As regular readers may know, we publish an annual personal finance audit every December – our 2021 audit was posted a few days ago. Since last year regular readers have been sharing their investment journey and portfolio reviews. Suhas who was among the first to do this shared an update last week: Why I hiked my…
Continue reading →In this article, we look at how 200 indices representing the stock market, bond market and other asset classes performed in 2021. This is measured with 361 days absolute return from 1st Jan 2021 to 28th Dec 2021. Note: The following information should not be used for making investment decisions. Past performance is not an…
Continue reading →These are the freefincal handpicked list of mutual funds for January-March 2022. New and old investors can use it according to their specific needs. The list is called “PlumbLine” and was started in Sep 2017 for beginners to accompany the freefincal robo advisory tool. Most important! Plumbline is a mix of my opinions + skin…
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 →Jan 1st is just another day, but we tend to think of it as a time for new beginnings. If you are looking to do a better job managing money, here are 17 personal financial resolutions and resources to consider for the new year. In his 2013 Ted Talk, former Google search quality chief Matt…
Continue reading →This article compares the 2021 performance of 367 actively managed equity-oriented mutual funds with category benchmarks. The 2021 performance refers to the 357-day absolute return from 1st Jan 2021 to 24th Dec 2021. All index returns refer to total returns (including dividends) unless otherwise stated. Note: The goal of this study is just what is…
Continue reading →As regular readers may know, we publish an annual personal finance audit every December – our 2021 audit was posted a few days ago. Since last year regular readers have been sharing their investment journey and portfolio reviews. Suhas was among the first to do this. He has most graciously agreed to share an update…
Continue reading →A young reader asks, “The investment journeys published at freefincal have inspired me to get started with my investments. However, I am confused about where and how to begin. Can you please write about this?” The end of the year is perhaps the perfect time to get started on money management, especially if you have…
Continue reading →A reader writes, “I am a 37-year-old investment professional. I have worked for large global financial institutions throughout my career. Most of my professional network unsurprisingly consists of other investment professionals. This might be counterintuitive to many, but I have known some exceptional professional money managers who are rather average at managing their personal investments….
Continue reading →A reader asks, “I am looking for equity funds that hold foreign stocks (overseas equity) but also hold 65% of Indian equity similar to Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund so that it will be taxed as an “equity fund”. Can you help?” The advantage of holding such funds compared to a Nasdaq 100 or S&P…
Continue reading →In this edition of “fund performance report”, we look at Nippon India Smallcap Fund. Launched in Sep 2010, the fund now has an AUM of 17,555 Crores. Disclaimer: Fund performance reports present return and risk analysis of a fund with representative benchmarks and are not investment recommendations. It must be expressly understood that the data below…
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 article, SEBI registered fee-only advisor Swapnil Kendhe explains why it makes sense for most of us to become defensive (passive) investors. About the author: Swapnil is a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor and part of my fee-only financial planners’ list. You can learn more about him and his service via his website, Vivektaru. In the recently conducted…
Continue reading →I evaluate my retirement portfolio’s performance and my son’s future portfolio in a personal finance audit each year. This is the ninth edition. Published since 2013, these audits provide a sense of accountability and ensure I do not fall prey to fear of missing out, preventing bad investment decisions. I am proud and delighted that…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “how can I regularly withdraw every year, say 7 per cent per year, from the corpus in my 18-year-old PPF account towards my yearly expenses”. There are two aspects to consider here: technical feasibility and practical feasibility. Once a PPF account has completed 15 years, there are two ways to keep it…
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