M. Pattabiraman's Blog, page 93

Can I use Target Maturity Funds like recurring deposits?

A reader asks, “I have been reading a bit on Target Maturity Funds and wanted to know if these can be used like a recurring deposit. Example: Let’s say I wish to buy a house in 2031. I want to create a substantial amount for the down payment”. “I intend to build the corpus through...

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Why bother with asset allocation if I have the appetite to bear market ups and downs?

A reader asks,  “If I pick any so-called large or mid cap schemes and if I check returns more than ten years, they have at least 12% CAGR and above. If my time horizon is above ten years and I’m happy with a 12% CAGR, can I stick to only one good fund and do...

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Want to become better at Financial Planning? Start with this first!

If you are an avid non-fiction reader, you may have come across the phrase ‘keystone’ habit. Keystone habits are powerful and transformative habits that have the potential to trigger positive changes in other areas of our lives. Popularized by the book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, keystone habits are defined as small, positive changes...

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My Stock Portfolio Analysis: April 2023

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 appreciate the context of these investments. I started direct equity investing only after achieving a comfortable level of...

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How Sahil plans to achieve financial independence by efficient tracking

Hi, this is Sahil. This is the way I track my personal finance-related metrics. This should be helpful for DIY investors and should help them to focus on what and how to measure.   About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some...

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Can I expect 10% return over five years of investing?

A reader wants to know if he can expect “10% per annum” if the investment period is a “minimum of five years”. Again, regular readers of freefincal might dismiss this as a newbie mistake, but it is a common mistake and deserves some attention. The first point to appreciate is unless we are investing in...

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Debt mutual fund screener (April 2023) for selection, tracking, learning

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...

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What is the biggest mutual fund investing mistake?

A reader asks, “In your experience, what is the biggest mistake mutual fund investors make? Can you write an article about this?” This can be answered in three words! Shiny Object syndrome – most mutual fund investors, suffer from this, which is their biggest mistake. The trailing one-year return is often the only factor an investor...

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Try this simple check to find out if you are on the right financial path

We often get emails from readers wanting to know if they are on the right financial path. Here is a simple check to find out. The answer to all questions below is a simple yes or no. The aim here is to maximise the number of yeses. Even if you can’t answer yes to a question...

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The AI generated freefincal podcast!

It is not even May, and already 2023 is the year of AI and as Bill Gates recently proclaimed, the age of AI has begun. We recently discussed how ChatGPT could be a game-changer in personal finance. We also demonstrated Retirement Planning with AutoGPT and pointed out that the future of Investment advisory is informal....

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