In this edition of “FAQ”, we shall discuss some common questions about Super Top-up Health Insurance policies. Previous editions in this series include: FAQ on index investing FAQ on Mutual Fund Systematic Withdrawal Plans (SWPs) FAQ: Target Maturity Debt Mutual Funds FAQ: How inflation affects our ability to manage money FAQ on gilt mutual funds:…
Continue reading →From this month onwards, I have started to invest in Parag Parikh Conservative Hybrid Fund. A look at some of the fund’s profile and the reasoning behind my decision. The fund is on the verge of completing one year (launched May 26th 2021) and after observing its portfolio for some months we included it in…
Continue reading →This is a list of the worst-performing equity mutual funds over every possible five, four, and three periods between 1st Jan 2013 (introduction date of direct plans) to April 8th 2022. 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 →Personal money management steps are simple to appreciate but hard to implement. These are some of our behavioural finance learnings on why investors struggle to invest and manage money prudently. 1 We often forget that personal finance is personal. Every move that we make ideally should be tailored to our needs. Right or wrong decisions…
Continue reading →A reader writes, “Sir, I started my first job a couple of months ago. I want to start investing in equity via mutual funds but I am worried about the market. The bull run from April 2020 to Oct 2021 was too early for me and now when I have money the market has started…
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. Before we begin, investors need to appreciate the context of these investments. I started direct equity investing only after achieving a comfortable level of financial independence and ensuring my son’s future…
Continue reading →A reader asks in response to our recent article – How to beat inflation after retirement along with guaranteed pension – “Is it wise to retire early in my 40s if my portfolio is sufficient?” There is more to retirement planning than determining if the corpus is large enough to handle inflation! Financial independence and therefore…
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 →Getting a guaranteed pension after retirement and beating inflation after retirement has traditionally been two extreme solutions in retirement planning. In this article, we explain how these solutions can be combined to build a robust and nearly fool-proof retirement plan. In the former, we talk about buying an annuity from life insurers for a guaranteed…
Continue reading →In the last edition of the reader story, we met Arka and Rupali, a young couple, trying to balance travelling and investing. In this article, they share more details on how to manage our travelling dreams within our income. So, you want to travel?? Are you thrilled by that picture-perfect sunset by the Maldives sea, the…
Continue reading →In this report, we look at how dynamic bond funds have altered their portfolio over the last few months in anticipation of an interest rate hike. Bond market sentiment is monitored via the bond yield which is inversely proportional to bond price. If yield fall, it implies existing bonds have become more valuable (higher price)….
Continue reading →A reader posed an interesting question: Suppose I wish to hold my entire retirement corpus as cash without investing it or saving it or buying pension or monthly income products, what will be the corpus required? At a first glance, this may seem like a silly question. Yes, it is certainly impractical, but working this out…
Continue reading →In this article, we discuss one of the most common questions in various member forums: how can I use blogging (or vlogging) as an income source?. This reminds us of parents who ask, “what is the scope for X degree?” What they mean is, “will my child get a nice fat salary if she pursues…
Continue reading →This is an index fund screener based on tracking error and return difference wrt benchmarks. The screener will help a user 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 is quite different from tracking the Sensex…
Continue reading →In an update to our earlier reports, we compare the performance of actively managed small cap mutual funds with four benchmarks and discuss why it does not make sense to invest in small cap mutual funds. We shall compare every possible 3-year, 4-year and 5-year return of small cap funds between 1st Jan 2013 and…
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