Building an equity mutual fund portfolio is one of the most important aspects of creating a financial plan. After all, it is equity which, in the long term, is most likely to beat inflation and create long-term wealth for the investor. However, creating an equity portfolio for a DIY investor is a very difficult task,…

Imagine you or a family member gets hospitalised. The disease for which you have been diagnosed is covered under your policy; you should also get this double-checked with the insurer. Your room rent limit is INR 10,000, and you take an INR 8,000 bed. Your overall policy coverage is INR 20 lakhs, and your final…

I lived in the UAE as an NRI for 26 years. Returning to India was not a sudden decision—it took years of planning. However, many NRIs don’t always get that luxury. A job change, visa issues, or family circumstances can force a quick return. That’s why preparation is critical. About the author: K Varghese is…

Fee Only India (FOI) is an informal association of like-minded, client-centric SEBI-registered investment advisors (RIAs) in India who share one common philosophy — the client’s interest always comes first. In this article, Melvin Joseph, one of the oldest SEBI RIAs and a founding member of FOI, explains what sets FOI apart. Over to Melvin. To…

A prospective client once told me, “I had a financial plan made three years ago. It showed my net worth growing, my SIPs hitting my goals, and a clear path to retirement. But today, the numbers are completely different. My portfolio is lower, expenses are higher, and my asset allocation is a mess. What’s the…

Imagine you have persistent chest pain. You have two options: Option A: You visit a cardiologist. You pay a consultation fee of ₹1,500. He runs tests, asks uncomfortable questions about your diet and exercise, and gives you a boring, difficult lifestyle plan to follow for the next 20 years. Option B: Your friendly neighbourhood Uncle…

My friend thought I had just told him to commit financial suicide. “You want me to… cancel it?” he asked, clutching his premium receipt like a holy relic. I nodded. For the last 15 years, this guy has been dutifully paying for a massive life insurance policy, convinced that stopping would be a betrayal of…

Many friends have expressed interest in becoming SEBI-registered investment advisors (RIAs), offering unbiased advice to clients and earning a decent income. Several DIY investors are keen on helping others manage their finances. For them, it can be a second career. About the author: Melvin Joseph is one of the first RIAs in the country. He…

If you open YouTube or Instagram today, the financial verdict is unanimous: Don’t buy a house. Rent it. The logic is seductive. Why pay an EMI of ₹60,000 for an apartment that rents for ₹25,000? The math says you should rent, invest the difference (the ₹35,000 surplus) in a mutual fund, and retire rich. Mathematically,…

SEBI RIA Ajay Pruthi continues his discussion on the education loan. This is part 1: Education Loan for Higher Studies – Who Pays for the Borrowed Dream? The convocation ceremony is the peak of the mountain. The black gown is worn. The degree is held high. But as the applause fades, the real story begins. The…

Many friends have shown interest in becoming SEBI-registered investment advisors (RIAs), offering unbiased advice to clients and earning a decent income from it. Several DIY investors are keen on helping others manage their finances. For them, it can be a second career. About the author: Melvin Joseph is one of the first RIAs in the…

In the great Indian middle-class living room, a high-stakes poker game is being played. The chips on the table aren’t plastic; they are retirement savings, ancestral homes, and the future happiness of the next generation. The central question is always the same: Who pays for the dream? About the author: Ajay Pruthi is a fee-only SEBI-registered…

In many affluent families today, a quiet dilemma is emerging — one that has less to do with money and more to do with timing. Parents, after years of discipline and hard work, have built comfortable lives and substantial wealth. Their children, meanwhile, have grown up surrounded by stability and the assurance that “jo kuch…

Is it always good to switch from regular to direct plans? The answer is No. Before you move to calculate the switch cost, the first step is to stop existing SIPs in regular plans and start investing in new SIPs in direct plans. The most important factor to consider is the expense ratio difference between…

You planned for everything. You have the PPF corpus, the health insurance, the paid-off home, and the monthly pension. You thought the hardest part of retirement would be managing inflation or medical bills. But six months after your farewell party, you realize you missed a hidden cost. A cost that doesn’t appear in any financial…