I am having an issue that is very difficult for me to live with but living with. It is the bad luck my wife brings when she is around. We are married for 16 years & have a 15 yrs. old daughter, we are Bengalis. My marriage was an arranged marriage But once the marriage was done I found that whatever tasks I tried to do with my wife around is bound to fail Similarly, for my wife it is the same whatever she tries with me it is a failure Examples In the early years I got an opportunity to go to the USA for a long-term assignment, when my wife was in her native for childbirth I went alone & after a few months she joined me, just within 2 months of her joining my project was abruptly closed & I was sent back. This was a wakeup call & just to see how things work I send her to our native to complete her studies & in 2 years it was smooth, but again when she returned within 6 months my Kolkata project got closed & was forced transferred to Pune, I came here alone & within a few months got another job when I brought her to Pune things started going wrong, I got smart & when things will get wrong I will send her to native for some alibi & things will look up, then get her back again things will start getting wrong & again repeat... it was a challenge as my daughter’s schooling was being effected I can give 100s of example how I purposely made sure she is not around when I had to do something critical. I see a similar situation on her side if I am not around things work out but if I am around simply luck will make sure to fail. Now things have gone to the extent that I make plans that she is not there even if I go out for minor tasks like going to an ATM .. if she goes with me the ATMs will be out of order & I have to return without the cash I am a rationalist & never believe in luck or that someone can bring bad luck .. but such has been the repetition of bad lucks & failures when my wife is around that I have succumbed. About 5 years back we started talking to astrologers, palmists & all sorts of people whom I used to ridicule & they tried all their rings, tabiz, etc but nothing worked. My wife takes care more than a modern-day housewife, cooking managing the household, shopping taking the kids to school, hobbies, & she tries to put her best sincerity into it there is no complaint. In fact, she is taken as an idol among many of our relatives & friends for her behavior & ways she maintains relations with others, this has gone to such an extent that many in our family & friends are jealous of her I don’t think it will be possible to continue like this forever but she is a housewife, doing her best We belong to the middle class I simply don’t want her to dump her with people saying all sorts of things as I feel for her BUT cannot stay with her as now she just around makes me feel nervous. I have tried several times to think positively but could never convince myself We have never talked about this in-depth as I know she is helpless & there is nothing for her to change & will only be hurting her. But many times she told me when things go wrong that she is bringing me bad luck & trouble not once but always, I have simply ignored or reasoned with her the logical thing " as the project got closed due to a change in company strategy" etc, but things turning negative when she is around & turning positive when she is not there EVERYTIME for 15 years is really something I can’t convince myself. She is only unlucky for me but for others like her father, relatives & friends she is very lucky, even 2 days ago one of our neighbors called her as someone was coming to see their daughter for marriage, she went & it worked for them, they call her because she has an ideal homely look which such critical guests think “ah they have good company” & also as the neighbors’ aged mother told” since you came our work got done since you are lucky “ Now why I am writing to you is something maybe you have never heard of. One of my office colleagues ( I will tell you he is between a colleague & a friend with whom I spend a considerable amount of time usually discussing office stuff but he is more open to me on his personal issues, I am a little conservative on this front & have never talked or will like to talk about the issues with my wife) who is childless almost my wife's age. He also was in a marriage for about 10 years but his wife has been very violent, he tried his level best met a number of psychologists, etc but things have not worked. 2 months ago he decided to divorce his wife & is now working on the legal formalities. Many a time while talking I will tell him the way my wife behaves & he will really rue if his wife was like this. From my wife's side, I know her choice & this colleague will be his dream prince.( very handsome, smart, very good talker). On asking about plans after the divorce my colleague has told me that he is looking to remarry preferring divorcee/widow as he doesn’t want to have kids at this age. His ideal wife choice matches my wife. He will be looking for after his divorce gets to some stage. I clearly know that both will be a really good match & will be eternal pairs. I am sure she will not be unlucky for him. I had invited my colleague to my home for tea (with me) so that they can meet which they did, I tactically left them alone for some time but I don’t want to talk to my wife about thinking of this colleague as this will be very offensive & if she refuses our relationship may be damaged forever. Also in no way can propose my married wife to my colleague. I don’t want to talk to anyone but create a circumstance or at the most an indirect hint that they can think of to evaluate if they want to be together. Can you please help As a closing note, I will like to mention, in Dec last year I was told that I will be layedoff from my position by June 30, I immediately started searching for other jobs but nothing worked for 3 months, after completion of my daughter annual exams I send them to my native & now I have got a job in Bangalore, I will leave my family in Pune reasoning my daughter should complete her 12th from the school here but the real reason is above. I don’t have any girl in my life but if she moves out then maybe I can think. Also, my wife is among my 3 people for whom I can do anything so that they will be happy other 2 are my mother & daughter. But I am practically abusing/punishing/torturing her just because I can survive. This colleague looks like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone to be happy. The only mental block which I need to remove is my colleagues who being a gentleman will never think about my wife & my wife’s that she is in a marriage will never think. If things don’t work out between them then I am Ok with things to go as its going but that’s just spending years. I will take care of her but maybe never stay with her with some alibi & certainly will not be thinking about another girl still she is dependent on me

