A reader asks, “I am 28 years old and wish to retire by 45. My monthly expenses are about Rs. 40,000. My current net worth is essentially zero as I just started to work. How much should I invest to retire by 45? I do not intend to get married. I can manage to invest…
Continue reading →A reader who prefers anonymity asks, “Sir, I am a big fan of your articles. Thanks to you, we have started investing in a goal-based manner. We are not yet investing as much as we should for these goals. We live in rented accommodation. My husband wants us to buy a house as soon as…
Continue reading →I have invested in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) since 8th March 2010. This is a performance report of how the NPS invested has fared over the last 12+ years. We also compare the returns with EPF. Note: Kindly do not assume that I am recommending NPS instruments. My situation is quite different from most….
Continue reading →In this edition of the fund performance report, we review HDFC Hybrid Equity Fund. In a baffling and messy response to the SEBI categorisation rules, HDFC decided to close both its balanced funds, HDFC Balanced and HDFC Prudence and merge them with unknown funds! From June 1st 2018, HDFC Balanced and its AUM merged with…
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 →Edelweiss Gold and Silver ETF Fund of Fund is an open-ended scheme investing in Gold ETF and Silver ETF units. The fund is currently in its NFO period (Aug 24th to 7th Sep 2022). In this review, we discuss if it makes sense for investors to consider such a fund. The scheme presentation says the…
Continue reading →Satish asks, “Sir, I am 24 years old and will be receiving my first salary in Aug 2022. My basic pay is close to Rs. 35,000. The gross pay is about Rs. 63,000. The take-home after TDS and EPF deductions is close to Rs. 50,000. I need to give Rs. 10,000 to my parents each…
Continue reading →This article explains how international mutual funds are taxed with an example. All mutual funds not holding a minimum of 65% of Indian stocks or Indian stock-based ETFs are known as “non-equity” mutual funds by the income tax department. They are taxed at a rate of 20% with indexation. In the case of non-equity mutual…
Continue reading →Here are five free resources (two ebooks, two webinars and a policy comparison spreadsheet) to help you choose a suitable health insurance policy. 1. Ebook on Health Insurance by Venkatesh Jayaraman. Author Bio: I was brought up in Chennai and moved around Bengaluru, Chennai, Mysuru and Pune to cater for my career requirements. But primarily…
Continue reading →The Mutual Fund space in India is reasonably large and growing. At the time of writing, there are 52 Asset Management Companies (AMCs) offering more than 1,000 – and counting – schemes. The choice can be overwhelming at times. There are literally thousands of places that list the ‘best funds’ to invest in. This article…
Continue reading →A young reader writes, “I am a recent graduate, who used to dump his money all on a Nifty fund I picked at random. But with your videos and articles, I now have an idea about choosing funds. But I still am confused about asset allocation. Other than an Index fund, I have no idea…
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 →A reader asks, “Sir, can we use Sensex or Nifty ETFs for long term goals instead of index funds? If so, which is better, Sensex or Nifty ETFs?” We recommend not using any ETF for investing because of possible price-NAV swings during times of crisis and their persistence for weeks. This can happen in any ETF…
Continue reading →A reader asks, “Sir, My wife and I are both working in the same company and do wish to have children. We are both aged 27. We have just started working in well-paid jobs, so our networth is essentially zero. Our dream is to put an end to salaried existence in at least 13 years’…
Continue reading →This is an index fund screener based on tracking error and returns difference wrt benchmarks (aka tracking difference). 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…
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