Abhishek Kumar in Mint

Abhishek Kumar shared this client case in a LinkedIn post that the article draws on. He explained that the fix was simple: give every rupee a goal, keep an emergency fund, sort out insurance first and add equity gradually for retirement.

Abhishek Kumar said student term cover makes sense when there is an education loan or dependants, but is not needed otherwise, and pointed out that total cover across policies should stay within human life value.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that someone retiring at 40 must plan for about 50 years, accounting for inflation, rising healthcare costs and sequence-of-returns risk, and said early retirees need a larger corpus with a lower withdrawal rate.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that running a PMS would likely mean more compliance work than the RIA model, since PMS managers handle client money directly and must report to SEBI in more detail.

Abhishek Kumar said bond SIPs suit investors who can act as their own fund managers, tracking interest-rate cycles, issuer quality and exits, and advised matching the SIP's duration to the goal and knowing the exit cost.

Abhishek Kumar, in a LinkedIn post cited by Mint, shared the story and argued that health is the base on which wealth rests, urging people to audit their time the way they audit their portfolios.

Abhishek Kumar described, in a LinkedIn post quoted by Mint, a couple pressured to buy a flat and pointed out its low rental yield, adding that buying is not the mistake but buying under social pressure can be.

Abhishek Kumar explained that term cover is needed while family members depend on one's income to meet goals or repay loans. He suggested choosing a policy term that runs until the longest financial responsibility ends.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned investors against getting carried away by market narratives and suggested checking the incentives of those making predictions. He said most people are better off keeping 5–10% of their portfolio in gold, through ETFs or mutual funds unless physical metal is needed.

Abhishek Kumar explained how stock SIPs work through brokers, and said fund SIPs generally suit beginners and hands-off investors, while stock SIPs suit only experienced investors able to analyse companies and handle concentrated portfolios.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that momentum funds can fall sharply when trends reverse or markets go sideways. He said they suit seasoned investors who can bear high risk over a long period, ideally as a satellite holding rather than the core of a portfolio.

Abhishek Kumar said research shows waiting for dips tends to lag a systematic plan because markets rise more often than they fall, so idle cash has a cost. He suggested that salaried investors automate their investing to remove emotion.

Abhishek Kumar, in a LinkedIn post cited by Mint, said the couple lacked a savings structure rather than income, and suggested moving savings out on payday, keeping a separate fund for trips home and setting a fixed budget for leisure spending.

Abhishek Kumar shared, in a LinkedIn post the article draws on, the case of a retiree with ₹3 crore in savings who ran his AC for only an hour a day. He said such cases are common and that the saving habit often does not switch off after retirement.

Abhishek Kumar said AI tools are not regulated and cannot read emotions, may get tax and investment rules wrong, and that sensitive personal data shared with them could be stored and leaked.

Abhishek Kumar explained that the shift of household savings into financial assets has reduced the market's dependence on foreign money, with SIP, insurance and pension flows making domestic institutions a strong counterweight. He added that FPIs still matter in large index stocks.

Abhishek Kumar explained that FDI is long-term capital tied to businesses and hard to withdraw, while FPI can exit within a trading session, and said FPI selling reflects shifts in global risk appetite rather than a verdict on India's long-term prospects.

Abhishek Kumar said liquidity and discipline rarely go together, and explained that a lock-in can protect a child's education fund from early withdrawals and market-driven panic.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that a missed margin call can lead to forced sale at low prices, locking in losses and hurting credit scores, and suggested borrowing only 30% to 40% of the eligible limit against liquid large-cap holdings.

Abhishek Kumar said that, over long periods, Indian equity data shows SIP frequency has little effect on final outcomes, and suggested aligning SIPs with income, noting that daily SIPs add operational work without a clear benefit.

Abhishek Kumar, in a LinkedIn post cited by Mint, called the push to move large parts of SIPs to US funds manufactured panic. He said 5 to 15 per cent in international equity is reasonable and that rupee goals call for a rupee core.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that people who take delivery still need a jeweller to turn the gold into jewellery, which brings back trust concerns over purity and quality.

