{"id":262183,"date":"2026-01-24T20:39:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T20:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/262183\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T20:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T20:39:26","slug":"the-art-of-messing-up-correctly-my-14-year-investment-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/262183\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Messing Up Correctly: My 14\u2011Year Investment Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this edition of the reader story<\/a>, we meet a 30-something tech consultant who often ignored logic and followed his heart, but still landed on his feet.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in my mid-thirties and currently work as a tech consultant. My financial journey began way back in 2011, when I started as a software developer. In 2013, I bought land on the outskirts of Chennai (technically, it is Kanchipuram) and in a Tier-2 city for \u20b95 lakhs. (Spoiler alert: those plots didn\u2019t turn into gold mines.) Fast forward to 2018\u2014I pursued an MBA, funded 50% from savings and 50% from an education loan. The MBA cost \u20b920 lakhs, and yes, I still wonder if the ROI beats an index fund. After completing my MBA, I moved into tech consulting<\/p>\n

3. Mutual Funds<\/p>\n

4. Long Term Debt Instruments<\/p>\n

Thanks to Pattu and Freefincal for guiding me through this rollercoaster. Without them, I\u2019d probably be trading crypto and praying for miracles.<\/p>\n

As regular readers may know, we publish a personal financial audit each December \u2013 this is the 2024 edition: Portfolio Audit 2024: The Annual Review of My Goal-Based Investments<\/a>. We asked regular readers to share how they review their investments and track financial goals.<\/p>\n

These published audits have had a compounding effect on readers. If you would like to contribute to the DIY community in this manner, send your audits to freefincal AT Gmail. You can also publish them anonymously.<\/p>\n

Use this button to add freefincal.com as a preferred source of personal finance on Google News<\/a>\"google<\/a>Click to add freefincal as a Google preferred source Use our Robo-advisory Tool to create a complete financial plan! <\/a>\u21d0More than 3,000 investors and advisors use this!\u00a0 Use the discount code: robo25 for a 20% discount. Plan your retirement (early, normal, before, and after), as well as non-recurring financial goals (such as child education) and recurring financial goals (like holidays and appliance purchases). The tool would help anyone aged 18 to 80 plan for their retirement, as well as six other non-recurring financial goals and four recurring financial goals, with a detailed cash flow summary. \ud83d\udd25You can also avail massive discounts on our courses and the freefincal investor circle!<\/a> \ud83d\udd25& join our community of 8000+ users! Track your mutual funds and stock investments with this Google Sheet!<\/a> We also publish monthly equity mutual funds, debt and hybrid mutual funds, index funds<\/a>, and ETF screeners<\/a>, as well as momentum and low-volatility stock screeners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Follow<\/a>Follow freefincal on WhatsApp<\/a> Podcast: Let’s Get RICH With PATTU! Every single Indian CAN grow their wealth!\u00a0<\/a>\"Listen<\/a>Listen to the Let’s Get Rich with Pattu Podcast<\/a> You can watch podcast episodes on the OfSpin Media Friends YouTube Channel<\/a>.\"Lets<\/a>Let’s Get RICH With PATTU podcast on YouTube. \ud83d\udd25Now Watch Let’s Get Rich With Pattu \u0ba4\u0bae\u0bbf\u0bb4\u0bbf\u0bb2\u0bcd (in Tamil)!<\/a> \ud83d\udd25Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal<\/a> or @pattufreefincal<\/a>Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter using the form below.Hit ‘reply’ to any email from us! We do not offer personalised investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.<\/p>\n

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About The Author \"Pattabiraman<\/a>Dr M. Pattabiraman<\/a> (PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras<\/a>. He has over 13 years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter(X)<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, or YouTube<\/a>. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing<\/a> (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger<\/a> for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower!<\/a> for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books<\/a> on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of \u201cFee-only India<\/a>,\u201d an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free, AUM-independent investment advice. Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions!<\/a> \u21d0 More than 3,500 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter the market condition!! Watch the first lecture for free!\u00a0 One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence. Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills!<\/a> \u21d0 More than 800 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner seeking more clients through online visibility, or a salaried individual looking for a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts and pays you. (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!\u00a0 \u00a0 Our book for kids: \u201cChinchu Gets a Superpower!\u201d is now available!<\/a>\"Both<\/a>Both the boy and girl-version covers of “Chinchu Gets a superpower”. Most investor problems can be traced to a lack of informed decision-making. We made bad decisions and money mistakes when we started earning and spent years undoing these mistakes. Why should our children go through the same pain? What is this book about?\u00a0As parents, what would it be if we had to groom one ability in our children that is key not only to money management and investing but to any aspect of life? My answer: Sound Decision Making. So, in this book, we meet Chinchu, who is about to turn 10. The narrative revolves around what he wants for his birthday and how his parents plan for it, as well as teaching him several key ideas of decision-making and money management. What readers say!\"Feedback<\/a>Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower!Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. – Arun. Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!<\/a> How to profit from content writing<\/a>: Our new ebook is for those interested in getting a side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only! Do you want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool<\/a> (it will work with any index!), or get the Tactical Buy\/Sell timing tool<\/a>! We publish monthly mutual fund screeners <\/a>and momentum, low-volatility stock screeners<\/a>. About freefincal & its content policy. Freefincal is a News Media organisation dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News<\/a>. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified with credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions will be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence\/data. Contact Information: To get in touch, please use our\u00a0contact form<\/a>. (Sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained.) Connect with us on social media Our publications<\/p>\n

You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing<\/p>\n

\"You<\/a>Published by CNBC TV18, this book is designed to help you ask the right questions and find the correct answers. Additionally, it comes with nine online calculators, allowing you to create custom solutions tailored to your lifestyle. Get it now<\/a>. Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want \"Gamechanger:<\/a>This book is designed for young earners to get their basics right from the start! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your Ultimate Guide to Travel <\/p>\n

\"Travel-Training-Kit-Cover-new\"<\/a> This is an in-depth exploration of vacation planning, including finding affordable flights, budget accommodations, and practical travel tips. It also examines the benefits of travelling slowly, both financially and psychologically, with links to relevant web pages and guidance at every step. Get the PDF for Rs 300 (instant download)<\/a>