freefincal https://freefincal.com/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 04:08:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-Freefincal-favicon-32x32.jpg freefincal https://freefincal.com/ 32 32 57044001 no Early Retirement 101: FAQ on the FIRE movement https://freefincal.com/early-retirement-101-faq-on-the-fire-movement/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:30:15 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=252724 This article addresses frequently asked questions about early retirement and the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. 1 What is the definition of financial independence? When a person has enough income from her investments or net worth to not only replace existing gainful employment but also combat inflation in essential expenses and lifestyle changes for...

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]]> 252724 Surcharge and Pre-Tax Corpus: The Two Illusions Keeping You in Regular Mutual Funds https://freefincal.com/surcharge-and-pre-tax-corpus-the-two-illusions-keeping-you-in-regular-mutual-funds/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:30:51 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365213 When investors discover the impact of distributor commissions embedded in Regular mutual fund plans, the urge to switch to Direct plans is immediate. The math seems obvious: saving 0.75% to 1.00% every year in expense ratios compounds into a massive difference over decades. Yet when long-term investors consult an advisor or open an Excel sheet...

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]]> 365213 Index fund tracking error screener Aug 2026 https://freefincal.com/index-fund-tracking-error-screener-aug-2026/ Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:30:24 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365067 This index fund screener is based on tracking error and return differences wrt benchmarks (also known as tracking differences). It will help users evaluate how efficiently an index fund has tracked its underlying benchmark. It will also help them understand how tracking a midcap index, such as the Nifty 100 or 500, differs from tracking...

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]]> 365067 Inflation at work: Rs. 1000 in 1981 Worth Only Rs. 49 Today! https://freefincal.com/inflation-at-work-rs-1000-in-1981-worth-only-rs-49-today/ Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:30:49 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365122 The cost inflation index for the financial year 2026-2027 is 384, representing a 2.13% increase. We compile 46 years of cost inflation index data to understand the devastating consequences of inflation and why our singular focus should be on beating inflation for our long term goals. The cost inflation index (CII) is not a measure...

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]]> 365122 Early Retirement Planning: The 50-Year Puzzle https://freefincal.com/early-retirement-planning-the-50-year-puzzle/ Sat, 15 Aug 2026 00:30:26 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365162 In Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, the protagonist Arjun had a number. We wanted to hit the target corpus by 40, retire, and finally start living. It’s one of the most seductive ideas Bollywood ever put on screen, and it has quietly become the blueprint for an entire generation of Indian professionals. I meet Arjuns every...

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]]> 365162 ETF tracking error screener Aug 2026 https://freefincal.com/etf-tracking-error-screener-aug-2026/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:30:10 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365053 This ETF screener tracks errors and differences (ETF return minus index return). It will help users evaluate how efficiently an ETF has tracked its underlying benchmark. The tracking error is the ETF’s standard deviation minus the index’s monthly return differences. The lower the tracking error, the more efficiently the ETF tracks the index. Unlike returns,...

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]]> 365053 Your Retirement Plan Has a Blind Spot (Part 1) https://freefincal.com/your-retirement-plan-has-a-blind-spot-part-1/ Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:30:25 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=364987 We plan for inflation, longevity, and market crashes. We rarely plan for our own decline. For the last five years, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about retirement planning. Not just the numbers, but the assumptions underneath them. Like most DIY investors, I started with the obvious questions. How much corpus would...

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]]> 364987 Should You Invest in an International Fund? Try This Test First https://freefincal.com/should-you-invest-in-an-international-fund-try-this-test-first/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:30:42 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365102 “Can you suggest a good international fund—or include one in my portfolio?” I hear some version of this question regularly in my work as a SEBI-registered investment adviser. Usually, I respond with another question: “If I hid the last three years of returns from you, would you still want to invest internationally?” Take a moment...

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]]> 365102 Worried about Parag Parikh Flexicap? Here are your options https://freefincal.com/worried-about-parag-parikh-flexicap-here-are-your-options/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:30:20 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365168 Why do content creators keep talking about Parag Parikh Flexicap? Because they know it will garner interest from both unitholders and bystanders. The best way to handle this is to avoid watching any financial content on social media or YouTube, so the algorithms think you don’t care. But that seems hard for most people. The...