Ans: Hello Karunakar.
The placement record is not so bad. Yet you can go with it if you are interested in chemical engineering. If not, explore another branch of your interest.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Vedansh
Prefer CSE AI ML @ JSS if possible.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello YT
It is not possible for us to predict the rank of COMDEK. With an expected score of 113, the chances of securing a seat in tier 1 colleges are slim. Please reconsider the idea of taking a drop merely for JEE. There is no guarantee or certainty that you will achieve success in JEE if you repeat.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: You have a strong base already. You are only 33 years old. You have around 25 years to grow your wealth till retirement. Let us analyse your total investments and long-term potential from a 360-degree view.

We will assess every part of your portfolio, the risks, the growth potential, and how you can improve it step by step.

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Your Present Investments in Mutual Funds

You have invested Rs. 6.4 lakh in ELSS, Rs. 3 lakh in a long-term equity fund, Rs. 2.2 lakh in a bluechip fund, and Rs. 1.4 lakh in a focused fund.

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Your total mutual fund lumpsum investment is Rs. 13 lakh.

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These funds are mostly equity-oriented and for long-term growth.

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ELSS funds are locked for 3 years but give tax benefits under section 80C.

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Your mix of ELSS, large cap and focused funds shows good diversification.

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The focus is more towards tax saving and large cap growth.

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This is suitable for someone with a stable income and long-term view.

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But your fund mix should be reviewed every year.

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Some funds may underperform over time and need replacement.

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Active monitoring gives better results than just investing and forgetting.

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A Certified Financial Planner can help you review and restructure if needed.

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Continue tracking performance every 6 months to stay on track.

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Your Monthly SIPs and Allocation Pattern

You are running a Rs. 30,000 SIP each month.

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40% of it is in small cap funds.

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20% is in gold mutual fund.

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The rest 40% seems to be in large/multi-cap or other diversified equity funds.

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Now let us analyse this composition:

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40% in small cap is quite aggressive.

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Small caps are very volatile. They can give high returns but also deep corrections.

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Keep small cap allocation below 25% in total equity SIPs.

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You can move some SIP amount to a balanced advantage fund.

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Balanced funds give stability when markets are down.

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20% in gold mutual fund is on the higher side.

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Gold is not a compounding asset like equity.

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Over long term, gold delivers lower return than equity.

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Use gold only for 5-10% of total portfolio. Not more.

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The rest 40% in equity is fine, but needs regular review.

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Maintain SIPs in regular plans through Certified Financial Planner.

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Direct funds give no handholding or guidance when markets fall.

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Regular plans help you stay committed and balanced.

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Rebalancing SIPs every 12–18 months improves returns and reduces risk.

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Your National Pension System (NPS) Contribution

You have Rs. 17 lakh corpus in NPS Auto Choice.

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You are adding Rs. 1.2 lakh per year to NPS.

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NPS Auto Choice invests automatically in equity, debt and govt securities.

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Your allocation will shift towards debt slowly as you age.

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This reduces risk after age 45.

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NPS is a good retirement asset due to long lock-in.

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But maturity proceeds are partly taxable and partly annuity.

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So don’t depend only on NPS for retirement.

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Use mutual funds also to build tax-efficient corpus.

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NPS is a supporting vehicle, not a full retirement solution.

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How Much Can All These Generate Till Retirement?

Let us assume you invest for 25 more years.

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You will add Rs. 30,000 monthly SIPs. That’s Rs. 3.6 lakh/year.

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You will also add Rs. 1.2 lakh/year to NPS.

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Your mutual fund lumpsum of Rs. 13 lakh continues to grow.

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Based on long-term equity CAGR of 11% to 12%, your corpus will grow strongly.

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In 25 years, your MF corpus alone can become several crores.

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Your NPS corpus can also cross Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 1.5 crore.

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Final retirement wealth can range between Rs. 3.5 crore to Rs. 5 crore or more.

