freefincal https://freefincal.com/ Sat, 04 Jul 2026 03:50:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-Freefincal-favicon-32x32.jpg freefincal https://freefincal.com/ 32 32 57044001 no How much do I need to retire by 50? https://freefincal.com/how-much-do-i-need-to-retire-by-50/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:30:27 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=259565 A reader says, “Dear Pattu Sir, I am 28 and wish to retire by 50. What is the retirement corpus I require?” We shall compute this using the freefincal robo advisory tool with the following modifications (remaining assumptions stay the same): Monthly expenses Rs. 50,000; The current corpus is practically zero Post-tax return expected from...

The post How much do I need to retire by 50? appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 259565 Personal Finance in Your 30s, 40s and 50s: Habits, Mistakes and Must-Fix Goals https://freefincal.com/personal-finance-in-your-30s-40s-and-50s-habits-mistakes-and-must-fix-goals/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:30:31 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361914 I was recently asked in an interview to list personal finance milestones in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Since personal finance is deeply personal, listing such milestones may cause anxiety in many who, due to personal circumstances, have had difficulty investing or saving like the rest of us. I liked three questions on a related...

The post Personal Finance in Your 30s, 40s and 50s: Habits, Mistakes and Must-Fix Goals appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 361914 National Pension Scheme Fund Screener July 2026: Shortlist consistent performers https://freefincal.com/national-pension-scheme-fund-screener-july-2026-shortlist-consistent-performers/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:30:58 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361659 This is a National Pension Scheme Fund Screener to shortlist consistently performing NPS schemes. You can also identify NPS schemes that offer a higher return than the benchmark while maintaining lower risk. This is similar in design to the freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener. Inside, you get discounted links to our robo advisory tool...

The post National Pension Scheme Fund Screener July 2026: Shortlist consistent performers appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 361659 Waiting for the Crash: Why “Buying the Dip” could quietly make you poorer? https://freefincal.com/waiting-for-the-crash-why-buying-the-dip-could-quietly-make-you-poorer/ Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:30:35 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361898 There’s a moment in the movie “Life in a … Metro” where one character asks a simple question: “If you sat in your car and waited for every single traffic signal on your route to turn green before you left home, would you ever actually go anywhere?” You wouldn’t. Because that’s not how a journey...

The post Waiting for the Crash: Why “Buying the Dip” could quietly make you poorer? appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 361898 Personal Accident Insurance: How Temporary Total Disablement Claims Work — Two Real Examples https://freefincal.com/personal-accident-insurance-how-temporary-total-disablement-claims-work-two-real-examples/ Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:30:23 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=358898 Last Updated on July 4, 2026 at 9:20 am In this article, Somaprasad S H, a senior insurance advisor explains with two real-life examples, how temporary total disablement claims in personal accident insurance work. He sent us this article after reading Buying Accident Insurance Policies in India: Must-know facts. Your article “Buying Accident Insurance Policies in...

The post Personal Accident Insurance: How Temporary Total Disablement Claims Work — Two Real Examples appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 358898 The Loneliness of DIY Investing https://freefincal.com/the-loneliness-of-diy-investing/ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:30:17 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=358786 DIY investing sounds wonderfully empowering. No commissions. No advisors pushing products. No relationship manager calling every quarter with a recommendation that mysteriously happens to suit your needs. Just you, your money, and complete control. At least that’s the story we tell ourselves.  The part nobody talks about is how lonely that control can become.  About...

The post The Loneliness of DIY Investing appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 358786 NaviPlan v1.1.0 – “Terrace” is Here! Privacy-First Portfolio Tracker + Goal Planner https://freefincal.com/naviplan-v1-1-0-terrace-is-here-privacy-first-portfolio-tracker-goal-planner/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:30:55 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361226 Last Updated on July 3, 2026 at 8:36 pm Last month saw the launch of NaviPlan: A Privacy-Focused Multi-asset Tracker and Goal Planner. This tool, developed by Gokul of Naviran Technologies in association with freefincal, can be used to track mutual funds, stocks, and FDs.  The user can tag these to financial goals and track...

The post NaviPlan v1.1.0 – “Terrace” is Here! Privacy-First Portfolio Tracker + Goal Planner appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 361226 noLast Updated on July 3, 2026 at 8:36 pm Last month saw the launch of NaviPlan: A Privacy-Focused Multi-asset Tracker and Goal Planner. This tool, developed by Gokul of Naviran Technologies in association with freefincal, can be used to track mutual funds, stocks, and FDs.  The user can tag these to financial goals and track... The post NaviPlan v1.1.0 – “Terrace” is Here! Privacy-First Portfolio Tracker + Goal Planner appeared first on freefincal.Last Updated on July 3, 2026 at 8:36 pm Last month saw the launch of NaviPlan: A Privacy-Focused Multi-asset Tracker and Goal Planner. This tool, developed by Gokul of Naviran Technologies in association with freefincal, can be used to track mutual funds, stocks, and FDs.  The user can tag these to financial goals and track... The post NaviPlan v1.1.0 – “Terrace” is Here! Privacy-First Portfolio Tracker + Goal Planner appeared first on freefincal.Financial Planning Stocks with low volatility and momentum for July 2026 https://freefincal.com/stocks-with-low-volatility-and-momentum-for-july-2026/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:30:51 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361516 We publish a list of stocks with low volatility and momentum each month. We provide data for BSE 500 and BSE 100 stocks. Update: Starting March 2026, the screening metrics have been significantly updated (details below). There are now three different screener files available. (1) Stocks with low volatility and momentum from the BSE 100...

