Category: Personal Finance

CAGR Insights is a weekly newsletter full of insights from around the world of the web.

Chart Ki Baat

Gyaan Ki Baat 

War Times & Wallet Sense          

When the world shakes, your money shouldn’t.

With India and Pakistan locked in a tense conflict, markets react faster than missiles. Panic is natural—but smart investors don’t panic, they prepare. Here’s your financial war plan.

1. Don’t make knee-jerk moves: Markets hate uncertainty. But selling in fear usually means locking in losses. Stay invested if your goals are long-term.
2. Review your emergency fund: Now’s the time to ensure you have 6–12 months of expenses parked safely. Wars can trigger job losses or economic slowdowns.
3. Diversify beyond borders: If you’ve only invested in Indian assets, consider global exposure. A little diversification can act like a financial bulletproof vest.
4. Avoid big-ticket expenses: Postpone that car upgrade or luxury purchase. Liquidity is king during uncertain times.
5. Don’t stop your SIPs: Systematic investments are built for volatility. You’re buying more units at lower prices—thank the market later!

Remember: Wars may shake headlines, but smart money stays calm, calculated, and committed.

Personal Finance

• The 10 Best Ways the Middle Class Can Build Wealth That Actually Work: Want to know how middle-class families build wealth? Discover 10 proven strategies—from smart investing to income streams—that can transform your financial future. Start your journey to financial freedom now! Read here

• Operation Sindoor: Should mutual fund investors brace for impact or stay the course? Despite current market jitters due to Operation Sindoor, historical trends show that India’s markets recover post-conflict. Mutual fund investors should continue their SIPs, avoid emotional decisions, and consider strategic investments to capitalize on market fluctuations over the long term. Read here

• Volatile markets? Here’s how to make your losses work and save taxes for you: Did you know a recent tax tribunal ruling could save you thousands in capital gains tax this year? Here’s how savvy investors are using short-term losses to their advantage. Read here

Investing

• Borrowing From Your Future Can Cost You Everything: Why borrowing from your future self might be the most dangerous financial move you can make, or if you’re aiming for something curiosity driven. This one flawed assumption ruins both your saving and investing plans—here’s how. Read here

• Will this adage hold true for the Indian equity market in May 2025: With geopolitical tensions intensifying and their repercussions on economic growth, and corporate earnings, will the adage, “Sell in May and go away” hold true?Read here

Economy & Sector

• UK trade deal to benefit India’s services, labour-intensive sectors: The India–UK FTA boosts exports in textiles, engineering, and IT services with duty-free access. Key sectors benefit while sensitive imports stay protected. No major immigration or carbon tax concessions. Find out which industries stand to gain the most. Read here

• IMF’s April Outlook projects India to become fourth largest in 2025: India is poised to surpass Japan with a projected GDP of $4.19 trillion, says IMF. As global rankings shift, discover how India’s economic rise is reshaping the global order. Read here

• ​ Will rising Indo-Pak tensions dent foreign investment inflows to India? Despite recent military action, analysts see minimal impact on Indian markets due to strong domestic fundamentals, limited trade with Pakistan, and past resilience. Will India’s booming economy continue to defy geopolitical shocks? Read here

Check out CAGRwealth smallcase portfolios

Our smallcase portfolios are ranking well in the smallcase universe in terms of 1-year returns.

• CFF (launched in June 2022) – Ranked 1^st amongst smallcase with medium volatility.

• CVM (launched in May 2022) – Ranked among Top 20 across the Momentum smallcase universe.

Do check it out here

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That’s it from our side. Have a great weekend ahead!

If you have any feedback that you would like to share, simply reply to this email.

The content of this newsletter is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. The content is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to sell or buy any security or other investment or undertake any investment strategy. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or results obtained from any information outlined in this newsletter unless mentioned explicitly. The writer may have positions in and may, from time to time, make purchases or sales of the securities or other investments discussed or evaluated in this newsletter.

