Insights & Research
This is where I share what I am reading, thinking, and studying about markets and money. Some of it is plain-language education for everyday investors, and some comes from my own personal research into how systematic, rules-based investing actually behaves once you test it honestly. The goal is simple: help you make calmer, better-informed decisions, and show my working rather than ask you to take anything on trust.
Follow Along
I write regularly on LinkedIn in short, easy-to-read posts about the everyday side of money: saving habits, how mutual funds work, common mistakes, and the questions clients actually ask me. No jargon, no tips, no noise. If you would like a small, useful money idea in your feed each week, I would be glad to have you follow along.
Follow on LinkedInPersonal Research
Alongside my advisory work, I run a personal research project studying systematic investing on Indian stocks (NSE). "Systematic" or "rules-based" simply means the decisions follow a fixed set of written rules instead of gut feeling or news headlines: you define in advance what you would buy, when you would sell, and how much risk you would take, then test those rules against many years of past market data. This is a study and a learning exercise, not a service, a subscription, or a recommendation of any kind.
What I find most valuable is not any single result, but how much weaker real-world outcomes become once you test honestly. A backtest on a computer almost always looks better than what an investor would actually experience, for three clear reasons:
Test only the companies that still exist today and you quietly leave out the ones that failed along the way, which flatters the numbers.
Brokerage, taxes, and the small gap between the price you see and the price you get all chip away at returns. These alone can be the difference between a modest edge and no edge at all.
A strategy can look good assuming you buy at yesterday's close, but in reality you can only act at the next day's open, which is often a little worse.
None of this is discouraging once you understand it. It is the most useful lesson I can pass on to an ordinary investor. It explains, with evidence, why chasing hot tips and "sure-thing" strategies so often disappoints, and why the boring things quietly win: staying invested, keeping costs low, being patient, and following a plan through good years and bad.
That is also why I approach client money the way I do. The same discipline that makes a research strategy survive honest testing (low costs, realistic expectations, a steady process) is what tends to serve real investors well over time. I would rather show you an honest picture with its warts than a polished one that quietly ignores them.
Learn
Short, plain-language pieces for everyday investors. These are being written and will appear here over time.
Investors often earn less than the very funds they own, usually because of timing: buying after a fund has done well and selling in a panic when it falls. This piece looks at that gap and how a steady approach helps you keep more of what your fund earns.
Read the article →Many people wait for the "right moment" and end up waiting for years. This article looks at what happens when you simply invest a fixed amount every month regardless of the news, and why removing the guesswork often works out better.
Read the article →A one percent difference in yearly costs sounds tiny, but over decades it can eat a large share of your wealth. This piece explains, in rupees rather than percentages, how charges compound against you, and why keeping costs low is one of the few things you can actually control.
Read the article →A calm, step-by-step guide for beginners: decide a goal and amount, finish your KYC, set a monthly auto-debit, and let consistency do the work. You can start with as little as ₹500.
Read the article →A neutral look at the three common Section 80C tax-saving options on lock-in, risk and liquidity, so you understand the choices rather than chase a single “best”.
Read the article →Give every rupee a job. Tying each investment to a real goal and its timeline brings clarity, keeps you motivated, and helps you stay calm when markets fall.
Read the article →This page is educational content only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or scheme. The research described here is my own personal study, not a service or a forecast, and no returns are promised or implied. Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks; please read all scheme-related documents carefully. Consider your own situation, and consult a professional if needed, before making any investment decision. Tilak Chandra Shastri, AMFI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor, ARN-346031.