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Rs 10 Lakh Lump Sum vs Rs 10,000 SIP: Many mutual fund investors who have a large sum invest through the lump sum method. However, most prefer the systematic investment plan (SIP) method because it suits their earning cycle. Investors, however, get compounding on both investments. In a lump sum, they get compounding on the entire amount from Day 1, while in an SIP, compounding is the highest in the earliest investment. But a question that strikes the mind of most investors is which of the 2 can create a higher corpus in the long term – lump sum or SIP? Similarly, which of the 2 can be a quicker path to achieve a Rs 5,00,00,000 corpus – a Rs 10 lakh lump sum investment or a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP? Both investments will grow in different ways. Results may surprise you- 
Photos: Unspalsh/Pixabay/Pexel

Rs 10 Lakh Lump Sum vs Rs 10,000 SIP: Lump or systematic investment plan (SIP) investment? Which can generate a higher corpus in the long run. In a lump sum investment, you get compounding from the entire corpus from Day 1. In SIP, compound growth is different for different periodic investments. So, which will create a Rs 5 crore corpus faster- a Rs 10 lakh lump sum or a Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment?


Rs 10 Lakh Lump Sum vs Rs 10,000 SIP: Which can be faster path to reach Rs 5,00,00,000 corpus?

Akshaya Tritiya 2025: Were you born in 1970, 1987, 1991, or 2003? In whichever year you were born in, in whichever part of India, the discussion around the gold price would have been an important dining table conversation in your family. Gold is precious and was a mark of wealth even when your 10th-generation predecessors were born. Its value never ends. Eras change, new countries are born and vanish from the world map, and generations change, and with that change humans' taste for luxuries, but their love for gold remains immortal. That's why gold never loses its value even when money loses its. Gold is considered the best hedge against inflation. It is one of the strongest investment forms. As Akshaya Tritiya 2025 is just around the corner and the gold rate is flirting with record prices, let's see how the value of gold has changed over the years. What would the value of gold be if one had invested Rs 1 lakh in 1975? What is the value of gold if one would have invested Rs 1 lakh in the year you were born (if your birth year is from 1965-2010)? See estimates!&nbsp;&nbsp; 
(Price courtesy: Bankbazaar.com) 
Prices are indicative 
Photos: Unsplash/Pixabay/Pexels&nbsp;

Akshaya Tritiya 2025: Gold is considered a precious metal since ages. As a mark of wealth, it is used as an ornament and as an investment. Its value in 40 years has increased an estimated 45 times in 175 years in 50 years. If you were born in the early 1970s, gold worth Rs 10,000 at that time has increased in value multiple times.


Gold Return Since You Were Born: Rs 1,00,000 gold bought in 1975 is worth Rs 1,77,00,000 now

Akshaya Tritiya 2025: Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akshaya Teej, will be celebrated in most parts of India on Wednesday (April 30, 2025). People consider it an auspicious occasion for prosperity. People buy gold as an important ritual as it symbolises good fortune and wealth. The festival also has shubh muhurat timings to buy gold. As the country is set to celebrate Akshaya Tritiya two days from now, let's see which of the 3 investments – top ETF vs physical gold vs digital gold – has given the highest return on a Rs 5 lakh investment in 1 year.

Photos: Unsplash/Pixabay/Pexels

&nbsp;

Akshaya Tritiya 2025: Akshaya Tritiya will be celebrated on May 30, 2025. The day considered auspicious for prosperity is also famous as people buy gold on this day. As the festival is just around the corner, know which of the 3 investments – physical gold, top gold ETF, or digital gold – has given the highest return on a Rs 5 lakh investment in 1 year.


Physical Gold vs Top Gold ETF vs Digital Gold: Which has given highest return on Rs 5,00,000 investment in 1 year?

NPS, EPF Tax Benefits in New Tax Regime: Revised rates for the new tax regime have been applied. The new tax slabs will be applicable for taxpayers who will file their Income Tax Return (ITR) for the income earned in the financial year 2025-26. In the new tax regime, income up to Rs 12,00,000 is tax-free for non-salaried individuals. For salaried individuals, an income up to Rs 12,75,000 is tax-free. The regime also has provisions for tax rebates and marginal tax relief. But even if your income is Rs 14,65,000, you can make it tax-free by using just two deductions – the National Pension System (NPS) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) employer contribution. Know how these can work-

Photos: Unspalsh/Pixabay/Pexels

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult a tax expert for financial planning.)

