The Shock and the Start

In January 2025, a woman suddenly lost her husband. Grief aside, she was soon faced with the daunting challenge of claiming her late husband’s mutual fund investments—worth approximately ₹50 lakhs. What followed was a journey filled with administrative hurdles, emotional fatigue, and systemic inefficiencies.

Owning a car in India is often seen as a milestone of financial independence and convenience. But have you ever paused to consider how much of the money you spend on your car actually goes to the government in the form of taxes? Let’s break it down in simple terms and see how taxes significantly inflate the cost of owning a car.

A manufacturing theme mutual fund invests primarily in companies within the manufacturing sector, such as those involved in industrial production, machinery, and raw materials processing. These funds aim to capitalize on the growth and profitability of the manufacturing industry, offering investors exposure to the sector’s potential for long-term returns. If you go by the presentation of HDFC or Mahindra, you would note that they are betting on many sectors including Power, Ports, Railways, Defence, Roads etc… The Government vision in terms of Amrit Kaal 2047, Production Linked Incentive, and Make in India getting a fillip are just some of the factors that suggests that manufacturing theme based fund may perhaps do really well.

One of my clients initiated their PPF account with a public sector bank approximately 14 years ago. Recently, when they approached the bank for guidance on the next steps, they were informed that the only option was to withdraw the amount and initiate a new PPF account with the same bank.

Increasing your investment periodically can expedite goal achievement. Various methods exist to accelerate investment progress, such as opting for riskier ventures. However, this approach may not be suitable for everyone due to discomfort with higher risks. This article proposes an alternative method: incrementally increasing your Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), reducing the time needed to reach your goal by two years or more.