At 45, is it too late to secure a comfortable retirement?

Summary: Rajesh has built a decent corpus and follows a steady investment routine. But with retirement and his daughter’s education around the corner, will it be enough? This detailed walkthrough reveals the shortfall, strategy and steps that can help him secure his financial future. Rajesh has always been prudent with his money, carefully balancing spending, saving and taking investment decisions. Over the years, he has avoided reckless risks, preferring a steady and methodical approach that gives him clarity and confidence in his finances. Now at 45, he has built a corpus of Rs 45 lakh, split between Rs 30 lakh in equity mutual funds and Rs 15 lakh in safer instruments like Public Provident Fund (PPF), bank fixed deposits (FDs) and savings accounts. Although he invests Rs 50,000 every month, he often wonders if it is enough to meet his financial goals, especially with retirement 15 years away and his daughter’s higher education-related expenses looming in the horizon. Rajesh’s financial objectives are straightforward, yet significant. A dignified retirement lifestyle that would require Rs 75,000 per month in today’s terms. Rs 25 lakh in today’s terms for higher education of his 7-year-old daughter Annual travel and home maintenance expenses of about Rs 1.5 lakh after retirement A medical emergency buffer of Rs 10 lakh to handle unforeseen situations during the retirement years Is Rajesh on track? Account

This article was originally published on August 20, 2025.