NPS, EPF Tax Benefits in New Tax Regime: National Pension System (NPS) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) provide tax benefits on the employer's contribution. By using both options to the optimum limit, one can make their Rs 14,65,000 tax-free under the revised new tax regime. Know how it may be possible!&nbsp;


How your income tax can be 0 on Rs 14,65,000 income with NPS, EPF new tax regime benefits

Top 7 Index Funds With Best Returns in 1 Year: Many investors don't have either the time or the knowledge to do due diligence on mutual funds where they want to invest their money. But they want to stay invested and see their money grow. Many such investors begin their investment journey with index mutual funds. Such funds follow a particular index and have stocks in the same proportion. Whenever the index picks or drops a stock or a bunch of stocks, the fund follows in footsteps, making the same changes. Since the fund manager doesn't have to do research for such investments, index mutual funds come with a low expense ratio. The performance of an index may rise or fall in the future, so index funds may be highly volatile in the short term. However, in the long term, indices recover and make steady progress. That's why index funds are equity funds suitable for investors with a long-term investment horizon. Here, we take you through the top 7 index mutual funds that have given the highest return (CAGR) in 1 year. Also know how a Rs 2,00,000 one-time investment in each of the funds has performed during that period.

Photos: Unsplash/Pexels/Pixabay

Top 7 Index Funds With Best Returns in 1 Year: Index funds are passive funds that may follow Nifty 50, Nifty Next 50, BSE 500, Nifty IT index, Nifty Bank Index, etc. These funds have the same stocks as the index that they are following has.


Top 7 Index Funds With Best Returns in 1 Year: No. 1 fund has converted Rs 2,00,000 one-time investment into Rs 2,39,552; know about others 

Retirement planning from one-time investment: When we make an investment for a financial goal, we target it to achieve in a particular time frame. The duration is decided on the basis of the expected return. One can keep reviewing their strategy according to the return they are getting from a long-term investment. Specially if their expected returns are slow, they need to make their strategy slightly aggressive. But if they get returns above expectations, they may achieve the same financial goal earlier than expected. Similarly, a Rs 5,00,000 one-time (lump sum) investment in a mutual fund scheme can swell by 100 times in the long run. But in how many years may it achieve a Rs 5,00,00,000 corpus if their expected annualised return is 12 per cent, 13 per cent, 14 per cent, or 15 per cent? See calculations to know that-&nbsp; &nbsp;

Photos: Usplash/Pixabay/Pexels

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your due diligence or consult an expert for financial planning.)

Retirement Planning via One-time Investment: A retirement corpus or a financial goal can be achieved sooner if one gets a higher return on their investments than they had expected. Similarly, a one-time investment of Rs 5,00,000 can generate a corpus of Rs 5,00,00,000. But how soon you may get it at a 12 per cent, 13 per cent, 14 per cent, or 15 per cent annualised return.&nbsp;


Retirement Planning by One-time Investment: In how many years, can your Rs 5,00,000 lump sum deposit grow to Rs 5,00,00,000 corpus

Income Tax Calculations: The new tax regime for the financial year 2025-26 has raised the tax-free income limit to Rs 12 lakh for all. Salaried-class individuals will get an extra tax benefit of Rs 75,000. If their income is slightly above that level, they will have to pay income tax just on the incremental income and not on the entire pay because of marginal tax relief. But what if their income exceeds it considerably? What if they are earning between Rs 14 lakh and Rs 18 lakh? Is it possible that they can make it tax-free? See calculations to know its possibility-

Photos: Unspalsh/Pixabay/Pexels

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult an expert for tax advice.)

Income Tax Calculations: Revised new tax regime income slabs came into effect from April 1, 2025. Salaried-class individuals don't need to pay any taxes if their annual income is Rs 12,75,000. They will also get marginal tax relief if their income is slightly above that limit. But what if they are earning between Rs 14 lakh-Rs 18 lakh, can they make their income tax-free?


