We believe every client deserves clear, honest answers before they make a financial decision. Below you will find answers to the most common questions we hear. If your question is not answered here, chat with us on +91 75061 79426 or book a free 30-minute consultation — there is no obligation and no sales pitch.

About Arthabodhi

Arthabodhi Finserv LLP is a Mumbai-based personal financial planning firm founded by Shasirekha Raghavan. The name combines Artha (finance) and Bodhi (wisdom) — reflecting our belief that financial wisdom, not just product selling, is what families need. Shasirekha has over 25 years of experience in the BFSI sector and has personally guided 500+ families across India with retirement planning, tax planning, investment advisory and insurance planning.

Yes. We are AMFI-registered with ARN-126101. Our registration is active and in good standing. You can verify our registration directly on the AMFI India website by searching for ARN-126101.

We operate from Kanakia Silicon Valley, Powai, Mumbai – 400076, near Hiranandani Hospital. We primarily serve via offline consultations for clients in Powai, Hiranandani, Chandivali, BKC, Andheri, Vikhroli and across Mumbai We also serve clients across India and NRI clients globally through online video consultations — so your location is never a barrier.

Great question — and an important one to understand before choosing who manages your finances.
A bank relationship manager works for the bank first and you second. They are under pressure to meet product sales targets — pushing FDs, insurance policies or mutual funds that earn the bank the highest commission, not necessarily what suits your goals best.
At Arthabodhi, we are an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor (ARN-126101). Like all distributors, we earn a commission from the fund house when you invest — this is a standard industry structure regulated by AMFI and SEBI. What makes us different is not the structure but what we do within it:
We do not recommend products based on which commission is highest. We recommend what genuinely fits your goal, timeline and risk profile — and then stay accountable to your outcomes through regular reviews, annual planning and ongoing guidance.
A bank RM moves on when they switch jobs or get transferred. An insurance agent disappears after the policy is sold. At Arthabodhi, Shasirekha Raghavan personally manages every client relationship — you speak to the same person who built your plan, every single time.
The commission we earn comes from the wealth you create — which means our success is directly tied to yours. When your portfolio grows, we grow with you. That alignment is what drives everything we do.

Our 3T Philosophy stands for Transparency, Trust and Tested. Transparency — we clearly explain every recommendation and how we are compensated. Trust — we build long-term relationships, not transactional ones. Tested — every strategy we recommend has been tested across market cycles and real client portfolios. It is the foundation of how we work with every family.

Our Services

We offer a comprehensive range of personal financial planning services including:

Our primary focus is goal-based mutual fund advisory — equity, debt and hybrid funds — which is suitable for most individual investors. For clients interested in direct equity, we guide on portfolio allocation principles and risk management, but we do not provide individual stock tips or recommendations. We believe disciplined mutual fund investing through SIPs delivers better long-term outcomes for most working professionals than direct stock picking.
Absolutely — this is one of the most common situations we encounter. Many clients come to us with investments spread across Zerodha, Groww, bank FDs, LIC policies, NPS, EPF and multiple mutual fund folios. We begin with a complete portfolio consolidation review — understanding what you hold, what each investment is costing you, what is performing and what needs to change — and then build a unified plan.
We offer both. If you want a one-time comprehensive financial plan — a complete review of your insurance, investments, tax position and retirement projections — we can deliver that as a standalone engagement. For clients who want ongoing support — quarterly reviews, annual tax planning, life event guidance — we offer that too. The right structure depends on your needs and we discuss this in the first consultation.

Fees and Pricing

We operate on transparency, Our fees are discussed openly in the first consultation based on the scope of work — whether it is a one-time financial plan, a continuous investment advice, or a specific goal-based engagement. Specific fee details are shared during the discovery call.
Yes. The first 30-minute discovery consultation is completely free. There is no obligation. It is an opportunity for us to understand your situation and for you to understand how we work. You will walk away with at least one clear, actionable insight about your finances — regardless of whether you choose to work with us.

Investing

SIP stands for Systematic Investment Plan. It is a method of investing a fixed amount in a mutual fund every month — similar to an EMI but for building wealth. When you invest through SIP, you buy more fund units when markets are low and fewer when markets are high — a natural averaging mechanism called Rupee Cost Averaging. Over 10–15 years, SIPs in diversified equity funds have historically delivered 11–14% annual returns for Indian investors. The power is in the consistency, not the timing

The right monthly investment depends on three things — your goal, the timeline, and your current income. As a starting principle: aim to save and invest at least 20–25% of your take-home income. For a Mumbai professional earning ₹1 lakh per month, that means investing ₹20,000–₹25,000 monthly. If you are just starting, even ₹5,000/month in a diversified equity SIP is a meaningful beginning. We calculate your specific investment requirement based on your goals in the first consultation.
In a regular mutual fund plan, a distributor or advisor earns a commission from the fund house on your behalf — typically 0.5%–1% of your investment annually. This cost comes in picture when you hire a mutual fund distributor who is guiding you consistently. In a direct plan, there is no distributor
This is the most common question we receive — and the honest answer is that for a long-term SIP investor, there is no bad time to start. Market timing is nearly impossible even for professionals. What matters is time in the market, not timing the market. If markets are high, your SIP buys fewer units. If markets fall, it buys more. Over a 10–15 year horizon, both scenarios benefit the patient investor. The only truly bad time to invest is when you are procrastinating the decision to start.
ELSS stands for Equity Linked Savings Scheme. It is a type of mutual fund that qualifies for tax deduction under Section 80C — up to ₹1.5 lakh per year. ELSS has the shortest lock-in period among all 80C instruments — just 3 years — and being equity-linked, it has historically delivered the highest returns among 80C options. It is our preferred 80C instrument for most salaried clients because it serves two purposes simultaneously: tax saving and long-term wealth creation.

