Why does index investing work?

Ever wonder why index investing or passive investing should work? In this article, SEBI registered fee-only advisor Swapnil Kendhe explains the basics of indexing and why it is effective. About the author: Swapnil is a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor and part of my fee-only financial planners’ list. You can learn more about him and his service…

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How to interpret rolling return charts?

Rolling return charts have become prominent over the last few years, especially for mutual fund analysis. However, few investors understand how rolling return charts are computed and their benefits and limitations. A discussion. Rolling lump sum, rolling SIP, and many other mutual fund and time series analysis and financial planning tools are available in the…

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Are mutual funds safe? Addressing a reader’s concerns

We address a reader’s concerns about mutual fund investing. He writes, “As I continue my journey to financial independence, a few concerns have occupied my thoughts recently”. 1. Safety of Direct Investing on Mutual Fund AMC Websites “I have often contemplated investing directly through mutual fund AMC websites to minimize hassle. However, I am apprehensive…

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How to choose mutual funds if you have a moderate risk appetite?

We discuss what investors should do if they think their risk appetite is “moderate”. “What does moderate risk appetite mean?” We cannot define in any meaningful way what risk appetite is, let alone categorize it as low, medium, or high.  That said, determining risk appetite is a regulatory requirement, and expensive tools exist. An honest,…

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Why we need to stop assuming our investment choices are the best

If we consider any argument involving money managment, personal finance, investing, insurance, etc., there is something common among the two or more opposing ideas/sides. Each side thinks their choice is the best. Each side is pretty smug about their decisions. Unfortunately, this is rather immature, and we need to do better. Take, for example, the…

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How Overconfidence in Equity Could Hurt Your Investment Portfolio!

Many young freefincal readers appear to be overconfident about their equity investments. This could spell trouble for their dreams. I hate to break it to you, but there is no proof that long-term equity investing will always give you “good returns”. All those arguments about the economy growing and the equity market reflecting those returns…

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