Income Tax Calculations: How to pay zero tax on Rs 14 lakh-Rs 18 lakh salary under new tax regime

Retirement Planning: Investments can change your life, but they can also mar your investment portfolio! It will depend on how you pursue them! Do you quit when your investment is negative or stay firm to let bad times pass by? Do you invest when the market rises and withdraw when it falls, or is it vice versa? Your investment is most likely to give you returns from the perspective of how you handle it. If you lose nerve after a short-term market decline, you may fall way short of your financial goals, but if you stick to facing the poor phase with patience and grace, you may achieve financial goals that otherwise appear difficult to achieve.

If you sail through the tides of odds, you may create a sizeable corpus from a small investment.

Such a corpus can be 10X, 20X, 50X, or higher compared to your invested amount.

Likewise, even a Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment can lead you to a Rs 2,00,00,000 corpus! But in how many years? Know in this article!

<h2>Returns on Investment&nbsp;</h2>

The years to achieve a financial goal depend on the investment return. A 0.50 per cent or 1 per cent extra return may appear to be insignificant in a short duration, but in the long run, they may create surprising results.

Let's see if you get 12 per cent and 12.5 per cent annualised returns on a Rs 10 lakh investment, what will be the corpus that you may create in 35 years?&nbsp;

At a 12 per cent annualised return, estimated capital gains will be Rs 5,17,99,620, and the estimated corpus will be Rs 5,27,99,620.

But if the annualised return is 12.5 per cent, estimated capital gains will be Rs 6,07,07,547 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 6,17,07,547.

<h2>12%, 13% return on Rs 5,000 SIP investment in 35 years</h2>

Now let's see how a Rs 5,000 monthly SIP investment will grow at a 12 per cent and 13 per cent return, respectively, in 35 years.

At a 12 per cent annualised return, estimated capital gains will be Rs 2,54,54,156, and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,75,54,156.

At a 13 per cent annualised return, estimated capital gains will be Rs 3,29,67,459, and the estimated corpus will be Rs 3,50,67,459.

<h2>From Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment to Rs 2 crore corpus</h2>

We will calculate in how many years this target can be achieved if the annualised rate of return is 12 per cent, 13 per cent and 14 per cent.

<h2>From Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment to Rs 2 crore corpus (at 12 per cent return)</h2>

At a 12 per cent annualised return, it can be achieved in an estimated period of 35 years, where estimated capital gains will be Rs 2,07,19,848 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,11,19,848.

<h2>From Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment to Rs 2 crore corpus (at 13 per cent return)</h2>

At a 12 per cent annualised return, it can be achieved in an estimated period of slightly over 32 years, where estimated capital gains will be Rs 1,95,78,836 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 1,99,78,836.

<h2>From Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment to Rs 2 crore corpus (at 14 per cent return)</h2>

At a 12 per cent annualised return, it can be achieved in an estimated period of 30 years, where estimated capital gains will be Rs 1,99,80,063 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,03,80,063.

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult an expert for financial planning.)

&nbsp;

Retirement Planning: Investors who show patience during market fluctuations are rewarded with good returns in the long term; investors who want returns at breakneck speed often fall by the wayside on their investment journey. A Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment can lead to a Rs 2,00,00,000 corpus. But it will take time! How many years?&nbsp;


Retirement Planning: In how many years, your Rs 4,00,000 one-time investment can lead to Rs 2,00,00,000 corpus

EPF vs NPS Retirement Fund Calculations: After the new tax regime was implemented this April, a taxpayer's contribution to the National Pension System (NPS) came into the limelight. It was because the new tax regime offers tax benefits on employer contributions to an employee's NPS account. It doesn't provide the same benefits to Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) account holders. The old tax regime provides tax benefits on EPF contributions up to Rs 1.50 lakh in a financial year under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. But if you are 25 years old and want to start your retirement planning journey through NPS or EPF, which of the two can help you create a larger corpus with an Rs 1,20,000/year step up investment till you turn 60 years old? Know here –

<h2>What is EPF?</h2>

EPF is a retirement savings scheme for private sector employees where an employee and employer contribute monthly to the former's retirement corpus.

