freefincal

Protecting Our Money from Cyber Scammers and Mobile Hackers

M. Pattabiraman — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:30:12 +0000

Last Updated on July 25, 2026 at 8:03 am A reader asks, “All these years, you have taught us how to save and invest. I have saved and invested for the last 8 years, and I am truly scared when I hear about all the new types of scams. How do we safeguard our savings...

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My Stock Portfolio Analysis: July 2026

M. Pattabiraman — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:30:12 +0000

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...

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Yes, most Indians will not retire well – are you going to be one of them?

M. Pattabiraman — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:30:10 +0000

Every time I talk about retirement planning – on stage, in interviews, etc.- I hear this line: “If we need a few crores* to retire, then most Indians will fall short”. * Sometimes the target corpus is seven crores, sometimes ten crores, sometimes 13-14 crores, depending on the question I am asked. There is nothing...

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Tracking the growth of my 16-year NPS portfolio

M. Pattabiraman — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:30:50 +0000

I have invested in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) since 8 March 2010. This is a performance report showing how the NPS has fared over the last 16+ years. We also compare the returns with the EPF. Note 1: Kindly do not assume that I am recommending NPS instruments. My situation is quite different from...

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SIP Rolling Returns: A Better Way to Evaluate Mutual Fund SIP Performance

M. Pattabiraman — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:30:07 +0000

When investors compare mutual funds, they usually look at trailing returns—1-year, 3-year or 5-year returns displayed on fund factsheets and research portals. While these figures are easy to understand, they represent returns over just one investment period and can be significantly influenced by the choice of start and end dates. This is why experienced investors...

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Debt and hybrid mutual fund screener (July 2026) for selection, tracking, learning

M. Pattabiraman — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:30:37 +0000

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...

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The most expensive words in India: “What will people say?”

M. Pattabiraman — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:30:08 +0000

I still remember the silence at the dinner table. I had just told my parents that I was going to keep renting for a few more years instead of buying a flat. I wanted to build my emergency fund first, let my investments compound, and stay flexible while my career was still finding its shape....

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The Baghban Trap: Why Your Children Cannot Be Your Retirement Plan

M. Pattabiraman — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:30:49 +0000

In India, parenting is often treated less like a responsibility and more like a long-term investment scheme. We pour everything we have—our savings, our gold, and our youth—into our children’s education and marriages. We tell ourselves it is out of love. But deep down, for many Indian parents, there is an unspoken contract: I sacrificed...

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Index fund tracking error screener July 2026

M. Pattabiraman — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:30:08 +0000

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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FAQ – NaviPlan Privacy-first Portfolio Tracker

M. Pattabiraman — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:30:06 +0000

NaviPlan is a privacy-focused multi-asset portfolio and financial goal tracker developed by Gokul of Naviran Technologies in association with freefincal. In this article, we list some frequently asked questions about NaviPlan. Presentation: The tool can be used on your PC, tablet, or mobile browser. If the tool is updated with new features, a simple browser...

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Are You Really Preparing Your Children for Life?

M. Pattabiraman — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:30:43 +0000

Every parent wants the best for their children. We work hard to give them a good education, a comfortable life, and opportunities that we may never have had ourselves. We worry about their health, safety, career, and future. But let me ask you a simple question: Are you preparing your children to manage money? Most...

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The Death of Traditional Retirement

M. Pattabiraman — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:30:14 +0000

Retirement Was Never Supposed to Feel This Urgent. But Here We Are. Our parents had a version of retirement that mostly worked. You joined a company young, stayed long enough, built a provident fund or pension, and retired around 60 with some stability behind you. The system was not glamorous, but it was understandable. You...

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Why I Quit Trading After Burning My Fingers

M. Pattabiraman — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:30:35 +0000

Have you ever been convinced that you too could become a millionaire? I have been in your shoes. In today’s world, we are heavily influenced by social media, where a person is chilling on a vacation with their laptop and their trading setup on. We also think we can quit our jobs, do this, and...

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ETF tracking error screener July 2026

M. Pattabiraman — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:30:42 +0000

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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Why Some Financial Decisions Become Damaging When Taken Casually

M. Pattabiraman — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:30:07 +0000

Not every financial decision deserves the same amount of analysis. Choosing between Mutual Fund A and Mutual Fund B feels important. In reality, it isn’t. If six months later you find a better fund or your investment philosophy changes, you can simply switch. The decision is reversible. The cost of changing your mind is relatively...

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Can you afford that new phone/bike/car? Here is how you can find out

M. Pattabiraman — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:30:38 +0000

Are you worried about whether you can afford that new phone or bike or car? Feeling guilty and tempted at the same time? Here is a simple way to find out affordability & organise finances so that you can responsibly buy stuff you love! Every time I go to a corporate money management session, I...

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I did not plan for retirement and feel like a failure

M. Pattabiraman — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:30:47 +0000

A reader says, “I was recently introduced to freefincal by a colleague. I am 48 and did not plan anything for my retirement. After reading your articles and understanding how important retirement planning is, I feel like a failure. What can I do? Is there any hope left for me?” Please don’t despair. The past is...

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Equity Mutual Fund Screener July 2026: Shortlist consistent performers

M. Pattabiraman — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:30:43 +0000

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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How much do I need to retire by 50?

M. Pattabiraman — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:30:27 +0000

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...

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Personal Finance in Your 30s, 40s and 50s: Habits, Mistakes and Must-Fix Goals

M. Pattabiraman — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:30:31 +0000

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...

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