Client Profile:
👤Raj (39) – Marketing professional in Delhi
👩🏫Neha (35) – School teacher
👨👦Family: 11-year-old son, Rahul
💰Household Income: ₹1.5L/month (post-tax)
Financial Goals
Raj and Neha met with their financial planner to plan for the following goals:
- Down payment for a house (5-year goal)
- Rahul’s higher education (10–12 year goal)
- Rahul’s marriage (15–20 year goal)
- Retirement (20+ year goal)
The Investment Approach: 1 Goal = 1 SIP
Instead of starting 1–2 large SIPs randomly, their advisor recommended a goal-based SIP strategy:
| Goal | SIP Type | Investment Horizon | Suggested Fund Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| House down payment | SIP 1 | 5 years | Short duration or hybrid fund |
| Child’s education | SIP 2 | 10 years | Flexi-cap or large-cap fund |
| Child’s marriage | SIP 3 | 15 years | Mid-cap or multi-cap fund |
| Retirement | SIP 4 | 20+ years | Index fund or diversified equity |
The Real Insight: It’s Not About the Number
The question “How many SIPs should one have?” misses the bigger picture.
- It doesn’t matter if you have 4 or 14 SIPs
- What matters is clarity of purpose
- Each SIP should be tied to a specific, measurable goal
This goal-linked investing keeps Raj and Neha focused. They’re less likely to panic during market volatility because their SIPs are mapped to a clear outcome — their home, their child’s future, and their own retirement.
Key Takeaways
- One SIP per goal brings clarity and discipline
- Staying invested becomes easier when you’re working towards something meaningful
- It also simplifies tracking and rebalancing every year
Summary
| Bad SIP Strategy | Good SIP Strategy |
|---|---|
| Random investments with no timeline | Each SIP mapped to a specific financial goal |
| Too many funds chasing returns | Limited, curated funds based on horizon & risk |
| Reacting emotionally to markets | Disciplined, long-term mindset |
“The number of SIPs doesn’t matter.
What matters is whether your SIPs are aligned with your life’s goals.”