M. Pattabiraman's Blog, page 6

Implementing a retirement bucket strategy with minimal churn

A retirement bucket strategy is an approach by which the retirement corpus is split into 3-4 buckets of varying risk. As retirement progresses and market conditions change, the retiree is expected to manage the buckets. That is, transfer money from one bucket to another to ensure the expenses (indexed to inflation, with some room for...

The post Implementing a retirement bucket strategy with minimal churn appeared first on freefincal.

Handpicked List of Mutual Funds Oct-Dec 2025 (PlumbLine)

These are the freefincal handpicked list of mutual funds. New and old investors can use it according to their specific needs. The list, titled “PlumbLine,” has been published since September 2017 to help beginners use the freefincal robo advisor tool. Most importantly, Plumbline is a mix of my opinions, skin in the game (where I...

The post Handpicked List of Mutual Funds Oct-Dec 2025 (PlumbLine) appeared first on freefincal.

Should you invest in SIFs (Specialized Investment Funds) just because you can?

Specialized Investment Funds (SIFs) and information about them are popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Thankfully, they are not a retail product, as the minimum investment is Rs. 10 lakhs (that many investors with Crores of net worth consider themselves “retail” and “middle class” is another matter!). SIFs are supposed to fill the “gap”...

The post Should you invest in SIFs (Specialized Investment Funds) just because you can? appeared first on freefincal.

Are you really a DIY investor if you ask AI for help?

A while ago, I was speaking with a financial advisor, and the conversation shifted towards the use of AI in personal finance. He believed that those who see the help of AI are not really DIY investors. Does this make sense? Like most things in life, “it depends” on how we use AI. First, let...

The post Are you really a DIY investor if you ask AI for help? appeared first on freefincal.

My Stock Portfolio Analysis: Sep 2025

This article compares my stock portfolio with an equivalent investment in a Nifty index fund and the Nifty 100 Low Volatility 30 TR index. We post this comparison each month. Before we begin, new readers need to understand the context of these investments. Update: We recently added a new tool to the freefincal investor circle...

The post My Stock Portfolio Analysis: Sep 2025 appeared first on freefincal.

The Money Tree: Branch Out Your Income

The internet is full of investing advice to grow wealth or budget better.  Most of this advice comes from financial advisors (who earn commissions from the corpus you generate), financial influencers (who prey on your vulnerability to earn lakhs from brands), and your neighbourhood insurance advisor (who is desperately upselling to pay their own EMIs)....

The post The Money Tree: Branch Out Your Income appeared first on freefincal.

My health Insurance costs this year without GST (Nov 2025 – Oct 2026)

Last Updated on September 23, 2025 at 9:09 am My health insurance with United India usually gets renewed in September each year, a good month before the renewal date. This year, the agent asked me to wait until September 22nd, when the premium will be free of GST. I thought I would document the costs. I...

The post My health Insurance costs this year without GST (Nov 2025 – Oct 2026) appeared first on freefincal.

Debt and hybrid mutual fund screener (Sep 2025) for selection, tracking, learning

This is a debt mutual fund screener for portfolio selection, 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 PSU funds, etc. The credit quality of the bonds in the portfolio and the bond maturity profile can be tracked....

The post Debt and hybrid mutual fund screener (Sep 2025) for selection, tracking, learning appeared first on freefincal.

What are the key factors in building wealth?

I was recently asked, What are the key factors in building wealth? A discussion. 1. Luck/Chance: Let get rid of this first. Yes luck or chance plays a huge role in building wealth. Being born in a financially stable (but not wealthy) family is important. If the family is swimming in debt, then we will begin our...

The post What are the key factors in building wealth? appeared first on freefincal.

Active Mid Cap Mutual Funds vs Nifty Midcap 150

We discuss the performance consistency of actively managed mid cap funds by comparing them with the Nifty Midcap 150 index. The freefincal active equity mutual fund screener, published monthly, uses the Midcap 150 to compare small cap funds. It also uses Midcap 150 Quality 50. We do not include the factor indices in this study...

The post Active Mid Cap Mutual Funds vs Nifty Midcap 150 appeared first on freefincal.