The scheme also provides the facility of a monthly pension under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).

It's a fixed interest rate scheme where the current rate is 8.25 per cent compounded yearly.

The employer's contribution also goes to the employee's EPS account, which provides a monthly pension at the retirement age of 58.

The minimum EPF investment a month is Rs 1,800, while the maximum is 12 per cent of the basic pay and dearness allowance (DA) of an employee.

The amount invested, the interest earned, and the corpus generated are tax-free as EPF comes under the exempt-exempt-exempt scheme.

Contributions up to Rs 1.50 lakh in EPF in a financial year provide a tax benefit under the old tax regime..

<h2>What is NPS?</h2>

Started for central government employees in 2004, the retirement savings scheme was opened to all in 2009.

It's a market-linked scheme where an NPS account holder can invest up to 75 per cent of their amount in Nifty 50-linked retirement mutual funds and at least 25 per cent in fixed interest assets such as corporate and government bonds.

The employee can contribute a minimum of 10 per cent of their basic pay and DA to their NPS account.

If they work in a private sector company, the employer may also contribute an equal 10 per cent amount to the employer's NPS account.

In case of a central government job, the employer contribution range is 14 per cent.

In the new tax regime, NPS contributions from the employer side provide tax benefits to an employee.

In the old tax regime, NPS contributions can also provide additional NPS tax benefits of up to Rs 50,000 under Section 80CCD(1B).

The annualised returns in NPS are not fixed. However, if we look at the 10-year return chart, NPS Tier schemes have given annualised returns in the range of 11.63 per cent-12.89 per cent.&nbsp;.&nbsp;

<h2>Calculations for story</h2>

We will calculate the corpus created in 35 years from NPS and EPF on an Rs 1,20,000/year contribution, which is boosted by 5 per cent every year.

For EPF calculation, we will take 8.25 per cent interest, while for NPS, we will take a 12 per cent annualised return.&nbsp;.&nbsp;

<h2>Retirement corpus created from EPF contributions&nbsp;</h2>

We are expecting a starting Rs 5,000 contribution from the employee and a Rs 5,000 contribution in a month in the 1st year.

We will increase the contribution 5 per cent every year. Here's what estimated readings may look like in 35 years.

Employee contribution in EPF in 35 years- Rs 57,50,184

Employer contribution in EPF in 35 years- Rs 55,16,472

Total contribution in 35 years- Rs 1,12,66,656

Employer contribution in EPS in 35 years- Rs 43,23,672

Total estimated retirement corpus in 35 years- Rs 4,57,15,219

<h2>Retirement corpus created from NPS contributions&nbsp;</h2>

In 35 years, the total investment will be Rs 1,08,38,437.

The estimated corpus created in 35 years will be Rs 9,96,96,098.

The lump sum amount at a 60 per cent withdrawal rate will be Rs 5,98,17,659.

The annuity amount at a 40 per cent withdrawal rate will be Rs 3,98,78,439.

If one gets a 7 per cent return on annuity, the expected monthly income will be Rs 2,32,624.

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult an expert for financial planning.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

EPF vs NPS Retirement Fund Calculations: The new tax regime, which is the default option for taxpayers, offers tax benefits on National Pension System (NPS) employer contributions, while deposits in Employers' Provident Fund (EPF) provide tax benefits to old regime taxpayers. Know which investment option can provide a higher corpus on a Rs 1,20,000/year step up investment for 35 years.


EPF vs NPS Retirement Fund Calculations: Which can create larger corpus on Rs 1,20,000/year step up investment for 35 years?

New Tax Regime NPS Calculations: Contributions to National Pension System (NPS) provide tax benefits in the old tax regime as well as the new tax regime. The scheme, however, got more prominence in terms of tax saving, as it provides tax benefits on the employer's contributions to the employee's NPS account in the new tax regime. Public Provident Fund (PPF), which is the most prominent retirement scheme, doesn't provide tax benefits in the new tax regime. NPS tax benefits are more striking for salaried-class individuals with an annual income of more than Rs 12,75,000. Know how much NPS tax benefits central government and private sector employees may get in a financial year if their basic pay is Rs 70,000, Rs 80,000, Rs 85,000, Rs 90,000, or Rs 100,000.

