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 

Common Sense is Your Greatest Financial Asset

In the noisy world of finance, we often forget that the smartest investment strategy isn’t buried in jargon or complex algorithms — it’s good old common sense.

Think about it — investing isn’t rocket science. It’s about using simple principles like saving regularly, staying invested, avoiding unnecessary costs, and letting compounding do its magic. But somewhere along the way, the financial industry decided that if investing looks complicated, you’ll pay more for advice. So, they built layers of categories, ratings, schemes, and strategies — enough to make even seasoned investors feel lost.

The truth? Complexity benefits the seller, not the investor.

That’s why the most successful investors we’ve seen over the years aren’t chasing hot tips or exotic strategies. They do a few things consistently well:

1. They invest regularly.
2. They stick to their plan.
3. They don’t panic during market falls.
4. They focus on goals, not gossip.

And here’s the kicker — they apply these principles to their entire family’s finances, not just their own. Because in India, money is a family affair. Your investments are connected to your spouse’s dreams, your kids’ future, and your parents’ security.

So why use platforms that treat you like an isolated account? Financial tools should reflect how Indian families actually manage money — together.

The bottom line? You don’t need to decode finance. You just need to listen to your instincts.

If it sounds too complex, too salesy, or too urgent — pause. Ask yourself, Does this make common sense?

Because when it comes to wealth creation, common sense isn’t just enough — it’s everything.

Personal Finance

• Why Indian women and finance are not a match made in heaven: In 2016, a finance session with powerful women revealed a surprising truth—they felt lost discussing money. This sparked a mission to help women reclaim financial confidence. Still feel unsure about money. You’re not alone read this before your next paycheck.Read here
  
  
• In nominee vs legal heir who gets the precedence? Court says inheritance: What happens if there’s no Will? The Allahabad HC ruled that insurance nominees aren’t owners—just trustees. Legal heirs prevail under succession law. A must-read if you think your nominee will automatically inherit your insurance payout—you could be wrong. Read here
  
  
• Has the American Dream Become Unattainable? Is the American Dream Dead—or Just Evolved? Owning a home, doing better than your parents—it’s getting harder. But is the Dream really gone, or just different now? This deep dive challenges everything you think you know. Click to see how the dream is being redefined. Read here

Investing

• Gold is booming – but investors lured in by the hype could lose out, warn experts: Gold prices have surged to record highs due to geopolitical tensions, inflation fears, and central bank buying. While demand remains strong, experts warn of a potential bubble. Investors are urged to diversify and avoid relying solely on gold for returns. Read here
  
  
• Riding the storm: Market crashes test investor nerves, but those who stay the course often win big. Discover why panic selling costs more than you think—and how five simple strategies can protect your wealth. One read could change your investing journey. Read here
  
  
• Master smart investing with 7 timeless lessons from ‘A Random Walk Down Wall Street’ by Burton Malkiel: Explore 7 enduring investment principles from Burton Malkiel’s ‘A Random Walk Down Wall Street’, offering smart insights on market efficiency, diversification, and compounding to help modern investors build steady, long-term financial success. Read here

Economy & Sector

• Why education loans matter more than ever in India’s growing economy: As education costs soar, student loans in India surge, public sector disbursals hit Rs 28,699 crore in 2023-24. Explore key trends, rising demand, and how loans are reshaping access to higher education and economic growth. Read here
  
  
• India’s retail inflation eases to six-year low of 3.16% in April 2025 over cooling food prices: Retail inflation fell to 3.16% in April 2025—its lowest in nearly six years—driven by falling food prices. With inflation well below the RBI’s 4% target, analysts expect a 25-bps rate cut in the June policy review. Read here
  
  
• ​India’s economy is resilient to weather war-like crises: India’s economy remains resilient post a brief conflict with Pakistan, says CII chief Sanjiv Puri. While 6.5% growth is likely in FY26, sustained tensions may affect investment flows. Can India still aim for 8% growth?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 

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.