A reader asks in response to – I am 30 and wish to retire by 50; how should I plan my investments? – “Can I use a single bucket to manage inflation-indexed income?”. The article details the retirement bucket strategy adopted by the freefincal robo advisor tool. We reproduce an extract below for a discussion….
Continue reading →The latest freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener is now available. Use it to screen for equity mutual funds that consistently perform. You can screen based on fund category & benchmark to identify mutual funds that offer higher returns than the benchmark while maintaining lower risk. Inside, you get discounted links to our robo advisory…
Continue reading →A couple of months ago, I went to the insurance department of an eye hospital to apply for a cashless claim for my mother’s cataract surgery. I usually chat with hospital staff, particularly those responsible for claim processing. The conversation led to “Cashless Claim vs Reimbursement: Which is better?” I was surprised to note that…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, “Here we are again with our fifth yearly audit. If you missed the earlier ones, you can read our previous audits on freefincal below. A huge thanks, Pattu sir, freefincal community and AIFW group on Facebook, which has been the constant source of guidance.” A very brief background: we…
Continue reading →This is a National Pension Scheme Fund Screener to shortlist consistently performing NPS schemes. You can also identify NPS schemes that offer a higher return than the benchmark while maintaining lower risk. This is similar in design to the freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener. Inside, you get discounted links to our robo advisory tool…
Continue reading →There is a scene in the classic Bollywood movie Baghban that haunts an entire generation of Indian parents. Amitabh Bachchan’s character, having retired and spent his entire provident fund on his children’s settlements, sits at home. He asks his son for a small amount of money for glasses. The son sighs, rolls his eyes, and…
Continue reading →I recently tested several risk profilers available online to Indian DIY investors. Most of them, I realised, are built to sell rather than to help. I didn’t set out to write this. I was just trying to find a decent risk-profiling tool for myself as part of my research for NISM Retirement Advisor preparation. The…
Continue reading →We publish a list of stocks with low volatility and momentum each month. We provide data for BSE 500 and BSE 100 stocks. Update: Starting March 2026, the screening metrics have been significantly updated (details below). There are now three different screener files available. (1) Stocks with low volatility and momentum from the BSE 100…
Continue reading →Almost everyone dreams of making more money, but almost everyone has the same two problems: (1) What should I do to make more money? And (2) how do I find the time to do it? By more money, we shall refer to a long-term, scalable combination of active and passive income focusing on automation and…
Continue reading →Unlike life insurance, the policy number changes each time a health insurance is renewed. So, over a 25-30-year period, many changes in policy number formats can be expected as health insurers modify their product features, change their TPAs, etc. On top of this, if you have ported your policy once or twice (often from the…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, “Hi, I’m Pretorius, a 30-year-old Software Engineer, sharing my 2026 financial audit. My upbringing has been very middle-class, so investing, saving and spending money prudently is almost second nature to my family. I review my personal finances and retirement portfolio annually, and I would like to thank Pattu sir…
Continue reading →Establishing an emergency fund is the initial step in achieving financial stability. The amount of funds needed for emergencies cannot be calculated accurately as it varies based on personal outlook. It depends on the individual’s experiences with unfortunate events and their frequency, whether positive or negative. It’s important to note that experts recommend having an…
Continue reading →Forget about early retirement; Most people will not become financially independent at normal retirement (55-60). Unlike early retirement, this is a mandatory retirement. Otherwise, our quality of life will significantly decrease, and we will depend on our children. Also, why have we not seen a retirement crisis in India? (1) For this, we need to…
Continue reading →It is quite easy to appreciate the benefits of diversification. The proverb, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” (earliest use: Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel Don Quixote) appeals to us immediately as a caution against taking on too much risk. However, there are issues with its practical application to an investment portfolio. First,…
Continue reading →Here are nine steps beginners can follow to start planning for retirement. We will assume that retirement is 25 years away. The first step involves defining your target. The purpose for the funds and the timeline for when they are needed are already established, accounting for 25% of the planning. Investors often ask, “What return can…
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