Photos: Unsplash/Pixabay

(Disclaimer: These are estimates. Actual calculations may vary.)

New Tax Regime NPS Calculations: A taxpayer can get tax relaxation on the employer's contribution to their National Pension System (NPS) account as it is considered the employee's income. But how much tax relaxation can central government and private sector employees can get if their basic salary is Rs 70,000, Rs 80,000, Rs 90,000, or Rs 1,00,000.&nbsp;


Know NPS Tax Benefits: Is your basic salary Rs 70,000, Rs 80,000, Rs 90,000, or 100,000? Here's how much tax you can save in new tax regime

Power of Compounding in One-time Investment: In a year, when you get Rs 10,000 or Rs 15,000 in capital gains (or a 10 per cent or 15 per cent annual return) from your one-time investment of Rs 1,00,000, it may appear to be a non-significant difference. After all, a Rs 2,000 difference won't upgrade your lifestyle or may not help you achieve most of your financial goals. But fast-forward this investment to 40 years, and the difference is Rs 2,22,60,429. Such a difference can't be overlooked. This highlights the power of compounding in the long term, and how only a few per cent of extra return can create a significantly large corpus. In this write-up, read what a Rs 5,00,000 one-time investment can generate in 10, 20, 30, and 40 years if one investor gets a 10 per cent and 15 per cent annualised return.

Photos: Unsplash/Pixabay/Pexels

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult an expert for financial planning.)

Power of Compounding in One-time Investment: What if you get a 2 per cent extra return from your investments? Will it make any significant impact? Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term, it can be a game-changer. See calculations of how an Rs 5,00,000 one-time investment can grow at 10 per cent and 15 per cent annualised return in 10, 20, 30, and 40 years.


Power of 15% Return in One-time Investment: What will you get on Rs 5,00,000 lump sum deposit at 10%-15% returns in 10, 20, 30, and 40 years?

Retirement Calculations: We all want to have a comfortable retirement life. When we say comfortable, we mean a financially free retirement life where we have financial resources to sponsor our retirement journey; when we don't have to depend on others for our daily expenses; when we can purchase things that make our life smooth. But even if your intention of having a retirement corpus is clear, how will you know the required corpus size? How much do you need to make yourself fully financially free? Rs 3 crore, Rs 5 crore, Rs 10 crore? See how you may know –

<h2>Your current and future expenses&nbsp;</h2>

This is the most basic question you need to ask yourself. If you are 30 and your monthly expenses are Rs 40,000/month.

Do you expect to maintain the same lifestyle at your retirement, or do you want to upgrade it?

Based on that corpus, the yearly future expenses will be calculated.&nbsp;

<h2>Your age, retirement age, life expectancy&nbsp;</h2>

The second thing is what your current age is, when you want to retire, and how long you need an amount.

If you are 30, want to retire at 60 and want the amount for 20 years, the one-time, periodic investment amount will be different than when you are 30, want to retire at 55 and need the retirement corpus for 25 years.

<h2>Inflation&nbsp;factor&nbsp;</h2>

Inflation is an important factor for retirement planning.

Things become expensive because of inflation.

So your monthly expenditure will increase by the rate of inflation.

The retirement corpus calculation, thus, will have inflation as a key component.

<h2>Withdrawal amount</h2>

Now the thing is that if you want to maintain the same lifestyle as you have now, you need the same inflation-adjusted amount at your retirement.

However, if you want to have a capping, the amount can be different.

Like, you may ask yourself to withdraw just 4 per cent of your retirement corpus every year.

So, even if you withdraw, the growth rate will keep increasing the overall amount, and the corpus will not run short for your life.

<h2>How much amount you need for retirement&nbsp;</h2>

Here, we are creating a scenario for a 30-year-old person whose monthly expenses are Rs 50,000, who wants to retire at 60 years of age who needs the retirement corpus for the next 25 years.

Here are other things that we will consider for our calculation.

