We discuss the most crucial steps in defining and planning for a financial goal. Only after the goal is defined should one consider products for investments. Sadly, most investors have a product-first, plan-later approach. A goal provides direction and a sense of purpose. Only when we know the destination can we plan how to get…
Continue reading →The reduction of the mandatory annuity requirement from 40% to 20% for non-government NPS subscribers is a welcome move. I wish for two major changes to the NPS that would make it more user-friendly for retirees. I do not dream of the annuity option going away. That will make the NPS just another MF. It…
Continue reading →You check your bank account. The number is healthy. You have a steady job. You have savings. By all logical metrics, you are safe. So why does spending ₹500 on a dinner feel like a crime? Why does receiving an unexpected bill send your heart racing? Why do you feel an impending sense of doom…
Continue reading →We publish a list of stocks with low volatility and momentum each month. We provide data for BSE 500 and BSE 100 stocks. There are now three different screener files available. (1) Stocks with low volatility and momentum from the BSE 100 large cap universe are available as a separate file (2) Stocks with low…
Continue reading →Retirement planning is a life-long exercise. Ideally, it lasts from when we draw our first salary/income to when we (or the surviving spouse) draw our last breath. During this journey, there are several stages. Each stage teaches us something new. Here are some of these stages. This could vary from person to person. This listing…
Continue reading →Here are 16 personal finance resolutions and resources to help you start your wealth creation journey. In his 2013 Ted Talk, former Google search quality chief Matt Cutts discussed the power of trying something new for 30 days. He says if you try something new for 30 days or stop doing something for 30 days,…
Continue reading →Use this financial health check tool to gauge the strength of your finances. This tool was added to the SEBI investor education portal in Oct 2023. Readers may recall that nine freefincal calculators are already part of the SEBI investor education website. Since then, video tutorials by M. Pattabiraman for a few calculators have also…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, we meet a 37-year-old who started late but has made up for it and is on course to achieve financial independence. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives, which benefits us all. Some of the previous editions are linked at…
Continue reading →This is a list of the worst-performing equity mutual funds across every possible five-, four-, and three-period study period from the inception of direct plans (Jan 2013) to Dec 20th 2025. Some caveats before we begin: (1) The definition of a “worst mutual fund” is as arbitrary as the definition of a “best mutual fund”….
Continue reading →Before you try to teach your spouse about money, pause and ask yourself a critical question: Why do I want them to learn? About the author: Ajay Pruthi is a fee-only SEBI-registered investment advisor. He can be contacted via his website plnr.in. Ajay is part of the freefincal list of fee-only advisors and fee-only India. Understanding your own motivation is…
Continue reading →This article compares my stock portfolio with an equivalent investment in a Nifty index fund and the Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 TR index. We post this comparison each month. Before we begin, new readers need to understand the context of these investments. Update: We recently added a new tool to the freefincal investor circle…
Continue reading →These are the freefincal handpicked list of mutual funds. New and old investors can use it according to their specific needs. The list, titled “PlumbLine,” has been published since September 2017 to help beginners use the freefincal robo advisor tool. Most importantly, Plumbline is a mix of my opinions, skin in the game (where I…
Continue reading →Bond platforms are becoming popular in India. Thanks to many finfluencers, bond investments are recommended to the “retail investor”. I had recently published a video in English – Do not buy bonds unless you need an income! and in Tamil – வருமானம் தேவையில்லை என்றால், பத்திரங்களை வாங்க வேண்டாம்! In these videos, I argued that unless you…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “I am 27 years old. My current monthly expenses are about Rs. 30,000. I don’t intend to get married. Can I achieve financial independence at 40 if my net worth today is zero?” Let us determine what the freefincal robo advisor tool coughs up for this scenario. The assumptions and inputs are…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, Sanjoy shares how he found his way in money management. Sanjoy’s earlier contributions: Financial Lessons Learned During and After a PhD The Road to Redemption: How I Overcame My Investment Mistakes Dealing with my investment fears and doubts About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate…
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