CAGR Insights is a weekly newsletter full of insights from around the world of the web.

Chart Ki Baat

Gyaan Ki Baat 

Mastering the Market – It’s All About Self-Awareness

In the world of investing, we often focus on charts, trends, and predictions. But the key to success is understanding ourselves. As market volatility rises, our psychological responses play a huge role in how we navigate market corrections.

Here’s why self-awareness is crucial in investing:

• The Real Risk Isn’t in the Market, but in Our Minds: The market correction between September 2024 and February 2025 revealed that the difference between successful investors and those who suffered losses was often about self-awareness. It’s not about predicting the market, but about controlling our emotional responses.
• Psychological Biases Are Dangerous: Fear, greed, overconfidence, FOMO, and herd mentality can cloud judgment. When prices fall sharply, we tend to chase speculative bets, ignore valuations, and get swept up in sector hype. These biases often lead to disastrous outcomes.
• Overconfidence During Bull Markets: During periods of growth, psychological biases are often rewarded. But when markets turn, those biases are exposed. As Warren Buffett said, “Only when the tide goes out do we discover who’s been swimming naked.”
• The Power of Emotional Control: To make better decisions, we must recognize and manage our psychological vulnerabilities. By identifying biases like FOMO, overexposure to micro-caps, or momentum chasing, we can avoid these traps and build a more resilient investment strategy.
• Create a Framework to Protect Yourself: Don’t just rely on stock picks. Focus on processes that prioritize valuation, fundamentals, and long-term goals over short-term trends. This reduces emotional decision-making and helps maintain discipline, especially during market dips.
• Self-Awareness = Better Long-Term Outcomes: The key to successful investing is not timing the market but timing our emotions. Recognizing our biases and implementing strategies to counter them is more valuable than any market forecast.

In summary, invest in your self-awareness—it’s the most powerful tool you have in protecting your investments from emotional decisions.

Personal Finance

• How Sahil aims to achieve a 30-40X corpus in the next 10 years: Sahil tracks every rupee with precision—investing 70%+ of income, beating market returns with lower volatility, and growing his net worth 40% in FY25. He’s hit 10x expenses, but house prices worry him. Curious how he does it? Read here
  
  
• 7 key lessons from John Bogle’s classic, ‘The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing’: John Bogle’s timeless wisdom in The Little Book of Common-Sense Investing champions low-cost index funds, long-term discipline, and diversification. Want to build lasting wealth without chasing trends or timing markets? These 7 lessons could change your game. Read here
  
  
• Feeling the squeeze? These 5 money moves may help survive the sandwich life: Caught between caring for parents and kids? If you’re part of the ‘sandwich generation’, these common money mistakes could be quietly draining your future — here’s how to avoid them. Read here

Investing

• Be Minimally Extractive: Jack Bogle revolutionized investing, saving everyday investors over $1 trillion through low-cost index funds and a philosophy of minimal extraction. His legacy reshaped the industry—click to see how Vanguard changed the game for your portfolio. Read here
  
  
• What To Look for from The Fed’s May Meeting: The Fed may hold rates on May 7, but a June cut is in play. With U.S. inflation high, growth slowing, and tariff uncertainty rising, Indian markets are watching closely—could global cues trigger FII moves and impact your portfolio? Read here

Economy & Sector

• Manufacturing to lead India’s $5 trillion economic growth: India’s manufacturing GVA is set to triple to $1.6 trillion by FY2034, fuelled by massive Capex, PLI schemes, and global supply chain shifts. With exports booming and sectors like electronics, autos, and chemicals surging, this is India’s big factory moment. Want to know which states and sectors are leading the charge—and how VCs are cashing in? Read here
  
  
• India’s rising concert economy: A new era of live entertainment: India’s live entertainment sector just hit ₹12,000 crore in 2024—and it’s only getting started. With Coldplay’s Ahmedabad concert drawing 222,000 fans and creating a ₹641 crore impact, India’s cities are emerging as global live music hotspots. Can your city be the next concert capital? Here’s why investors, fans, and creators are tuning in. Read here
  