Retirement & Tax Planning

For a Mumbai household with current monthly expenses of ₹1,00,000, the approximate retirement corpus needed at age 60 is ₹3–4 crore — assuming a 6% safe withdrawal rate and 6% annual inflation. However, this number changes significantly based on your planned retirement age, lifestyle expectations, existing assets, and whether you have a home loan or rent to pay. We calculate your personalised retirement number in the first consultation using your actual income, expenses and goals.
It is not too late — but there is no time to waste. At 45 with a 15-year runway to age 60, you can still build a meaningful corpus with aggressive monthly investments. A monthly SIP of ₹40,000–₹50,000 in diversified equity funds started at 45 can grow to approximately ₹2–2.5 crore by age 60 (at 12% CAGR). The plan just needs to be more aggressive and more disciplined than it would have been at 35. We have helped many Salaried professionals start their retirement planning in their mid-40s successfully.
NPS is a good option if you want the additional ₹50,000 tax deduction under Section 80CCD(1B) — that benefit is over and above the ₹1.5 lakh limit under Section 80C, making it very tax-efficient. However, NPS has limitations: 40% of the corpus must be used to buy an annuity at retirement (which often delivers poor returns), and it is locked in until age 60. We typically recommend NPS as one component of a diversified retirement plan — not the only one.
There is no universal answer — it depends on your income level and deductions. The new regime has lower slabs but removes most deductions. The old regime has higher slabs but allows deductions under 80C, 80D, HRA, home loan interest and more. As a general guide: if you have a home loan, pay rent in Mumbai, and maximise 80C and 80D, the old regime is likely better for incomes above ₹10 lakh. We calculate your tax under both regimes every year and recommend the one that saves more.

The following qualify for the ₹1.5 lakh annual limit under Section 80C:

  • ELSS Mutual Funds — market-linked, 3-year lock-in, highest return potential
  • PPF — government-backed, 15-year tenure, fully tax-free maturity
  • EPF — both employer and employee contributions qualify
  • NPS — also qualifies here, plus additional ₹50,000 under 80CCD(1B)
  • 5-year tax-saving FD — simple but lower returns
  • Life insurance premiums — term or endowment
  • Children’s tuition fees — school fees for up to 2 children

Insurance

The standard formula is 10–15 times your annual take-home income, plus your total outstanding loans. For a Mumbai professional earning ₹15 lakh per year with a ₹60 lakh home loan, the recommended term insurance is approximately ₹2–2.25 crore. Most people in Mumbai are significantly underinsured — a ₹50 lakh policy sounds large but covers barely 3 years of income replacement for a family. We calculate your specific cover requirement as part of our financial planning engagement

Almost never — especially in Mumbai or any metro city in India  where a single hospitalisation can cost ₹5–10 lakh. Employer group health policies typically cease the moment you resign or are retrenched, have sub-limits on room rent and treatments, and often do not cover parents above 65. We recommend a personal family floater policy of ₹10–15 lakh minimum, plus a super top-up cover of ₹25–50 lakh. The combined annual premium is often less than ₹20,000–₹25,000 for a family of four.

We generally advise against ULIPs and endowment plans for most clients. ULIPs combine insurance and investment — but do both poorly, with high initial charges eating your returns for the first 5 years. Endowment plans typically deliver 4–5% annual returns over 20 years — barely ahead of inflation. A far better strategy is to keep insurance and investment separate: buy a pure term insurance policy for protection (far lower premium) and invest the premium difference in diversified equity mutual funds for wealth creation.

NRI Services & Our Process

Yes — NRI financial planning is one of our specialist services. We help Non-Resident Indians invest in Indian mutual funds and equities through NRE/NRO accounts, ensure FEMA and RBI compliance, optimise tax under DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement), manage Indian property income and capital gains, and plan the financial transition back to India. We conduct consultations via video call across all time zones — Gulf, US, UK, Singapore, Australia,Europe and Other Asian Countries.
NRE (Non-Resident External) account holds foreign income converted to Indian rupees. Interest earned is tax-free in India and funds are fully repatriable — you can transfer money back abroad freely. NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) account holds India-sourced income — rental income, dividends, sale proceeds. Interest is taxable in India and repatriation is limited to USD 1 million per financial year. Most NRI investments in mutual funds and stocks are made through the NRE account for tax efficiency and repatriation flexibility.
The first 30-minute consultation is a free discovery call where we understand your situation before recommending anything. We will discuss your current income and expenses, existing investments and insurance, major upcoming goals (retirement, child’s education, home purchase), and what is worrying you most about your finances right now. You will leave with at least one clear, immediately actionable insight. There is no sales pitch and no obligation.
For clients, we conduct a formal portfolio and financial plan review every quarter — a 30–45 minute call to assess performance, rebalance if needed, and adjust for any life changes. We also connect at key financial events: at financial year end for tax planning, when you receive a salary increment or bonus, and when major life events occur such as marriage, a new child, a job change or a property purchase. Between reviews, you can reach us by phone or WhatsApp for any urgent questions.
Getting started is simple. Send us a whatsapp message at +91 7506179426, or email shasirekha.raghavan@arthabodhi.com, or fill out the contact form on our website. We will schedule a free 30-minute discovery call at a time convenient for you — in person at our Powai office or via video call. No documents needed for the first call — just come with your questions and a sense of your goals.

Still have questions?

Book a free 30-minute consultation with Shasirekha Raghavan. No obligation, no sales pitch — just clear answers tailored to your situation.

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