A reader asks, “For those who don’t have a compulsory NPS deduction at the workplace, what would be a good option? a. aggressive hybrid fund. b. nifty 50 ETF+ conservative hybrid fund+/- gold ETF or c. nifty 50 etf + gilt fund +/- gold ETF?” Regular readers may know that we have always recommended against…
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 11th 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 asks, “How to perform a portfolio audit? What are the steps? What should be the frequency? How to achieve it without impacting your core day-to-day job/business? Ideally, how many goal-based portfolios an individual should have at max?” A portfolio audit comes after proper goal-based financial planning and implementation of the plan. We recommend…
Continue reading →This index fund screener is based on tracking error and returns difference wrt benchmarks (aka tracking difference). The screener will help users evaluate how efficiently an index fund has tracked its underlying benchmark. It will also help a understand how tracking a midcap index or the Nifty 100, 500 differs from tracking the Sensex or…
Continue reading →“I have a long-term investment goal and a moderate risk appetite. Which mutual funds should I select?” This is a query often seen on personal finance forums. We delve into what actions should be taken by investors in such scenarios. However, when asked the seemingly simple follow-up question, “What does a moderate risk appetite entail?”…
Continue reading →We recently recorded an episode on women and investing for the Let’s Get Rich with Pattu podcast (it should be released when this article is published). As I prepared for it, I realised that it was my fault that my wife was not interested in personal finance. My wife says, “As long as I have…
Continue reading →This ETF screener is based on tracking errors and tracking differences (ETF return minus index return). The screener will help users evaluate how efficiently an ETF has tracked its underlying benchmark. Update: 76 ETFs are now covered. The tracking error is the ETF’s standard deviation minus index monthly return differences. The lower the tracking error,…
Continue reading →We explore the efficacy of using DSP Nifty Smallcap250 Quality 50 Index Fund as a low-cost alternative to active small cap funds
Continue reading →It should be evident to most of us that those with a non-permanent or corporate job should not rely on their group health insurance or group life insurance because they can lose the job anytime and become uninsured. I have heard stories of those who became hospitalised the day after they left the job or…
Continue reading →This edition of the fund performance report looks at Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund. In Oct 2016, this fund stopped lump sum investments after its AUM swelled past 11,000 Crores. Investments were possible only via SIPs or STPs up to Rs. 2500 monthly. In early October 2023, the fund house increased the SIP limit to…
Continue reading →The latest freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener is now available. Use it to screen for consistently performing equity mutual funds. You can screen based on fund category & benchmark and spot mutual funds with a higher return than a benchmark at a lower risk. Inside, you get discounted links to our robo advisory tool…
Continue reading →This is a list of the worst-performing equity mutual funds over every possible five, four, and three periods—study period: From inception of direct plans (Jan 2013) to Dec 8th 2023. Some caveats before we begin: (1) The definition of a “worst mutual fund” is as arbitrary as the definition of a “best mutual fund”. We…
Continue reading →What if I cannot manage my retirement corpus in retirement due to ill health or disability? Who can help my spouse with the retirement corpus after my demise? These are tough but essential questions to consider. In a previous article, we discussed some simple situations where a spouse, trusted relative or SEBI-registered fee-only advisor can…
Continue reading →DSP Nifty Smallcap250 Quality 50 Index Fund is an open-ended fund tracking the small quality index in its name. The fund is currently in its NFO period. This article reviews the index’s performance and discusses if investing in this new passive fund makes sense. According to the NSE, “the Nifty Smallcap250 Quality 50 Index tracks…
Continue reading →Two couples share contrasting reasons why they decided against property purchase and opted for lifetime renting. Before we begin, we would like to point out that this is their choice. They clarified that they are not preaching and that their lifestyle/choices will not work for everyone. So we anticipate your disagreement, but we request that…
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