  
• ​India’s service sector: The war horse gallops ahead: India’s service sector is the backbone of its economy, contributing 54.7% to GDP. As IT, fintech, and AI drive growth, shifts in the workforce and new challenges arise. How will India stay ahead in the global services race? Read here

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Check out CAGRwealth smallcase portfolios

Our smallcase portfolios are ranking well in the smallcase universe in terms of 1-year returns.

• CFF (launched in June 2022) – Ranked 1^st amongst smallcase with medium volatility.
• CVM (launched in May 2022) – Ranked among Top 20 across the Momentum smallcase universe.
  
  Do check it out here

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That’s it from our side. Have a great weekend ahead!

If you have any feedback that you would like to share, simply reply to this email.

The content of this newsletter is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. The content is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to sell or buy any security or other investment or undertake any investment strategy. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or results obtained from any information outlined in this newsletter unless mentioned explicitly. The writer may have positions in and may, from time to time, make purchases or sales of the securities or other investments discussed or evaluated in this newsletter.

CAGR Insights is a weekly newsletter full of insights from around the world of the web.

Chart Ki Baat

Gyaan Ki Baat 

The Hidden Cost of Quick Wins: Why Skill Alone Isn’t Enough

India is hooked.

From living rooms to local trains, over 130 million people are glued to fantasy sports apps like Dream11 every day. These platforms raked in ₹6,400 crore in FY23—and that’s not even the full picture.

So, what’s driving this craze?

At the heart of it is something deeply human: our love for risk and the rush of a quick win. It’s the same thrill that’s pulling an ever-growing crowd into the high-stakes world of Futures & Options (F&O) trading. Because, hey—if you can turn a few hundred into a few thousand before lunch, why not?

Here’s why not.

Just like the flashy lights of a casino, both fantasy sports and F&O trading are brilliantly designed so the house always wins. Fantasy platforms skim a cut off every contest. In F&O, it’s even grimmer: SEBI reports 9 out of 10 retail traders lose money—usually to the brokers and institutional bigwigs who never play fair.

Both are paraded as “games of skill,” convincing users that with enough stats, strategy, or stock tips, they’ll beat the system. But for most, this belief is just a well-packaged illusion.

Think about it. You could spend hours analyzing cricket form or reading market trends… only to walk away poorer and more stressed. Meanwhile, those hours could’ve gone into leveling up your career, launching a side hustle, or building a rock-solid investment portfolio.

But here’s the kicker: the urge to gamble isn’t the enemy.
It’s natural—a leftover from our evolutionary wiring that once helped us survive. The real game? Learning to manage it.

Smart investors don’t pretend they’re above the thrill. They set aside a “fun money” fund—just enough to scratch the itch without bleeding their savings. The rest? They park it in boring, long-term, evidence-backed investments that quietly snowball over time.

And let’s not forget: fantasy gaming might burn a few hundred, but F&O trading? Thanks to leverage, it can wipe out multiples of your initial investment—sometimes overnight.

Thankfully, some fintech startups are catching on. They’re offering fantasy stock trading apps where you can test your chops without risking real cash. It’s like learning to drive in a simulator before hitting the highway. A small but solid step in the right direction.

As the legendary Charlie Munger said:

“The first rule of compounding is never to interrupt it unnecessarily.”

Bottom line?
Whether it’s cricket or capital markets, when you play their game, the house always wins.
The real winners? They know when to step off the table—and let their wealth do its thing, growing quietly in the background.