Rate of investment return (pre-retirement)- 12 per cent&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rate of investment return (post-retirement)- 6 per cent

Inflation- 5 per cent

Based on these statistics, we will calculate the monthly amount required at 60, the total retirement corpus, and the one-time and monthly SIP investment amounts required to achieve the retirement corpus goal.&nbsp;

<h2>Estimated monthly expenses at 60 years of age</h2>

Rs 2,16,097

<h2>Estimated corpus required</h2>

Rs 5,76,68,841

<h2>Lump sum amount you need to invest</h2>

Rs 19,24,867

<h2>SIP amount you need to invest</h2>

Rs 16,337

<h2>Disadvantage of starting investment late</h2>

Now let's see what would have happened had one started their investment journey at 35 years instead of 30 years. We are not changing the monthly expenses and other calculation figures. In that case

<h2>Estimated monthly expenses at 60 years of age</h2>

Rs 1,69,318

<h2>Estimated corpus required</h2>

Rs 4,51,85,138&nbsp;

<h2>Lump sum amount you need to invest</h2>

Rs 26,57,940

<h2>SIP amount you need to invest</h2>

Rs 23,811

<h2>Conclusion</h2>

Having an early start can help you generate the same corpus with a smaller one-time or monthly investment.

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consul an expert for financial planning.)

Retirement Calculations: We all need a sizeable retirement corpus! But how large should that be? When you retire, what is the corpus amount you need? How much do you need to have a fully financially free life? How will you calculate?


Retirement Calculations: Rs 3 crore, Rs 5 crore, or Rs 10 crore? Know how much amount you need for your retirement

Power of Compounding in One-time Investment: For most salaried-class individuals, an average 30-year investment window is available in the majority of cases. A person who joins a job at 25 years of age takes time to stabilise and build their career. Once they start getting a decent salary, they spend more on their lifestyle and sometimes to upgrade their skills. By 30, they are in a position where they can start their investment journey. But that's the stage where most people make a mistake. They delay their investments, thinking that they will start it once they have a large pay package, and that's the mistake that costs dearly.

They lost important years of compound growth of their investments.

These are the years, if used wisely, may take their investments to new heights.

Just a few years delay may leave them short of many lakhs of crores in their retirement corpus. Investment duration is powerful, which, if used effectively, can produce outstanding results for your investments.

A smaller investment can build a larger corpus compared to a larger investment done only for a few years.

Similarly, can a Rs 3,00,000 one-time investment in a mutual fund scheme generate a retirement corpus that can overtake a fund generated by a Rs 30,00,000 lump sum investment for a shorter duration?

See calculations to get an idea.

<h2>How time plays key role in investment growth</h2>

First, see the example of how a Rs 1 lakh investment in a mutual fund scheme can grow in 40 years at a 12 per cent annualised growth.

In 10 years, the estimated corpus will grow to Rs 3,10,585.

In 20 years, the estimated corpus will grow to Rs 9,64,629.

In 30 years, the estimated corpus will grow to Rs 29,95,992.

In 40 years, the estimated corpus will grow to Rs 93,05,097.

Just see the difference in the corpus between 20 and 40 years. It's more than 10 times growth.

<h2>Rs 2 lakh vs Rs 20 lakh investment&nbsp;</h2>

Here the first investment amount is just 1/10th of the second amount. But if Rs 2,00,000 grows for 35 years and Rs 20,00,000 for 14 years, both at a 12 per cent annualised return, the smaller amount can generate a higher corpus than the larger investment amount. Let's see how.

A Rs 2,00,000 investment in 35 years will grow to an estimated corpus of Rs 1,05,59,924, where estimated capital gains will be Rs 1,03,59,924.

In contrast, a Rs 20,00,000 investment in 14 years will grow to an estimated corpus of Rs 97,74,225, where estimated capital gains will be Rs 77,74,225.

Just look at the estimated capital gains of both investments.&nbsp;

A Rs 2 lakh investment's growth in 35 years is far ahead of the investment growth of Rs 20 lakh in 14 years.

<h2>Why we get such contrasting results</h2>

These are not contrasting results. This is how investments grow because of compound growth, where they get return on return. The investment grows due to the snowball effect.