Abhishek Kumar said silver's industrial demand also makes its returns very volatile and riskier than gold for small investors, who should treat it as a tactical addition rather than a substitute for gold.

Abhishek Kumar said investors using gold to diversify have moved towards financial forms of gold, while households that keep gold for savings or a fallback in hard times, especially in rural India, still largely hold it in physical form.

Abhishek Kumar said continuing regular investments matters so that portfolios can benefit when markets recover, and spoke of adjusting holdings in line with one's target asset allocation in uncertain times.

Abhishek Kumar said families should start with the death certificate and an audit of assets and liabilities, inform insurers within the claim window, check for a will, and review spending and reinvest claim proceeds to bridge lost income.

Abhishek Kumar said that in a stable rate environment sweep accounts help depositors earn reasonable interest without active management, and can suit emergency funds for those uneasy with liquid funds.

Abhishek Kumar explained that these schemes exist for long-term family protection, so a lender recovering a home loan can sell the house but cannot reach protected savings such as EPF or PPF. He added that the law aims to protect families, not to help defraud creditors.

Abhishek Kumar said his firm has received many queries about life cycle funds, and noted that, unlike the lock-in schemes being scrapped, they let investors move their money when needed.

Abhishek Kumar explained that a unit-level FIFO review can find units that can move without tax, and suggested redirecting SIPs first and phasing switches of high-gain units over 12 to 18 months for large portfolios.

Abhishek Kumar said SEBI is trying to separate opinion from unsolicited investment advice without curbing free expression. He suggested the regulator strengthen and promote safeguards in the advisory space so that investor protection reaches investors.

Abhishek Kumar said fund houses may be holding back because the small Reit market exposes them to liquidity risk, and cautioned that the limited choice and low assets under management can bring concentration and liquidity risk for investors.

Abhishek Kumar suggested setting aside at least 5% to 10% as a liquid emergency buffer before discretionary spending, and automating savings once high-interest debt is under control.

Abhishek Kumar explained how capital gains from equity funds and hybrid funds are taxed, depending on their equity share and how long the units are held.

Abhishek Kumar explained that taxpayers now first choose between the simpler new regime and the old one and then plan around it, and said couples and families should coordinate income, deductions and regime choice together.

Abhishek Kumar said fixed deposits can be part of a short-term debt portfolio but do not suit a core holding, given their lower post-tax yields than debt funds.

Abhishek Kumar said couples can either pool their incomes or agree on each partner's share of savings and expenses, and suggested that couples who delay investing set up automatic investments first and refine them later.

Abhishek Kumar said the move appears aimed at stopping fraudsters from misusing the credentials of inactive advisers and at keeping the public register of advisers credible.

Abhishek Kumar said his firm was asking clients to stay away from digital gold and to move any small holdings into a SEBI-regulated gold product through a registered broker.

Abhishek Kumar said misconduct by trading call providers erodes trust in the whole advisory profession and leaves the regulator little choice but to raise the compliance burden on registered advisers.

Abhishek Kumar said he does not advise thematic funds because they often rest on a story, and suggested investors avoid the hype, focus on long-term investing and diversify.

Abhishek Kumar said the fund house's founder was ahead of his time in offering direct plans before investors knew of them, but pointed out that relying on the product alone did not work, and that larger fund houses had already won market share by the time it added regular plans.

Abhishek Kumar suggested having an open talk with parents about their preferences before looking at assisted living or home care, since they may worry about the quality of care.

Abhishek Kumar said the new schemes have no track record yet and called for care, suggested using the active choice option to set one's own allocation, and said full equity suits only those with high risk appetite and a long horizon.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that tax is deducted at source once annual dividends cross ₹10,000, even for those under the ₹12 lakh limit. To avoid this, he said, eligible investors can file Form 15G or 15H with the fund house.

