Investing in your child’s future is an excellent way to secure their financial well-being. But what if you could also secure your retirement with a single investment made on your child’s 18th birthday? Planning a one-time investment becoming a multi-crore retirement corpus by the time you retire. Sounds too good to be true? Let’s dig deeper to see how a lump sum investment, fueled by compounding, can do wonders to your financial future.
The Magic of Compounding
Compounding is the secret to accumulating wealth. It takes effect by generating returns on your initial investment and also on the returns. The longer your money is invested, the more it compounds, thus generating exponentially higher returns. That is why saving early is an effective strategy for creating large sums of wealth in the long term.
A Rs 1,80,000 Investment on Your Child’s 18th Birthday
Let us suppose you put Rs 1,80,000 in lumpsum on the birthday of your child when he/she is 18 years old. The thought process is quite basic: instead of worrying about saving small sums periodically over many years, you put one large amount in advance. Now you may be curious how this rather small amount becomes an enormous sum of money like Rs 2.1 crore (Rs 2,10,00,000).
Let’s get to it.
Investment Details:
Amount Invested: Rs 1,80,000
Duration: 42 years (from your child’s 18th birthday to when he turns 60)
Expected Rate of Return: 12% per annum (approximate average annual return from equity mutual funds)
Investment Type: Equity Mutual Funds (which have a tendency to provide higher returns in the long run)
If the lump sum grows at 12% every year, it has the potential to grow to an astonishing Rs 2.1 crore by the age of 60 years for your child. The magic of compounding is such that although you invest only once, year after year, the returns compound to give a huge corpus.
Why 12% Returns?
A return of 12% is possible in equity mutual funds. Past experience indicates that long-term investment in equity markets, particularly in diversified mutual funds, has yielded returns in this order, although past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
But the secret to doing this is how long the money remains invested. The longer you remain invested, the stronger compounding works, and even a modest amount can grow into a huge amount.
How to Optimize the Growth of Your Investment?
To optimize the growth of your lump-sum investment, try these strategies:
Start Early: The sooner you invest, the longer your money has to compound. A lump sum investment on your child’s 18th birthday puts the clock running for 42 years — a perfect time horizon for maximum growth.
Invest in High-Quality Mutual Funds: It is very important to choose the right mutual funds. Invest in diversified equity schemes or index schemes that invest in a large number of stocks, thus spreading risk and making chances of long-term stable growth higher.
Stay Invested: Compounding will be most effective if you don’t take any money out of it. Don’t make the mistake of making withdrawals or changing the investment plan unless absolutely essential.
Reinvest the Dividends: Some mutual funds pay dividends, which can be reinvested to purchase additional units of the fund. This makes your investment grow even quicker.
The Long-Term Advantages of Lump-Sum Investments
The largest benefit of lump-sum investing is that it accrues compounding without needing you to contribute a regular amount. Whether it’s your retirement account or a child’s education account, lump-sum investing provides simplicity and an easy means of accomplishing long-term financial objectives. When you’re not dealing with multiple contributions, it takes less time and effort to make your investment grow.
Conclusion
A one-time investment of Rs 1,80,000 made on your child’s 18th birthday can be Rs 2.1 crore when you retire at 60, courtesy compounding. Being a mutual fund distributor, we recommend long-term investments to ensure both your retirement and your child’s future. A financial advisor like VSRK Capital can build a plan specially designed for your objectives and have a bright future ahead.
FAQs
1. Should I invest during a market high or low?
Timing the market is also difficult and sometimes not advisable. Investing at the high or low of the market is risky if you decide only based on market levels. You should instead invest regularly through SIP or invest a lump sum if you have it, irrespective of the market environment. In the long run, being invested most of the time is usually more critical than trying to forecast market movements in the short run.
2. How do I choose the right mutual fund for a lump sum investment?
The selection of the proper mutual fund for a lump sum investment requires knowing your objectives and risk appetite. If you can handle short-term market volatility, opt for equity mutual funds. Look at the long-term performance of the fund, see that it’s diversified across sectors to reduce risk, and analyze the fund manager’s record, as his experience can have a significant impact on performance.