A reader sent us the following question. “I’m an aspiring DIY investor and frequently read your posts on freefincal. I have also attended the goal-based learning tutorials on freefincal and found them very useful”. “Most of the analysis and approach I have read is on systematic investment planning. My question is, “How to plan, monitor…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, a reader who prefers anonymity explains why, despite making most mistakes in the book, his mutual fund portfolio is worth about six crores today. 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 →A few years ago, when the NSE introduced factor indices, aka smart-beta investing, I was among the first to get excited and wrote a slew of articles such as these: (1) Are Nifty Smart Beta (strategic) Indices better than the Nifty Next 50? (2) Picking Stocks With Low Volatility: A simple but effective strategy? (3)…
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. There are now three different screener files available. (1) Stocks with low volatility and momentum from the BSE 100 large cap universe are available as a separate file (2) Stocks with low…
Continue reading →Low volatility investing is a factor-based investment strategy. It involves picking a basket of stocks that exhibit the least standard deviation in daily returns over the preceding 12 months. About the author: Akshay holds an MBA in Finance from Great Eastern Management School, Bangalore. His website is akshaynayakria.com. His articles on personal finance and investing can be…
Continue reading →In a circular dated 27 Oct 2023, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announced the introduction of a Systematic Lump Sum Withdrawal facility in NPS. Here are the details. What are the existing NPS withdrawal rules, and where does this proposal fit? Existing rules: After the age of 60, an NPS subscriber has…
Continue reading →Over the years, many readers have asked us, “can I use X or Y investment for an emergency fund?”. Therefore it may be useful to list all such eligible investments and discuss which is suitable for whom. Perhaps if you have just started your career and your net worth is low, the following statement may…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “How can I calculate my safe withdrawal rate when I retire 25 years from now? I am 30”. What does the term “safe withdrawal rate” mean? The safe withdrawal rate, or SWR, refers to the amount of money that can be withdrawn annually from a retirement fund in the first year of…
Continue reading →Every time stocks in the small cap universe move up prominently, interest in small cap mutual funds and confidence in this sector zoom up even more. Notions like “A small cap mutual fund will beat all other categories (and indices) over the long term” start making the rounds among gullible young earners who naively believe…
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 appreciate the context of these investments. I started direct equity investing only after achieving a comfortable level of…
Continue reading →This is a debt mutual fund screener for fund selection, fund portfolio 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 and PSU funds etc. The credit quality of the bonds in the portfolio and the bond maturity profile…
Continue reading →In this edition of the reader story, Alok shares his money mistakes and recovery while completing ten years of mutual fund investing. 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 editions are linked at the bottom of this article….
Continue reading →Parag Parikh Arbitrage Fund aims to “generate capital appreciation and income by predominantly investing in arbitrage opportunities in the cash and derivatives segment of the equity market, and by investing the balance in debt and money market instruments”. The NFO period of the fund is from Oct 23rd to Oct 27th 2023, and the scheme…
Continue reading →Zerodha is launching two new funds: Zerodha Nifty LargeMidcap 250 Index Fund and an ELSS variant, Zerodha ELSS Tax Saver Nifty LargeMidcap 250 Index Fund. There are two aspects to consider: (1) The index and (2) the ELSS variant. The Nifty LargeMidcap 250 Index is 50% of Nifty 100 + 50% of Nifty Midcap 150….
Continue reading →A reader asks, ” My age is 37, and I have been investing for retirement for the last six years. Using a retirement calculator, I understand that portfolio real return % is essential in the calculation. I want to be on the safe side. So, what real return to consider for a 50-50 equity debt…
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