibility matters more after retirement.

» Debt Mutual Funds as the Stability Anchor
Debt funds will form your portfolio backbone.
They provide stability and predictable behaviour.
They also support regular income planning.

At 62, debt allocation should dominate.
It protects capital during equity market falls.

» Debt Mutual Fund Allocation – 55%
This equals around Rs.13.75 lakh.

Suggested internal structure is below.

– Short maturity focused debt strategies: 25%
– Medium duration debt strategies: 15%
– Conservative income-oriented debt strategies: 15%

Short maturity funds reduce interest rate risk.
They are suitable for near-term needs.
They offer better predictability.

Medium duration funds balance return and risk.
They work well for three to five years horizon.

Income-oriented debt strategies support steady cash flow.
They also smooth overall portfolio returns.

Avoid credit risk heavy strategies at this stage.
Chasing extra yield can damage capital.

» Tax View on Debt Mutual Funds
Debt fund gains are taxed at slab rates.
This applies to both short and long holding periods.
Plan withdrawals in lower income years.
This improves post-tax outcomes.

» Hybrid Mutual Funds – Limited but Useful
Hybrid funds combine equity and debt exposure.
They reduce volatility through internal balancing.
They simplify allocation management.

However, allocation must remain limited.

» Hybrid Mutual Fund Allocation – 10%
This equals around Rs.2.5 lakh.

Choose conservative hybrid orientation only.
Debt portion should dominate clearly.
Equity portion should be controlled.

This segment acts as a shock absorber.
It also supports smoother returns.

» Liquidity and Emergency Planning
Always keep liquid access available.
Unexpected medical or family needs can arise.

Ensure at least twelve months expenses remain accessible.
This can be through savings or liquid-oriented funds.
Do not invest entire surplus tightly.

» Withdrawal Strategy Planning
Investment is only half the journey.
Withdrawal planning matters equally now.

Use a staggered withdrawal approach.
Avoid redeeming equity during market downturns.
Withdraw debt portion first during volatility.

This protects long-term growth potential.

» Market Volatility and Emotional Comfort
Market corrections are unavoidable.
Your portfolio must allow peaceful sleep.

The suggested allocation reduces panic risk.
It avoids sharp portfolio swings.

Emotional comfort is a hidden return.
It matters greatly after retirement.

» Rebalancing Discipline
Portfolio balance will change over time.
Equity may grow faster in bull markets.

Review allocation once every year.
Shift excess equity gains into debt.
This protects accumulated profits.

Do not rebalance too frequently.
Avoid reacting to short-term noise.

» Inflation Protection Over Retirement Years
Inflation silently erodes fixed incomes.
Medical inflation is especially dangerous.

Equity exposure counters this risk.
Active management further improves protection.

Without equity, retirement corpus shrinks in real terms.

» Estate and Nomination Discipline
Ensure nominations are updated everywhere.
This includes mutual funds and bank accounts.

Create a clear will if absent.
This avoids future family disputes.

Review beneficiaries regularly.

» What Not to Do at This Stage
Avoid chasing high return promises.
Avoid locking funds into illiquid structures.
Avoid concentration in single themes.
Avoid frequent portfolio tinkering.

Simplicity supports longevity planning.

» Monitoring and Review Framework
Review portfolio annually, not daily.
Track alignment with life needs.
Adjust only if life circumstances change.

Market noise should not guide actions.

» Final Insights
You have reached a position of strength.
Your surplus reflects years of discipline.
The goal now is sustainability, not speed.

A balanced mutual fund approach fits well.
It offers growth, income, and flexibility.
It respects your age and responsibilities.

With proper allocation and patience,
your money can support you comfortably.

Stay invested with clarity and confidence.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

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