We discuss ten mistakes to avoid while planning for early retirement. 1. Have a clear post-retirement engagement plan. Retirement (early or normal) does not mean a complete cessation of work. It is a time to be even more organised, disciplined and productive. Think of yourself as running a one-person company using time as a precious…
Continue reading →In this article, Anand Vaidya shares how his investment portfolio has evolved one year after he retired. Anand has written several articles for freefincal (linked below), and this is a sequel. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous…
Continue reading →Many readers ask, “Where should I invest a lump sum before deploying it into equity MFs?”. They research the best product for holding this lump sum, how long they should wait to start investing in equity MFs, and how long they should do the transfer. This is a waste of time, effort and money. You…
Continue reading →From time to time, investors want to buy gold for “returns” and “diversification” (or is it diworsification?). In our experience, many, if not most, buy gold without understanding the risks and with wrong notions about its returns. Here are six facts about gold you need to know before investing. 1. Gold prices do not always…
Continue reading →A reader says. “I live with my mother, and I am 52. However, I have a corpus of only one crore invested in equity. I retired in 2019 as vice president. My monthly expenses are 30k. Is my corpus enough?” This was in response to “How much do I need to retire in 2024?”. Let…
Continue reading →There seems to be a sudden interest in debt mutual funds. Possibly because everyone is expecting an interest rate cut? Possibly because of propaganda? Regardless of the origin, here are some facts you need to know before buying a debt mutual fund. 1. Debt mutual funds are not an alternative to fixed deposits! A fixed…
Continue reading →This is an updated list of calculators available for members of the freefincal investor circle. This is an exclusive space for investors, advisors, fintech employees and students to access financial planning and insurance tools, mutual fund and stock analysis tools, coding strategies and Excel macros for data extraction. The resources can be used for investment…
Continue reading →In this article, we cover the essentials of a mutual fund systematic withdrawal plan (SWP) in the format of an FAQ. 1: What is a Systematic Withdrawal Plan? The SWP is the opposite of a SIP. In a SIP, you invest a fixed amount each month (the most frequently used interval) and build a lump…
Continue reading →A decade or so ago, when someone wanted regular income, you assumed they were senior citizens or had retired early. That is no longer the case. With many shifting from a salaried existence to freelancing or enterprise, the need for regular income from accumulated wealth as a cushion has become important. Let us discuss the…
Continue reading →This year, so many have become first-time crorepatis or well-established crorepatis and have come forward to share their journey on freefincal in the reader story section. This is another such account. Also see: Crossing the Million Mark: Our Journey to the First Crore How I doubled my retirement corpus and became a Crorepati Analyzing the…
Continue reading →We are happy to announce major updates to the freefincal robo advisor tool. Users can now use custom asset allocation schedules while planning for retirement and other financial goals. The other financial goal sheet has been modified to include a break-up of current investments. The robo tool is a one-time purchase (details below), and all…
Continue reading →In response to our article, Real Estate Taxation Example After Finance Bill 2024 Amendment, a reader asks, “Does the Financial Bill clearly mention that for capital gains taxation at the new 12.5% rate, the cost of acquisition for the property will be the value of the property on April 1, 2001 and not the actual…
Continue reading →A reader says, “When interest rates go high, the value of debt mutual fund investment decreases (although reason and logic are well understood). There is nothing one can do about it. However, if money is in a bank fixed deposit (instead of a mutual debt fund), one can always rebook the FD at a higher…
Continue reading →Many readers often ask us variations of, “My PPF account is maturing; should I extend it or open a new one?” We discuss how to handle PPF accounts that are about to mature. When and how to extend them and when not to. A PPF matures after 15 financial years from the FY of opening….
Continue reading →This is a debt mutual fund screener for portfolio selection, tracking, and learning. It also includes hybrid funds that invest in bonds. It will satisfy investors who wish to invest in money market funds, banking PSU funds, etc. The credit quality of the bonds in the portfolio and the bond maturity profile can be tracked….
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