freefincal https://freefincal.com/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:19:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://freefincal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-Freefincal-favicon-32x32.jpg freefincal https://freefincal.com/ 32 32 57044001 no How I learnt health is wealth the hard way https://freefincal.com/how-i-learnt-health-is-wealth-the-hard-way/ Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:30:39 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=312727 A reader shared a health scare he recently experienced and the lessons he learnt from it. He would like to remain anonymous. I have diligently built my net worth to Rs. 10 crores over the past 20 years, with a good but not spectacular salary, all of which has been earned in India. Thanks to...

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]]> 312727 A Tax Planning Mistake Many Middle East NRIs Make with Indian Mutual Funds https://freefincal.com/a-tax-planning-mistake-many-middle-east-nris-make-with-indian-mutual-funds/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:30:27 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=349590 Many NRIs living in the Middle East may be making a simple but expensive mistake with their Indian mutual fund investments. They continue holding their mutual funds for years without periodically realising their long-term capital gains, assuming they can redeem whenever they want. On the surface, this may not seem like an issue. But if...

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]]> 349590 Index fund tracking error screener Apr 2026 https://freefincal.com/index-fund-tracking-error-screener-apr-2026/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:30:49 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=348880 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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]]> 348880 How to factor real estate into a retirement plan? https://freefincal.com/how-to-factor-real-estate-into-a-retirement-plan/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:30:38 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=247814 A reader asks, “If there is a Real estate component (physical) in a retirement planning portfolio, what is the best way to consider this during the rebalancing of assets? Or when considering the equity vs debt allocation”. “For example. Without considering RE investment, my portfolio is at 65: 35. ( 65 % equity). However, if...

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]]> 247814 Can I start a monthly SWP for one Lakh if my retirement corpus is two Crores? https://freefincal.com/can-i-start-a-monthly-swp-for-one-lakh-if-my-retirement-corpus-is-two-crores/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:30:57 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=240395 A reader says, “I have a generic question about retirement planning. Can you retire if your annual expenses equal 6% of your corpus?  Say my monthly expenses are 1 lac. My corpus is two crores. I do SWP for 1 lac monthly. If the returns exceed 6% pa, it will also cover inflation. Is there...

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]]> 240395 The Relationship Premium: The High Cost of Buying Financial Junk to Please Your Relatives https://freefincal.com/the-relationship-premium-the-high-cost-of-buying-financial-junk-to-please-your-relatives/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:30:06 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=346961 The setting is familiar. It’s a cousin’s wedding, a Diwali card party, or a quiet Sunday lunch. You are enjoying your paneer tikka when Sharma Uncle—a distant relative, a retired neighbour, or perhaps your own Chacha ji—corners you. After five minutes of polite small talk about your job and marriage prospects, the pivot happens. Beta,...

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]]> 346961 ETF tracking error screener Apr 2026 https://freefincal.com/etf-tracking-error-screener-apr-2026/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:30:21 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=348565 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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]]> 348565 Does factor investing outperformance fail for high-turnover stocks? https://freefincal.com/does-factor-investing-outperformance-fail-for-high-turnover-stocks/ Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:30:11 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=348456 In a previous study published on freefincal, we showed that the Nifty 200 Momentum 30’s apparent alpha largely disappears among high-turnover stocks, and survives only in the illiquid half. The natural follow-up question is: is this a momentum-specific quirk, or does Scaled Turnover reshape other factor premia as well? Is Scaled Turnover a Universal Filter...

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]]> 348456 Late Start, Real Mistakes, and a Better Plan Now — Our Financial Journey as Doctors https://freefincal.com/late-start-real-mistakes-and-a-better-plan-now-our-financial-journey-as-doctors/ Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:30:03 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=340332 In this edition of the reader story, we have “a late-starter story with a few bruises, some luck, and a system that finally makes sense”. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives, which benefits us all. Some of the previous editions are linked at the bottom of...