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This depends on SIP discipline, fund choice, rebalancing and staying invested.

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Direct fund investors often lose returns due to fear and wrong decisions.

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Regular plan investors with Certified Financial Planner stay more consistent.

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That helps in wealth creation without panic or stopping SIPs.

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Improvement Areas in Your Current Strategy

Let us now talk about areas of improvement in your plan.

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Reduce gold fund SIP to 5% or 10%. Use rest in hybrid or flexi cap funds.

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Reduce small cap SIP exposure to 25% or less. Add large and balanced funds.

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Monitor ELSS performance. Don’t hold old ELSS just for tax benefit.

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Move older ELSS units to better performing funds after 3-year lock-in.

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Use a Certified Financial Planner for fund selection and annual review.

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Avoid investing through apps that show direct funds without guidance.

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Do not fall for lowest expense ratio trap.

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Many direct funds underperform due to no tracking or correction.

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Regular plans give you peace of mind and expert handholding.

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Start tracking goals – like retirement, home, child’s education.

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SIPs done without goals often get withdrawn during market dips.

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Emergency fund must be built separately. At least 6 months of expenses.

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Do not mix emergency savings and investments.

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Taxation Awareness You Must Keep in Mind

As your investments grow, tax rules will affect your returns.

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For equity mutual funds: LTCG above Rs. 1.25 lakh/year is taxed at 12.5%.

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STCG (less than 1 year) is taxed at 20%.

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For debt funds: gains are taxed as per your slab.

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NPS maturity is partly tax-free, partly annuity and taxable.

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Gold fund redemptions are taxed as per type of asset (debt-based).

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Plan your redemptions with tax calendar in mind.

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Avoid frequent switches. It reduces compounding and increases tax.

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Rebalance with minimal taxation in mind.

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Long-Term Stability Recommendations

You are already doing great.

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But to ensure success for next 25 years, follow these:

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Stick to SIP discipline no matter what market says.

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Review SIPs every year with Certified Financial Planner.

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Don’t change funds just because of short-term performance.

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Add hybrid and flexi-cap funds to reduce ups and downs.

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Avoid investing heavily in gold for long term.

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Shift risky allocation slowly to stable funds as you near 45.

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Use NPS only as a support system for retirement.

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Track your wealth growth every year without panic.

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Focus on goals and time horizon, not only on returns.

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Build Rs. 3 crore to Rs. 5 crore corpus slowly with consistent habits.

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Compounding rewards patience. Not shortcuts.

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Finally

You are already ahead of most investors of your age. Very disciplined.

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But success is not about starting alone. Staying the course is more important.

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Avoid gold fund overuse. Reduce small cap exposure slightly.

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Add stability via hybrid and balanced equity funds.

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Don’t switch to direct plans. They seem cheaper but may cost more emotionally.

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Investing through regular plans with Certified Financial Planner is safer.

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Continue current path with corrections. Retirement will be stress-free.

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Stay consistent. Review yearly. You will reach your wealth goals peacefully.

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Best Regards,
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K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
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Chief Financial Planner,
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www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment

Ans: Hello dear.
Chances of getting into a GMC or semi-GMC are very slim. You can participate in the 15% All India counseling and the state-level KEA counseling for 85% of the seats. The links are provided in the NEET brochure. However, considering her marks, it is advisable not to participate in AI counseling as it may just be a waste of money. Focus on state-level counseling instead. However, explore other options related to medical courses excluding MBBS and BDS.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam

Ans: Hello dear.
You did not mention the expected score for MHT-CET. There are numerous government and private colleges in Mumbai and Maharashtra offering CSE. With a JEE score, he can gain admission to any private college through the management quota. Participate in the MS state-level counseling process to explore additional options. It is not possible for us to list the names of colleges spread across Mumbai and Maharashtra.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Priyanka
Chances are moderate but not impossible. Keep hopes alive, but explore more options.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Geetha
Prefer CSE @ AI ML if possible.
Best of luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Hello Hemu
I am unable to recall your question from June 1st, as it is not displayed on my dashboard. Taking a drop is not recommended at all. Since your previous questions are not linked to this current inquiry, I am unable to reply properly. On one hand, you say the question has not been answered, and on the other hand, you are writing as ........ as per your suggestion....
For proper suggestions, please rewrite your question. However, do not consider taking a drop year unless absolutely necessary. There is no guarantee that next year you will get into NIT or IIIT.
Best of luck.
Follow me if you like the reply. Thanks
Radheshyam