When should you withdraw your Mutual Fund?

Investors often take the decision of redeeming their fund in a haste. If the market is uncertain or their fund is underperforming or there is a change in the fund manager, their reflex action is to immediately redeem their fund. This may not be the right thing to do.

Mutual fund investments should always be aligned with financial goals. A correct asset allocation is the key to wealth creation. There are various categories of equity, debt and hybrid mutual funds. Picking the right mutual fund will make the difference to your portfolio. You can also talk to a financial advisor for help with choosing the right fund. Stay invested for the long term to benefit from the power of compounding.

Why should Mid Cap Funds be a part of your portfolio?

Every investor has short-term goals and long-term goals. For the short-term goals, one can consider debt mutual funds, but for longer term goals (3+ years) equity is the asset class you need. There are multiple categories of equity funds and one must consider investing in them based on one’s investment horizon and risk profile. One important category is the Mid Cap Fund. Let us try and understand why one should be investing in this category.

Mid Cap funds invest in companies that are at an early stage of their business cycle and have higher growth potential than other companies. Adding a mid-cap fund to your portfolio for longer term goals gives your investment the opportunity to benefit from the growth cycles of these companies. Not just that, it adds to portfolio diversification too.

Things to keep in mind when investing in mid cap funds

  • Don’t get swayed by market volatility – stay invested, keep investing
  • Invest for the long term (5+ years)

7 bonus ideas you need in your life!

It’s the end of another financial year, and many of you will be receiving your annual performance bonus. Exciting time, isn’t it? I bet you’ve got fantastic plans of how to splurge it. I’ve got them too, with a little boring, but necessary checklist I thought I should share.

I hope that maybe it helps you too. Without further ado, here’s 7 bonus ideas you need in your life.

  1. Pay off debt: Credit card bills, student loans, vehicle or home loans, you could have any of these. It might be a good idea to pay these bills and also set aside some money for any future loans you may be considering. This will minimise the principal amount you owe and you can save on hefty interest payments.
  2. Add to your retirement fund: Your retirement may be a long way off, but no one tells you it’s one of the first goals you should start saving for. Why? Look at cost of living today. If you spend 30,000 a month today as living expenses, 20 years down the line assuming inflation is at 6%, you’ll be spending 1.72 lakhs a month. Start putting aside a little by little with a Systematic Investment Plan in mutual funds to build wealth for your retirement. You can also invest in NPS and PPF for relative safety. Use a retirement calculator to figure out how much your SIP amount should be.
  3. Build an emergency fund: Life is unpredictable. So, isn’t it a smart move to be prepared? You may lose your job, or your company isn’t doing well and can’t pay salaries, or for some reason, there is little or no income. It’s ideal to have at least 6 months of expenses saved in an emergency fund. Do not touch this unless it truly is an emergency. Consider a liquid fund for this. Frivolous purchases are not emergencies and can be planned.
  4. Invest for longer term, big ticket goals: You’ve got a lumpsum in hand, why blow it all up now? You may want to purchase a car in the future, make the down payment on a house, fund your child’s higher education, or even start a business. Whatever your goal may be, no matter how far, start setting aside funds today for it. You can even start a SIP in mutual funds. Time and compounding will work for you.
  5. Get insurance: Ever considered who will take care of your family should anything happen to you? Get a term plan to secure your family financially in case you die. The earlier you get it, the lesser the premiums cost. Don’t delay this until next year.
  6. Buy health cover for your family: Health is wealth, and when your bonus can help you secure your family’s health, why not? There could be a time when your employer’s health cover may not be enough to cover all expenses. Consider purchasing a family floater health plan.