Personal Finance

• Soon, you can withdraw up to Rs 5 lakh from EPFO account without manual verification: With an increase in the auto-settlement limit, the members would be able to automatically withdraw up to Rs 5 lakh instantly. At present, members had to wait for manual verification for advance withdrawal of amounts above Rs 1 lakh. Read here
  
  
• How to spot a genuine Sebi-registered financial advisor and avoid scams: India has seen a rise in investment scams, especially targeting the elderly. To stay safe, always verify a Sebi-registered adviser, insist on a signed Letter of Engagement, avoid “guaranteed returns,” and never transfer money—RIAs offer advice, not transactions. Read here
  
  

Warren Buffett has a record amount of cash on the sidelines. Here’s how experts recommend balancing saving and investing: Warren Buffett’s $334B cash stash has everyone talking—but should you follow his lead? Experts say hoarding cash may hurt your returns. Discover why a smart 60/40 portfolio wins long-term and the right way to balance cash and investments! Read here

Investing

• Sebi’s rule regarding NAV of overnight funds to come into effect on June 1: Markets regulator Sebi has carried out a change in cut-off timings to determine applicable net assets value (NAV) with respect to repurchase or redemption of units in overnight mutual funds.Read here
  
  

Give Now, Not Later: Most people would rather receive $250k at 30 than $1M at 50—because timing matters more than totals. This thought-provoking piece challenges traditional inheritance norms and explores smarter ways to give. Curious why? Click to rethink when—and how—you pass on wealth. Read here

Economy & Sector

• Indian economy less vulnerable to global headwinds, says cenbank: India’s economy remains resilient amid global uncertainty, thanks to strong domestic demand, low inflation, and robust fundamentals. With opportunities from global supply chain shifts and FDI inflows, India could turn turbulence into triumph. Click to see why RBI is optimistic! Read here
  
  
• IMF cuts India view cautions against global de-integration: India’s economy remains resilient amid global uncertainty, thanks to strong domestic demand, low inflation, and robust fundamentals. With opportunities from global supply chain shifts and FDI inflows, India could turn turbulence into triumph. Click to see why RBI is optimistic! Read here
  
  
• ​ India lifts 17 crores out of poverty, employment growth outpaces population: World Bank: In its report titled India Poverty and Equity Brief, the multilateral agency said that extreme poverty—defined as living on less than $2.15 per day—fell to 2.3 per cent of the population in 2022–23, down from 16.2 per cent in 2011–12. Read here
  

Check out CAGRwealth smallcase portfolios

Our smallcase portfolios are ranking well in the smallcase universe in terms of 1-year returns.

• CFF (launched in June 2022) – Ranked 1^st amongst smallcase with medium volatility.

• CVM (launched in May 2022) – Ranked among Top 20 across the Momentum smallcase universe.

Do check it out here

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That’s it from our side. Have a great weekend ahead!

If you have any feedback that you would like to share, simply reply to this email.

The content of this newsletter is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. The content is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to sell or buy any security or other investment or undertake any investment strategy. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or results obtained from any information outlined in this newsletter unless mentioned explicitly. The writer may have positions in and may, from time to time, make purchases or sales of the securities or other investments discussed or evaluated in this newsletter.

CAGR Insights is a weekly newsletter full of insights from around the world of the web.

Chart Ki Baat

Gyaan Ki Baat

Why Moving from Wealth Accumulation to Wealth Preservation Matters

In the early stages of our financial journey, the focus is clear—grow, invest, and multiply wealth. This is the phase of wealth accumulation, where risk-taking and aggressive strategies are rewarded by time and compounding. But as we move closer to our financial goals—retirement, children’s education, or legacy planning—the game changes. The priority shifts from “How much more can I make?” to “How can I protect what I’ve built?” This is the essence of wealth preservation.

Why does this shift matter? Simply put, time is no longer on your side. Market downturns that were once mere blips can now threaten your lifestyle and long-term security. Preserving wealth is about safeguarding your hard-earned assets from risks like market volatility, inflation, unexpected expenses, and even taxation. It’s a proactive approach—diversifying investments, rebalancing portfolios, planning for taxes, and ensuring adequate insurance coverage.

