I have made a lot of investment mistakes but am on course to financial independence by 45

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Mr Sailor (real name withheld on request) who, despite several mistakes (judged in the comfort of hindsight, to be fair), is on course to achieve financial independence by age 45. His journey teaches us to not wallow in regret, move forward and be consistent. About this…

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How should new mutual fund investors track their portfolios?

Arjun asks, “Can you please write an article on how new mutual fund investors should track their portfolios?” Today “tracking” an investment portfolio has become extremely easy. Investors are spoilt for choice and, at the same time, swayed by fancy pie charts and textured graphs. But is this tracking? In this article, let us consider…

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I have just started investing in MFs how much loss should I be prepared to face?

Sriram has an interesting question: “Dear Pattu sir, thanks to your articles, I have just started investing in equity mutual funds with a 15-year goal. For the fixed income part, I would like to use a combination of fixed deposits and gilt mutual funds”. “My asset allocation is 50% equity and 50% fixed income. As…

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Retirement Stock Portfolio Analysis: October 2021

This article compares my monthly retirement 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…

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I plan to achieve financial independence by 46 this is my master plan

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Vasu, who is two years away from financial independence. He explains his approach to personal finance: “Own what you know, Loan  (to) who you know” to maximize risk-adjusted rewards or minimize reward-adjusted risks. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about…

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What is the most profitable niche for a side-hustle or passive income?

Every week we receive questions related to our articles on side-hustle and passive income. There is one common thread to many of these questions. Readers appreciate the importance of building multiple income streams for retirement but don’t know where to start. So they ask what is the best niche or the most profitable niche for…

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