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…
Continue reading →I evaluate the performance of my retirement portfolio and my son’s future portfolio each year in a personal finance audit. This is the 13th edition. Published from 2013 onwards, these audits provide a sense of accountability and ensure I do not fall prey to fear of missing out, preventing bad investment decisions. They also point…
Continue reading →A reader says, ” I am 30, married, and have a 3-year-old daughter. I come from a middle-class background, and although I have completed my bachelor’s degree, I’ve worked in HR more out of necessity than passion”. “Over time, I became interested in financial literacy, especially through watching YouTube videos on equity investing. As I…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, we meet someone who is starting over at 39. This is in response to my recent request on social media to share their investment journeys. We urge you to share your journey too (anonymously, like this piece, if you prefer). You can find details at the top of…
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….
Continue reading →A reader says, “This concerns the required retirement corpus and whether I am on the right track. I am 32 years old, my spouse is 26, and both are working (private jobs and no job security). I wish to retire by age 45. How should I plan, and what is the corpus required?” “Current retirement…
Continue reading →I have tracked the amount invested in my goal portfolio for over 14 years. It has been a life and game-changer for my family. Whether you track your spending or not, tracking your investment amount or maintaining an investment diary is crucial. Today, I can invest more for retirement than my target investment. That was…
Continue reading →This index fund screener is based on tracking error and returns difference wrt benchmarks (also known as tracking difference). It will help users evaluate how efficiently an index fund has tracked its underlying benchmark. It will also help them understand how tracking a midcap index or the Nifty 100 or 500 differs from tracking the…
Continue reading →