Abhishek Kumar said his clients over 50 focus on whether their investments could carry them through a job loss, and advised a margin of safety in both the retirement corpus and withdrawal rate.

Abhishek Kumar said people in this age group should invest as much as they can, live within their means and limit liabilities, and suggested reviewing cash flows, keeping EPF records updated and buying base and super top-up health cover separate from employer cover.

Abhishek Kumar said the change does not alter the core trade-off: direct REITs offer largely tax-free distributions, while funds suit those wanting diversification and SIPs. He also pointed out that India's REIT market is small and thinly traded.

Abhishek Kumar said each generation has to learn that volatility is part of equity investing. He pointed out that investing apps make it easy to start early but social media trends lead many young investors to switch often.

Abhishek Kumar explained that a one-time transfer of superannuation savings to NPS is tax-neutral under Section 10(13), and that switching before retirement lets an employee withdraw up to 60% at once instead of only one-third.

Abhishek Kumar shared how, in 2009, three overdue loans of another person with the same name and date of birth appeared against his PAN, and how proof from the banks got his report corrected. He also suggested using the free annual reports from bureaus to check one's score each quarter.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that leverage magnifies losses as much as gains and can lead to rapid sell-offs if a trade moves against the investor.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that the scheme's wide range of options and involved rules on withdrawals and annuities take a lot of effort to explain, and that low incentives make it harder still to sell widely.

Abhishek Kumar said children's funds may suit parents wanting disciplined, goal-based investing who can accept less flexibility, while regular funds suit experienced investors who want control. He cautioned that many such funds are bought on emotion rather than a financial plan.

Abhishek Kumar said most people selling property focus on saving tax rather than on investments that fit their goals. He suggested looking beyond the immediate tax saving at long-term growth and portfolio balance.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned retail investors against focusing only on coupon rates, explained that higher coupons usually reflect higher default risk, and pointed out that online bond platforms earn fees from issuers while investors carry the risk.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that lifetime-free does not mean cost-free, as such cards often need regular spending to keep benefits. He said providers use these perks as a loss leader and pointed to hidden costs such as high interest on missed payments, late fees and benefits that can change.

Abhishek Kumar said some managers appeared to have engaged in channel stuffing to inflate sales, and pointed out that people shielded from the consequences of their actions have an incentive to take undue advantage, a risk he called high in insurance.

Abhishek Kumar said investing directly overseas under the LRS involves high costs and complex tax compliance, and suggested GIFT City retail fund structures could help investors diversify until the RBI raises the cap.

Abhishek Kumar said the structure offers a practical way to reach global equities when most domestic funds cannot invest abroad, but suggested watching the new fund's performance for a while before investing, as it has no track record.

Abhishek Kumar said the switch makes users more dependent on the platform, since demat units are harder to move elsewhere. He added that it could help platforms steer users towards products such as margin trading and derivatives.

Abhishek Kumar said corporate SIPs offer a disciplined way to invest through salary deductions, but cautioned that scheme choice may be limited, tied-up fund houses gain an edge, and money may be at risk if an employer deducts but fails to pay it in.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that NBFCs with stronger credit ratings may be better able to pass on rate cuts, since they can raise funds more cheaply and have better access to funding.

Abhishek Kumar advised investors to plan their cash needs around the 10-day lock-in on transferred units, noted the recipient's cost of acquisition depends on whether it is a transfer or a gift, and said only units free of liens can be moved.

Abhishek Kumar said couples without child-related costs find retirement income easier to reach, cautioned that both products lock up capital needed in emergencies, and suggested a planned withdrawal from a mix of equity and debt funds.

Abhishek Kumar said insurance generally protects better than a medical corpus, but suggested looking at alternatives if the premium grows too large relative to the cover. He also offered a benchmark for the premium as a share of household spending.

Abhishek Kumar said such platforms act as market makers by supplying liquidity through liquid funds, and pointed out that they would need more fund house tie-ups and bank integrations to grow.