<h2>Rs 3,00,000 investment vs Rs 30,00,000 investment</h2>

Now apply the same logic to these 2 investments.

Here, we will make a Rs 3,00,000 investment for 40 years and a Rs 30,00,000 investment for 19 years. In both, we expect to get a 12 per cent annualised return. Let's see how large corpuses we can get in both cases.

<h2>Corpus from Rs 3,00,000 investment in 40 years&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

The estimated capital gains from a Rs 3,00,000 investment in 40 years will be Rs 2,76,15,291, and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,79,15,291.

<h2>Corpus from Rs 30,00,000 investment in 19 years</h2>

The estimated capital gains from a Rs 3,00,000 investment in 40 years will be Rs 2,28,38,285, and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,58,38,285.

The difference in the estimated capital gains generated is Rs 47,77,006. A Rs 3,00,000 investment is the winner hands down.

<h2>Cost of investment delay in career</h2>

Considering the examples given above, let's see the example of the cost of delay in investment.&nbsp;

A 30-year-old professional wants to start an investment of Rs 10,000 monthly SIP in a mutual fund, with an annual step up of 5 per cent. They want to do it till they turn 60.

See the results if they start at ages 30, 35, and 40.

If they start it at 30, the total investment will be Rs 79,72,662, estimated capital gains will be Rs 3,87,85,512 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 4,67,58,174.&nbsp;

If they start it at 35, the total investment will be Rs 57,27,252, estimated capital gains will be Rs 1,91,01,233 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 2,48,28,485.&nbsp;

If they start it at 40, the total investment will be Rs 39,67,914, estimated capital gains will be Rs 87,85,809 and the estimated corpus will be Rs 1,27,53,723.&nbsp;

Look at the difference in capital gains with a delay of just 5 years.

<h2>Conclusion</h2>

The conclusion of all calculations shown above shows that it is always good to start an investment journey early.&nbsp;

With a few lakhs of extra investment, the outcome can be outstanding.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own due diligence or consult an expert for financial planning.)

&nbsp;

Power of Compounding in One-time Investment: Time plays a key role in multiplying your investment returns. A smaller investment can produce a larger retirement corpus in a long time compared to a larger investment for a shorter duration. It can produce surprising results of investment growth in the long run. Similarly, what do you think? Can a Rs 3 lakh lump sum investment generate a larger corpus than the fund generated from a Rs 30 lakh investment?


Power of Compounding in One-time Investment: Can Rs 3 lakh lump sum deposit generate larger corpus than Rs 30 lakh investment?

Top 7 ETFs With Highest Returns in 5 Years: Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are unique mutual funds as they can be traded in a stock market, unlike traditional funds which invest in stock but can't be bought and sold on bourses. ETFs follow an index, asset, commodity, etc. They are passive funds and so come with a low expense ratio. They provide high liquidity and real time settlement during trading hours. Like other mutual funds, they invest in a number of stocks, so they mitigate risk. They are also used for the diversification of an investment portfolio. Since they are traded on an exchange, one needs to have a demat account to trade ETFs. Here, we take you through the top 7 ETFs that have provided the highest annualised return (CAGR) in 5 years. Also know the value of Rs 99,999 one-time investment in each of them during the 5-year span.&nbsp;

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Top 7 ETFs With Highest Returns in 5 Years: Exchange Traded Funds can be traded in a share market. They have a low expense ratio and follow an index, asset, commodity, etc. Mutual fund investors also use them for the diversification of their portfolio.


Top 7 ETFs With up to 39% Return in 5 Years: No. 1 exchange-traded fund has turned Rs 99,999 one-time investment into Rs 5,06,497

Equity Fund Beater Debt Funds: Debt funds beating equity funds! It sounds weird because investors keen on growth want to keep top performing equity funds in their portfolio to make the most of a rising market. But at a time when the market has gone through sharp fluctuations in the year gone by, equity funds are sufferers. To the extent that debt funds have beaten top mid and small cap funds by miles in terms of SIP return in 1 year. Debt funds, on the other hand, have banked on recent rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Here, we take you through the top 5 debt mutual funds and top mid and small cap mutual fund each that have given the highest SIP return in 1 year.

