Last Updated on December 18, 2021
When gold prices fell steeply earlier this year, we were flooded with ‘told you so’ articles. No one seemed bothered at that time to emphasise that gold is meant for long term investing only, and that such volatility is natural. Before the crash everyone was saying, ‘buy golf ETFs’, ‘allocate 10% of your portfolio to gold’. Now no one is even using ‘gold’ in an article.
Yesterday debt mutual fund NAVs fell and immediately we are flooded with knee jerk articles on what ‘investors should do now’. Some blame AMCs for not educating investors and marketing debts fund as ‘safe’ investment options. Other articles say, ‘stick to FDs’.
What utter nonsense! When I started freefincal, I told myself I will not react to everyday financial occurrences since that will do more to spread panic than ‘literacy’. However the kind of nonsense that gets on the www forces me to write this.
Investors should choose debt mutual funds based on only two factors:
Get free money management solutions delivered to your mailbox! Subscribe to get posts via email!
🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our robo-advisory tool & courses! 🔥
- When they need the money
- How important is the need.
Returns and Tax are completely secondary.
In any case, as they near the need/goal, the money must be shifted from risk debt funds like ‘bond and ‘income’ funds to a simple good old savings bank account. This is commonsense. Investors should blame no one, but themselves if they do not recognise this.
A long term debt fund investor/saver will not be affected by such blips.

Everything in life comes at a price. If we want better post-tax returns then fluctuating returns are part of the deal. So we need to factor in when we need the money and how important the purchase is before we embrace this volatility.
Trouble is investors want to eat their cake and have it too! Tell them it is impossible they pretend like they understand and make the same mistake over and over again.
This is why I keep saying it is crucial to be contended investors. Before we invest or save, ‘how much returns will it fetch’ is the second question to ask, not the first. The first question is, ‘why should we earn a return?’. This question may sound dumb. However it makes us recognize ALL the risks involved in a financial decision.
🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our courses and robo-advisory tool! 🔥
Use our Robo-advisory Excel Tool for a start-to-finish financial plan! ⇐ More than 1000 investors and advisors use this!
New Tool! => Track your mutual funds and stocks investments with this Google Sheet!
- Follow us on Google News.
- Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
- Join our YouTube Community and explore more than 1000 videos!
- Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter with this form.
- Hit 'reply' to any email from us! We do not offer personalized investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.
Get free money management solutions delivered to your mailbox! Subscribe to get posts via email!
Explore the site! Search among our 2000+ articles for information and insight!
About The Author

Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! ⇐ More than 3000 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter what the market condition is!! Watch the first lecture for free! One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.
Our new course! Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! ⇐ More than 700 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner who wants more clients via online visibility or a salaried person wanting a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts you and pays you! (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!
Our new book for kids: “Chinchu gets a superpower!” is now available!


Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. - Arun.Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!
How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook for those interested in getting side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!
Want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or you buy the new Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!
We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low volatility stock screeners.
About freefincal & its content policy Freefincal is a News Media Organization dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified from credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish any paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions presented will only be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact information: letters {at} freefincal {dot} com (sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained)
Connect with us on social media
- Twitter @freefincal
- Subscribe to our Youtube Videos
- Posts feed via Feedburner.
Our publications
You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing

Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want

Your Ultimate Guide to Travel