Abhishek Kumar listed the interest incomes exempt under Section 10, including statutory provident funds, SSY and post office savings accounts, and explained that this exempt income must still be reported in the ITR.

Abhishek Kumar of SahajMoney said the UPS brings certainty through a defined benefit design, unlike the market-linked defined contribution approach of NPS, and that most government employees would therefore likely prefer the UPS.

Abhishek Kumar of SahajMoney said some borrowers route their salary through the overdraft account and pay credit card bills from it to save more interest, and cautioned that only idle cash should go there, not money meant for long-term investments.

Abhishek Kumar, a registered investment adviser, said the equity market can humble anyone, so direct stocks need proper research, money for short-term goals and emergencies should be kept aside, borrowing to invest avoided, and risk appetite assessed first.

Abhishek Kumar wrote this column for Mint, arguing that temperament and patience matter more than intelligence in long-term investing, and cautioning against investing with borrowed money.

Abhishek Kumar cautioned that overseas limits and dilution mean such funds may eventually hit a ceiling. He suggested the liberalised remittance scheme for direct global investing, while noting its risks without proper research.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the data showed no significant outperformance by portfolio management services over mutual funds, and that the worst PMS returns fell well below the worst mutual fund returns in the same category.

Abhishek Kumar said many old physical folios were opened before online investing, making them hard to keep track of. He described Mitra as a useful step that pulls data from different fund houses into one portal where investors can check for unclaimed folios.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the stress test data showed worsening liquidity in small-cap funds, noted that mid-cap funds had better liquidity yet inflows kept going to small caps, and said regulators faced pressure over the gap between fast growth and exit liquidity.

Abhishek Kumar said the change may lead some investors to move away from equity-oriented funds held for tax reasons, and suggested a bucket approach for those near retirement, with debt for near-term needs and equity for long-term growth.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, was sceptical of the revamped central KYC registry, saying progress has been slow and that RBI and SEBI differ on KYC rules, and argued for a single Aadhaar-style KYC usable across all financial transactions.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said the new private credit AIF could suit investors willing to take higher credit risk for at least six years with ₹1 crore to invest, and noted a similar strategy had hurt small investors in the manager's earlier debt funds.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, is the contributor credited on this guide, which sets out a three-step plan to cut household debt: list debts and pick a repayment method, free up cash, and stay disciplined with an emergency fund.

Abhishek Kumar is the article's opening example: his registered advisory firm received a SCORES complaint actually aimed at an unrelated, unregistered person, and it took 13 days of exchanges with Sebi to close it.

Abhishek Kumar said people have long preferred gold to diamonds, which he described as having glamour but no investment value. He pointed out that a few players controlled supply and that cheap lab-grown stones are now flooding the market.

Abhishek Kumar suggested starting wealth building with a clean slate: clear high-interest loans, build an emergency fund of six months' expenses (a year's for the self-employed), and avoid products one does not understand.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said he reviews his own portfolio every six months, suggested bringing an enlarged equity share back to the planned allocation, and advised weighing tax and fees before selling.

Abhishek Kumar said investors were stuck with limited choices until the RBI eases its limits, and that pressure on the rupee made an early relaxation unlikely.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that using the LRS route to buy overseas stocks directly brings high costs and tax compliance issues. He said investors are stuck until the RBI eases the limit, which he did not expect soon given pressure on the rupee.

Abhishek Kumar said these funds suit investors seeking diversification across low-correlated assets to cut portfolio risk, and cautioned that tax efficiency should be a side benefit rather than the main reason to invest.

Abhishek Kumar wrote this Mint column explaining how retirees can divide their corpus into short, medium and long-term buckets, and how to review and refill them over time.