For debt funds, we are taking money market funds, which have a maturity period of 6 to 12 months.

<h2>Tata Money Market Fund Direct-Growth</h2>

The fund has given 8.71 per cent annualised SIP return in the 1-year time frame.

It has assets under management (AUM) of Rs 26,844 crore, while its net asset value (NAV) as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 4,744.3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against CRISIL Money Market A-I Index, the fund has given 6.76 per cent annualised return since its inception in January 2013.

At an expense ratio of 0.16 per cent, the fund has Rs 500 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 5,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in 1 year, or a total investment of Rs 1,20,000, has converted into Rs 1,26,534.

<h2>Franklin India Money Market Fund Direct-Growth</h2>

The fund has given 8.68 per cent annualised SIP return in 1 year.

It has AUM of Rs 2,547 crore, while its NAV as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 51.13.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against NIFTY Money Market Index A-I, the fund has given 7.52 per cent annualised return since its debut in January 2013.

With an expense ratio of 0.14 per cent, the fund has Rs 500 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 10,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in the 1-year period has grown to Rs 1,25,514.

<h2>Mirae Asset Money Market Fund Direct - Growth</h2>

The fund has given 8.64 per cent annualised SIP return in the 1-year period.

It has an asset base of Rs 6,340 crore, while its unit price as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 1,260.09.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against NIFTY Money Market Index A-I, the fund has given 6.47 per cent annualised return since its launch in August 2021.

At an expense ratio of 0.09 per cent, the fund has Rs 1,000 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 5,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in the 1-year time frame has jumped to Rs 1,25,490.

<h2>Axis Money Market Fund Direct-Growth</h2>

The fund has given 8.63 per cent annualised SIP return in the 1-year time frame.

It has a fund size of Rs 14,611 crore, while its unit price as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 1,424.27.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against NIFTY Money Market Index A-I, the fund has given 6.37 per cent annualised return since its beginning in July 2019.

With an expense ratio of 0.16 per cent, the fund has Rs 1,000 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 5,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in 1 year has swelled to Rs 1,25,483.

<h2>Nippon India Money Market Fund Direct-Growth</h2>

The fund has given 8.59 per cent annualised SIP return in 1 year.

Its AUM is Rs 15,230 crore, while its NAV as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 4,146.54.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against NIFTY Money Market Index A-I, the fund has given 7.36 per cent annualised return since its starting in January 2013.

At an expense ratio of 0.25 per cent, the fund has Rs 500 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 1,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in the 1-year period has grown to Rs 1,25,459.

<h2>Top mid cap SIP mutual fund in 1 year</h2>

<h2>Invesco India Mid Cap Fund Direct-Growth</h2>

The fund has given 0.40 per cent annualised SIP return in the 3-year period.

It has AUM of Rs 5,779 crore, while its NAV as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 184.01.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against BSE 150 MidCap TRI, the fund has given 20.97 per cent annualised return since its inception in January 2013.

With an expense ratio of 0.65 per cent, the fund has Rs 500 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 1,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in the 1-year time frame has moved to Rs 1,20,258.

<h2>Top small cap SIP mutual fund in 1 year</h2>

<h2>Motilal Oswal Small Cap Fund Direct - Growth</h2>

The fund has given -0.26 per cent annualised SIP return in the 3-year time frame.

It has a fund size of Rs 4,167 crore, while its NAV as on April 16, 2025, was Rs 12.84.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Benchmarked against NIFTY Large Midcap 250 TRI, the fund has given 20.36 per cent annualised return since its launch in December 2023.

At an expense ratio of 0.41 per cent, the fund has Rs 500 as the minimum SIP investment and Rs 1,000 as the minimum lump sum investment.&nbsp;

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP investment in 1 year in it has slipped into Rs 1,20,694.

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Equity Fund Beater Debt Funds: Amid the poor performance of mid and small cap stocks, equity large, mid, and cap mutual funds have taken a beating in the last 1 year. While most have negative systematic investment plan (SIP) returns. They trail debt mutual funds by miles. Debt funds are in the driver's seat!


Shaghil Bilali