Retirement planning is not a test of how smart you are; it is a test of how well you control your behaviour.
Perhaps we spend too much time planning how to become financially free and too little asking what we want to be free for, notes Harsh Roongta.
'Your retirement corpus isn't just a big pile of cash for 'one day' -- it is the salary you pay yourself when you no longer want to go to work.'
The impact of currency depreciation can also be mitigated by holding a portion of your investment portfolio in dollar-denominated assets.
International mutual fund schemes have seen a significant resurgence in investor interest, attracting approximately Rs 7,600 crore in net inflows over the past year, a stark reversal from previous outflows, driven by their strong outperformance against domestic markets and limited AI-linked investment opportunities in India.
Urban Indian millennials are caught in an algorithmically amplified consumption spiral where social media normalises spending patterns that systematically undermine retirement security.
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The tax treatment of equity savings funds makes them appealing, especially to investors in higher income-tax brackets.
'We see a lot of cases of bank deposits getting lost, especially when people die, so this will help address that because you have one consolidated view.'
If you do not insulate your retirement corpus from the true cost of modern critical care, you don't have a retirement plan -- you have a fragile strategy waiting for an expensive medical emergency to break it
An employee whose financial future is 60-80 per cent dependent on a single company's growth trajectory has no genuine safety net.
'Users should protect their savings goals before allocating money to discretionary expenditure.'
Investors should do thorough due diligence when selecting a platform.
Life cycle funds may suit people who are starting their investing journey. They may suit those who do not want to monitor their investments frequently. Busy professionals, beginners and delegators, who lack the time, information or interest to manage asset allocation actively, may find these funds useful.
RIS Steady Life Cycle begins with an equity allocation of 35 per cent at age 60, which gradually reduces. Between ages 75 and 85, it remains constant at 10 per cent.
Amidst a sharp run-up in gold and silver prices, investors are advised to rebalance their portfolios by booking partial profits in precious metals and reallocating to domestic equities and debt, according to financial experts.
List all unavoidable expenses such as rent, groceries, transportation, education and medical bills.
Since this is a long-term investment, investors must do their homework and choose a fund manager carefully.
Behind the aesthetics of an entrepreneurial lifestyle lies a silent financial crisis that nobody is talking about: Freelancers are sprinting toward a retirement brick wall.
In the rush to complete tax-saving investments at the end of the financial year, many taxpayers choose instruments that do not match their long-term financial goals.
Rising income feels like success but unchecked lifestyle inflation traps urban professionals into financing a more expensive version of living paycheck-to-paycheck -- buying material upgrades instead of true future financial freedom.
Understanding a product and assessing its suitability improve the chances of staying invested. Use life insurance mainly to cover risk, not to seek returns.
Your children may always love you but should you expect them to to finance your retirement in today's economy?
This exercise allows investors to realign their portfolios with changing market conditions and evolving personal objectives.
Overlap refers to the same stocks appearing across fund portfolios.
Of course, NOT! Here's why. And here's how you can increase your Rs 1 crore retirement corpus.
Flexicap fund performance depends heavily on the fund manager's decisions.
Those who have binged on credit must spend less, cut discretionary expenses, and focus on repayment.
'It takes time and the experience of a few market cycles to develop awareness about one's true risk appetite.'
'I own a few cars that I have had specified minutely to my taste, and it does feel nice to know that there are no other vehicles like them anywhere in the world.'
If you have ever said 'I'll sort retirement later,' now is when 'later' begins.
'Having a separate healthcare corpus is extremely important even for those already covered by health insurance.'
Young earners with high incomes and few responsibilities can save more than 30 per cent, while those with low salaries and high expenses may save less.
Use these loans to meet emergency needs, and not to fund holidays or luxury purchases.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Majority of equity fund managers were able to squeeze in some extra returns over their benchmarks in 2024-25 (FY25). While some managed to do so by delivering outsized returns during the equity market rally in the first half of the year (H1FY25), others succeeded by limiting the downside during the market downturn.
'If you invest in a rush at the last moment, you could compromise on selecting the best tax-saving options.'
Do not get trapped in the fear-and-greed cycle. Let time and discipline do the heavy lifting, points out Harsh Roongta.
New investors should not allow themselves to fall prey to FOMO and rush headlong into gold.
Many senior citizens 'underestimate the impact of inflation, taxation, health-related expenses, and the heavy premium they will have to pay on health insurance.'