Abhishek Kumar said the change may make people wary of relying on small savings schemes alone for retirement. He suggested that depositors in lower tax slabs withdraw in tranches across financial years, while those in the 30% slab may withdraw at once.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said buyers fall for 'double your money' pitches because of anchoring bias and overlook time, and that such policies should be judged by their XIRR.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, warned that listings of pre-IPO shares can be delayed, as happened with NSE, and said investors who cannot leave their money in for the long term should stay away from such offers.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, described moving money to safer options two to three years before a goal, urged not selling in haste when a fund manager changes, and suggested redirecting new instalments to restore asset allocation instead of selling.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, compared a term plan paying the family a monthly income with a regular term plan, noting the same premium could buy larger cover, and said the monthly-income plan may suit families not confident managing a lump sum.

Abhishek Kumar said intraday trading has become harder for individuals as high-frequency traders capture arbitrage gaps, and that the study confirms most individuals lose money in it.

Abhishek Kumar wrote this article on SEBI's true-to-label charges rule, arguing that it moves the market towards equal treatment of brokers, even if some clients may end up paying higher brokerage.

Abhishek Kumar welcomed the proposal, saying the ratio helps compare how consistently a scheme beats its benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis and can inform the active versus passive debate.

Abhishek Kumar said converting a policy to paid-up status suits those torn over surrendering or not needing cash immediately, freeing future premiums for other investments, but pointed out it is not ideal given the time value of money.

Abhishek Kumar said that people who do not need the money soon, and for whom it is a small part of their portfolio, could leave it invested abroad until their retirement year.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, wrote this column arguing that investors should not act on election forecasts but focus on reducing risk and keeping enough liquidity for goals due in the next few years.

Abhishek Kumar is the fee-only SEBI RIA this Mumbai family hired; the article says he assessed their risk appetite, built a goal-based asset mix, and advised moving their daughter's education money from equity to debt as the goal neared.

Abhishek Kumar said he usually suggests the statement of account route to most clients, but described a case where he advised a client to open a demat account so that debt fund units could be gifted to his daughter.

Abhishek Kumar worked out the inflation-adjusted cost of regular and limited premium payments for the article. He explained that buyers tend to compare only absolute totals, and said paying premiums in advance is unwise, even to claim tax deductions.

Abhishek Kumar wrote this column on the market-to-GDP ratio and its limits, arguing that long-term investors should rebalance according to their own risk appetite and asset allocation rather than a single indicator or rules of thumb.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, wrote this column arguing that investors should not react to a single valuation metric at market highs, and should rebalance based on their own risk appetite and asset allocation.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, wrote this column explaining how early market falls in retirement can shorten a corpus, and how a bucket approach, diversification and flexible withdrawals can reduce that risk.

Abhishek Kumar pointed out that if the annual premium is more than 10% of the policy's sum insured, the survival benefits from the policy become taxable.

Abhishek Kumar wrote this column arguing that retirement plans should rest on conservative assumptions, with higher inflation, lower returns and a longer life than past data suggest, rather than on precise-looking estimates.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, wrote this column urging cautious retirement assumptions: higher inflation, lower returns and a longer life than past data suggest, so savings are less likely to run short.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said insurance and investment should not be mixed, noting that ULIP cover is usually about ten times the premium, so adequate cover through one would take a person's entire annual income as premium.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, wrote this column weighing passive against active funds, drawing on SPIVA India data and research on fund-manager overconfidence to argue that investors should favour passive funds until data shows otherwise.

Abhishek Kumar is not named; the article cites SahajMoney research finding that a direct plan's 1% lower expense ratio would leave an investor about 25% more over 30 years than a regular plan, on assumed growth and cost figures.

Abhishek Kumar is not named; the article cites an illustrative calculation by his firm SahajMoney estimating that, at 10% annual growth with expense ratios of 2% and 1%, a direct plan ends about 25% ahead of a regular plan over 30 years.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, said AIFs and PMSes rest on client contracts while mutual funds are tightly regulated, that many clients do not grasp the risks or contract terms, and that uncapped fees could push managers into concentrated bets.

Abhishek Kumar, founder of SahajMoney, contrasted contract-based AIFs and PMS with tightly regulated mutual funds, said many clients do not grasp their risks or contract terms, and warned that uncapped fees can push managers into concentrated bets.