Redeeming MFs in Demat form can be a pain if you close your broker account

The following is an account of an ordeal to redeem from mutual funds in demat form. As mentioned several times earlier, holding mutual funds (except ETFs) in demat form makes no sense. Mutual fund units are already in electronic form! Unless an investor wants to (or rather tries to) sell closed-ended mutual funds before maturity,…

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Want to surrender your insurance policy? Don’t listen to random advice!

I purchased two endowment policies last year and currently pay an annual premium of 2 Lakhs for these policies. Renewal for these policies is due next month, and I’ve heard that insurance policies are not ideal for investment due to their relatively low returns. So, should I consider surrendering these policies? About the author: Ajay…

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Is it possible to combine a bucket strategy with income laddering after retirement?

This article explains how a retirement bucket strategy can be combined with an income ladder in various ways. The goal is to reduce the management risks associated with a bucket strategy. In an income ladder, we use fixed-income instruments that mature periodically in future, providing income to the retiree. Let us consider an example. Suppose…

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Client Survey: The most important factor in choosing a fee-only advisor

We recently ran a survey for clients of fee-only advisors who are part of Freefincal’s curated list and fee-only India – 964 clients have participated. A healthy trend has emerged that warrants our attention, and we strongly believe any further response would only strengthen it. We shall discuss answers to two survey questions in this…

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FAQ: Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE)

This article addresses frequently asked questions on Financial Independence, Retire Early or FIRE. 1 What is the definition of financial independence? When a person has enough income from her investments or net worth to not only replace existing gainful employment but also combat inflation in essential expenses and lifestyle changes for the remainder of their…

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