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]]> 365168 Equity Mutual Fund Screener Aug 2026: Shortlist consistent performers https://freefincal.com/equity-mutual-fund-screener-aug-2026-shortlist-consistent-performers/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:30:51 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365057 The latest freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Performance Screener is now available. Use it to screen for equity mutual funds that consistently perform. You can screen based on fund category & benchmark to identify mutual funds that offer higher returns than the benchmark while maintaining lower risk. Inside, you get discounted links to our robo advisory...

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]]> 365057 18 years of mutual fund investing: My Journey and lessons learned https://freefincal.com/18-years-of-mutual-fund-investing-my-journey-and-lessons-learned/ Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:30:49 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365086 This is an update on my mutual fund investing journey, which began on 19th June 2008. In the last three decades, I have gone from being a spendthrift to being in debt to financial independence. New community members can refer to these articles for an account. The Financial Arrow of Time and My Journey: Driven by the...

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]]> 365086 Edelweiss Nifty REITs & Realty Index Fund – Should You Invest? https://freefincal.com/edelweiss-nifty-reits-realty-index-fund-should-you-invest/ Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:30:01 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365091 Edelweiss Nifty REITs & Realty Index Fund is an open-ended scheme that replicates/tracks the Nifty REITs & Realty Total Return Index. The scheme is currently in its NFO period. We discuss what an interested investor should consider before investing. To keep things simple, REITs (and invITs) generate cash flows from real estate properties with some...

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]]> 365091 National Pension Scheme Fund Screener Aug 2026: Shortlist consistent performers https://freefincal.com/national-pension-scheme-fund-screener-aug-2026-shortlist-consistent-performers/ Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:30:39 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365049 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...

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]]> 365049 The earlier your retirement, the lower your retirement corpus! https://freefincal.com/the-earlier-your-retirement-the-lower-your-retirement-corpus/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:30:17 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=273547 We discuss a counterintuitive idea in retirement planning. The sooner you retire, the lower the retirement corpus necessary for financial freedom! But where is the catch? Let us consider a 30-year-old who wishes to plan for retirement. Let us call him Dagwood (a comic character created by cartoonist Chic Young).  He wants to decide the...

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]]> 273547 How should I invest to secure the future of my newborn child? https://freefincal.com/how-should-i-invest-to-secure-the-future-of-my-newborn-child/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:30:52 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=209467 A reader asks, How should I invest to secure the future of my newborn child? Our investing mantra is process-first, products-last.  We create a financial plan suited to our needs, considering realistic inflation estimates. Then, we consider the necessary risk for the goal, the risk we can emotionally handle and determine an asset allocation (mix of...

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]]> 209467 Why are you recommending science as a career when the pay is so small?! https://freefincal.com/why-are-you-recommending-science-as-a-career-when-the-pay-is-so-small/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:30:03 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=207135 A while ago, I made two videos (linked below) on the options for parents if their child is interested in science. Recently, I received a rather critical email in response. The essence was: Why are you recommending science as a career when the pay is so small?! The answer is quite simple: passion. If my...

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]]> 207135 Stocks with low volatility and momentum for Aug 2026 https://freefincal.com/stocks-with-low-volatility-and-momentum-for-aug-2026/ Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:30:50 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=365045 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...

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]]> 365045 “I have enough”: Words that beat any net worth https://freefincal.com/i-have-enough-words-that-beat-any-net-worth/ Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:30:10 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=364884 Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22, was once at a party, and his friend told him that their host had probably made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his famous novel in its entire lifetime. Heller didn’t flinch. “Yes,” he said, “but I have something he will never have. I have...

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]]> 364884 Stop Comparing Funds; Start Comparing Portfolios https://freefincal.com/stop-comparing-funds-start-comparing-portfolios/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:30:04 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=364442 In a previous article, I discussed building a portfolio and backtesting against the Nifty 100 or Nifty 500.  Investors don’t own just one fund—they own a portfolio. The real question isn’t whether Fund A beat Fund B, but whether your portfolio is actually delivering better outcomes than a simple benchmark like the Nifty 500. The...

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]]> 364442 Being Financially Wise Doesn’t Make You Miserly https://freefincal.com/being-financially-wise-doesnt-make-you-miserly/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:30:00 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=361374 Last Updated on July 31, 2026 at 8:21 am One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that whenever I talk about managing money, someone eventually labels me a miser. Apparently, if you speak about budgeting, investing, avoiding unnecessary debt, or controlling expenses, you must be someone who doesn’t know how to enjoy life. I...

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