The post Stocks with low volatility and momentum for July 2026 appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 361516 What Is the Safe Spending Limit for a ₹1 Crore Retirement Corpus? https://freefincal.com/what-is-the-safe-spending-limit-for-a-%e2%82%b91-crore-retirement-corpus/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:30:31 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=354842 Last Updated on June 30, 2026 at 11:39 am A reader asks, “What Is the Safe Spending Limit for a ₹1 Crore Retirement Corpus?” In other words, if my retirement corpus is Rs. one Crore, what should be the maximum (initial) expenses so that I can draw an inflation-indexed income? Naturally, there is no universal...

The post What Is the Safe Spending Limit for a ₹1 Crore Retirement Corpus? appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 354842 How to sustain your confidence in equity investments during market declines https://freefincal.com/how-to-sustain-your-confidence-in-equity-investments-during-market-declines/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:30:48 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=268376 I was recently asked in an interview, “How can I emotionally handle long periods of poor returns in the equity markets?” – a discussion. Many readers accuse us of scaring them by stating the factually obvious: Long-term equity investment comes with no guarantees of success! So, we discuss how to stay invested in equity without worrying...

The post How to sustain your confidence in equity investments during market declines appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 268376 Don’t Burn Your House to Smoke Out a Rat https://freefincal.com/dont-burn-your-house-to-smoke-out-a-rat/ Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:30:42 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=360722 Last Updated on June 30, 2026 at 11:38 am “Don’t burn your house to smoke out a rat.” It is an old proverb, but its relevance has never faded. Literally, it means destroying something valuable in an attempt to solve a relatively small problem. In practice, it describes situations in which the solution causes far...

The post Don’t Burn Your House to Smoke Out a Rat appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 360722 Insurance Last: Why We Protect Our Phones Better Than Our Families https://freefincal.com/insurance-last-why-we-protect-our-phones-better-than-our-families/ Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:30:53 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=357952 Last Updated on June 27, 2026 at 10:00 am Every strong house needs a foundation before you decorate the rooms. In money, that foundation is just two things: term insurance and health insurance. They quietly hold up everything else. But here is the strange part. Nearly half of Indians still do not have term insurance,...

The post Insurance Last: Why We Protect Our Phones Better Than Our Families appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 357952 Handpicked List of Mutual Funds July-Sep 2026 (PlumbLine) https://freefincal.com/handpicked-list-of-mutual-funds-july-sep-2026-plumbline/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:30:15 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=356994 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 July-Sep 2026 (PlumbLine) appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 356994 Don’t expect to spend less after retirement! https://freefincal.com/dont-expect-to-spend-less-after-retirement/ Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:30:12 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=258757 Many assume that their expenses will decrease after retirement and that they do not need as large a corpus as computed using our current lifestyle. This is a mistake. A 35-year-old once told me, “My expenses will be lower when I turn 60 because I will travel less, eat out less, etc.” There could be...

The post Don’t expect to spend less after retirement! appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 258757 Our parents aren’t out of money; They’re out of time, but their brain hasn’t noticed it https://freefincal.com/our-parents-arent-out-of-money-theyre-out-of-time-but-their-brain-hasnt-noticed-it/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:30:25 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=360360 A friend recently asked me to review her father’s finances. He’s 75, with a liquid net worth of ₹3.5 crore, but every rupee is quietly held for the generation that comes after him. Meeting him reminded me of a story. About the author: Abhishek Kumar is part of a freefincal’s curated list of fee-only financial advisors and a fee-only...

The post Our parents aren’t out of money; They’re out of time, but their brain hasn’t noticed it appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 360360 How to use real estate as a passive income source after retirement? https://freefincal.com/how-to-use-real-estate-as-a-passive-income-source-after-retirement/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:30:17 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=254214 Everyone instantly recognizes rental income as passive income—potentially the oldest one. Real estate has an irresistible allure, which naturally leads to inquiries about its potential use as a source of passive income, especially after retirement. We discussed how passive income is crucial to your retirement plan and how to build the ideal retirement portfolio beyond...

The post How to use real estate as a passive income source after retirement? appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 254214 My Stock Portfolio Analysis: June 2026 https://freefincal.com/my-stock-portfolio-analysis-june-2026/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:30:29 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=356998 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: June 2026 appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 356998 8 Questions to Ask Before You Retire Early — or On Schedule https://freefincal.com/8-questions-to-ask-before-you-retire-early-or-on-schedule/ Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:30:32 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=357191 Last Updated on June 21, 2026 at 9:05 pm Here are some questions you need to ask before you retire early or on schedule. We also include recommendations of the freefincal robo advisor tool where relevant. 1. Do I have a strong emergency fund to handle unexpected expenses? We recommend at least 5% of the...

The post 8 Questions to Ask Before You Retire Early — or On Schedule appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 357191 ₹1 Cr mirage: Why your wealth looks “stuck” right before it explodes https://freefincal.com/%e2%82%b91-cr-mirage-why-your-wealth-looks-stuck-right-before-it-explodes/ Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:30:48 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=358850 Last Updated on June 21, 2026 at 9:53 am I once watched a client stare at his portfolio for three full minutes, certain his screen had frozen. His net worth hadn’t moved in six months. “What’s happening here?” he finally asked. It wasn’t broken. It was working exactly as designed. He had just hit the...

The post ₹1 Cr mirage: Why your wealth looks “stuck” right before it explodes appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 358850 Debt and hybrid mutual fund screener (June 2026) for selection, tracking, learning https://freefincal.com/debt-and-hybrid-mutual-fund-screener-june-2026-for-selection-tracking-learning/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:30:35 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=358310 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 seeking to invest in money market funds, banking PSU funds, and similar instruments. The credit quality of the portfolio’s bonds and the bond maturity profile can be tracked. Instead...

The post Debt and hybrid mutual fund screener (June 2026) for selection, tracking, learning appeared first on freefincal.

]]> 358310