Wealth preservation isn’t about abandoning growth; it’s about finding the right balance. Your portfolio should still have some growth potential, but the emphasis is on stability, steady income, and risk management. Think of it as shifting from sprinting to marathon running—pace, endurance, and protection become the new priorities.

Remember, the journey from accumulation to preservation is not a sign of slowing down, but a mark of financial wisdom. Protecting your wealth ensures that your dreams, lifestyle, and legacy remain secure for you and your loved ones, no matter what life throws your way

Personal Finance

• How to settle credit card payments without extra charges? 6 smart tips that work: Want to ditch credit card debt without wrecking your credit score? Discover smart, fee-free strategies like budgeting, balance transfers, and auto-pay. Build financial strength and avoid costly mistakes—click to take control of your money the smart way! Read here
  
  
• Old tax regime vs new tax regime: Which one to pick as the new financial year kicks in. Check details: As FY26 begins, choose wisely between the old and new tax regimes—lower rates vs. higher deductions. The new regime is now default! Wondering which one saves you more?  Read here
  
  
• Why buying multi-year policies in health insurance makes financial sense: Rising medical costs? Lock in your health insurance premium now! Multi-year policies (3–5 years) offer discounts, stability, and peace of mind—especially for young buyers. Avoid future hikes and enjoy tax perks too. Click to see why this strategy is a game-changer! Read here

Investing

• The Price of Peace: Why Diversification is Difficult, but Necessary: Diversification won’t make you rich fast—but it will keep you from going broke. While a concentrated bet might outperform, a well-diversified portfolio cushions the blow when markets crash. Curious how the “optimal portfolio” stacked up against the S&P 500? Click to learn the true cost—and reward—of peace of mind. Read here
  
  
• Patience pays: How long‑term investing works its magic: Investing in fundamentally strong companies at reasonable prices—and then simply holding on long enough – can work wonders for your wealth. The Long‑Term Growth Portfolio is built on this very philosophy: buy quality stocks, be patient, and let compounding do the heavy lifting. To understand why this approach leads to prosperity. Read here

Economy & Sector

• Tariffs are just one weapon in a trade war: Global trade is set to contract by 0.2% in 2025 amid rising U.S.-China tensions, new chip export bans, and cancelled freight shipments. Markets are reeling—but trading desks are booming. Click to understand the full impact of Trump-era trade shocks. Read here
  
  
• India eyes ending import tax on US ethane and LPG in trade talks, sources say: India is considering removing import taxes on Ethane and LPG from the United States. This move is part of broader trade negotiations with Washington. The goal is to reduce India’s trade surplus and ease tariff burdens. India may also eliminate import tax on U.S. liquefied natural gas. Increased U.S. energy imports could help India avoid heavier tariffs. Read here
  
  
• ​Missing the target: On the economy, the Centre’s growth target: India’s industrial growth hit a 6-month low of 2.9% in February, dragged down by weak manufacturing and mining, and a sharp dip in consumer demand—despite easing inflation. Investment picked up, but global jitters and market volatility hurt confidence. Will India miss its 6.5% GDP growth target? Read here

Check out CAGRwealth smallcase portfolios

Our smallcase portfolios are ranking well in the smallcase universe in terms of 1-year returns.

• CFF (launched in June 2022) – Ranked 1^st amongst smallcase with medium volatility.

• CVM (launched in May 2022) – Ranked among Top 20 across the Momentum smallcase universe.

Do check it out here

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That’s it from our side. Have a great weekend ahead!

If you have any feedback that you would like to share, simply reply to this email.

The content of this newsletter is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. The content is distributed for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a recommendation to sell or buy any security or other investment or undertake any investment strategy. There are no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or results obtained from any information outlined in this newsletter unless mentioned explicitly. The writer may have positions in and may, from time to time, make purchases or sales of the securities or other investments discussed or evaluated in this newsletter.