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]]> 340332 Equity Mutual Fund Screener Apr 2026: Shortlist consistent performers https://freefincal.com/equity-mutual-fund-screener-apr-2026-shortlist-consistent-performers/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:30:30 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=348191 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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]]> 348191 From Defined Benefit to Defined Risk: Taking Control of Your NPS Journey https://freefincal.com/from-defined-benefit-to-defined-risk-taking-control-of-your-nps-journey/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:30:58 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=346872 As many are aware, all Government employees who have joined service on or after January 1st, 2004, are covered under the National Pension System (NPS). While the NPS definitely has the word “pension” in its name, it isn’t really a pension scheme, and if you are covered under the NPS, please do understand what the...

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]]> 346872 What should I do if I cannot invest enough for my long-term goals? https://freefincal.com/what-should-i-do-if-i-cannot-invest-enough-for-my-long-term-goals/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:30:41 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=246646 Often, readers email us saying, “I do not have enough to invest for my long-term goals. What should I do?” This is a common situation; most of us start our investment journey this way. Don’t despair. Here are some options to consider. 1. Consider clubbing all long-term goals together (greater than 10Y away) and investing...

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]]> 246646 Her Money, Her Rules: Why Women Must Own Their Financial Future https://freefincal.com/her-money-her-rules-why-women-must-own-their-financial-future/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:30:38 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=345476 It has been one of my favourite topics – Finance! Specifically, Personal Finance. You might think that I belong to Wall Street or was an investment banker, but I am not. I am a Pharmacologist and work for a hospital. I was brought up to think that one should save and that the only investment...

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]]> 345476 Practical tips to build a second income source https://freefincal.com/practical-tips-to-build-a-second-income-source/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:30:00 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=200695 If you are interested in building a second income source immediately or wish to lay the foundation for it to bloom after you retire, here are some practical tips. In our opinion, every business should be guided by these two brilliant quotes by Rand Fishkin and Chris Do. Best way to sell something – don’t...

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]]> 200695 Do REITs Deserve a Place in Your Portfolio? https://freefincal.com/do-reits-deserve-a-place-in-your-portfolio/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:30:39 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=345837 We grow up believing one thing about wealth:  Buy property. It’s almost cultural. A house means stability. A second property means ‘real’ success. Rental income means security, guaranteed income for life. But somewhere along the way, the dream became heavy. Heavy EMIs. Heavy loans. Heavy responsibility. Heavy dependence on interest rates we cannot control. And...

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]]> 345837 Financial planning tips for couples before tying the knot https://freefincal.com/financial-planning-tips-for-couples-before-tying-the-knot/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:30:22 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=233713 ‘Money cannot buy happiness, ‘money is the root of all evil’; Marriage is just a union of two souls. Isn’t it? Why bring money into the picture and spoil the sanctity of the union? Right? Many similar statements sound cool, but we all know the cost associated with survival. Marriage can change your financial life...

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]]> 233713 National Pension Scheme Fund Screener Apr 2026: Shortlist consistent performers https://freefincal.com/national-pension-scheme-fund-screener-apr-2026-shortlist-consistent-performers/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:30:49 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=347475 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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]]> 347475 The Psychology of Chasing the Extra 2% Returns https://freefincal.com/the-psychology-of-chasing-the-extra-2-returns/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:30:01 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=346955 In the world of personal finance, there is a silent disease that kills more wealth than market crashes or recessions. It isn’t ignorance. It isn’t inflation. It is Hyper-Optimisation. It is the irresistible urge to shift your money from an instrument giving 12% to one that might give 14%. We call this the 2% Itch....

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]]> 346955 From ₹25k First Salary to 25X FI: A Disciplined DIY Journey https://freefincal.com/from-%e2%82%b925k-first-salary-to-25x-fi-a-disciplined-diy-journey/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:30:20 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=340319 In this edition of the reader story, we have a 25K salary-to-25X corpus growth story. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives, which benefits us all. Some of the previous editions are linked at the bottom of this article. You can also access the full reader story archive. Opinions...

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]]> 340319 Stocks with low volatility and momentum for Apr 2026 https://freefincal.com/stocks-with-low-volatility-and-momentum-for-apr-2026/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:30:11 +0000 https://freefincal.com/?p=347340 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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