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My Financial Journey

🎯 Introduction

Hey, it's Tuhin here! 👋 I'm a FrontendExpert™ with 9+ years of experience, specializing in modern web frameworks like Angular and Vue.js. I thrive on experimenting with technology and staying ahead of the curve. Learning new things has always been my passion.

I also consider myself financially literate. Many of my friends and colleagues trust my knowledge and come to me for advice. In this article, I’ll share how my own financial journey began.

🚀 How It Began

2018 was a turning point in my life. In September of that year, I took my first step into investing by starting a SIP in the Tata Digital India Fund. Little did I know that this small decision would ignite a journey that would reshape my financial mindset.

Coming from a typical Indian middle-class family, I grew up hearing my father say:

🔹"Things were better in my time!"
🔹"Private companies are looting us!"
🔹"The government has failed the common man!"

Every time Sachin Tendulkar appeared on TV saying #MutualFundsSahiHai, my father had the same reaction - "Bloody looters!" 🤦‍♂️

This left me conflicted. On one hand, I admired Sachin Tendulkar - known for his integrity - so I doubted he would promote a scam. On the other, my father dismissed mutual funds as a scam. Naturally, I leaned toward his skepticism.

But then, in 2018, my friend and colleague Souvik Chakraborty told me he had started investing in mutual funds. His plan? Experiment with ₹500 per month in the SBI Bluechip Fund for 12 months.
For the first time, investing felt accessible. And honestly, I was jealous.

"Why was he investing while I hesitated? Wasn’t investing just for the rich — like who golf?!" 😛

I refused to be left behind! I started researching mutual funds. I didn’t understand much, but FOMO kicked in. And sometimes, FOMO can be a good thing! I chose Groww as my platform, completed my KYC, and like any beginner, I picked the fund with the highest past-year returns - Tata Digital India Fund.

And just like that, I started my first SIP of ₹500.

⚠️ The Reality Check – Hard Lessons in Investing

A few days after I began investing, the DHFL crisis hit. 💥 My investments plummeted and stayed at -40% until March 2020. 😨 To my credit, I didn’t panic. I held on. But the experience was nerve-wracking. Then, in 2019, I ventured into direct stock trading through Upstox. In just 3 months, I lost ₹250. Why? Blind investing.

One of my picks was Reliance Power (RPower). I noticed that while other stocks moved up, RPower stayed flat. When I finally researched, I discovered that RPower was bankrupt and under liquidation! 😱 Until then, I didn’t even know that bankrupt companies could still be listed on the stock market. Shocked, I immediately sold all my shares, locking in a ₹250 loss. This shook me. I decided to stop stock trading and focus only on mutual funds. But something didn’t sit right. I had lost money. And my ego couldn’t take it.

"How could a genius like me lose?" 🤯

I had always been a good student. I was great at my job, at technology. How could I fail at this? I couldn’t swallow it!

📚 The Turning Point – Learning to Win

After this horrible experience, I made a vow - I wouldn’t lose again. I needed to understand how the market worked. I had to study, learn, and master:

✅ Capital markets
✅ Equity & Mutual funds
✅ Investment strategies

From 2020 to 2021, I went all in:

📺 Watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos
📖 Read countless articles & blogs
🎓 Took online courses
🎧 Listened to audiobooks

And my mind was blown. 💥 I had been living in financial ignorance. But now? I saw the world through a new lens. My perspective changed forever.

I finally understood:
 
🔹Power of equity investing 📈
🔹How the economy worked 🏦
🔹Path to build real wealth 💰

I stopped investing in fixed-income options like PPF and fixed deposits. Instead, I doubled down on mutual funds, NPS, and equity.

And I set a bold goal:
💰 ₹100 Crores by age 60! 💰
Some might call it crazy. But hey - if you’re going to dream, dream big! 😎 I have been actively investing since 2018, following the best advice from experts:

✔️ Don’t react when the markets rise or fall sharply.
✔️ Don’t tweak your portfolio too often.
✔️ Increase your SIP amount every year.

And most importantly - stay the course. 🚀
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Location: India

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