Dussehra 2026: 7 Key Financial Planning & Investment Tips

Every Dussehra and Diwali season, we let go of what no longer serves us. We clean our homes, reset our routines, and step into the festive season with a sense of renewal. But most of us never extend that energy to the one place where it would make the biggest long term difference: our money.

Indian investors are getting SIPs right. In September 2026, monthly contributions hit a record ₹32,490 crore, with over 10 crore active SIP accounts. SIP assets now account for 21.6% of the mutual fund industry’s ₹82.64 lakh crore AUM, reflecting growing financial discipline.

With Dussehra marking the festive season, now is a good time to review your finances. Here’s a simple checklist to help you assess your investments, spot gaps, and make necessary adjustments before the new Samvat begins.
 

Most of us start an SIP and forget about it. But is the fund you chose three years ago still the right fit today? 

Take a few minutes to check its performance, investment strategy, and whether it still aligns with your goals. If not, consider switching your SIP to a more suitable fund rather than stopping your investments altogether. You can review, pause, or restart your SIPs directly on ArihantPlus.
 

One of the most common portfolio habits in India is collecting funds over time without consolidating. You start a large cap fund here, an index fund there, add a flexi cap someone recommended, and before you realise it, you are holding eight schemes that largely own the same top 20 stocks.

When multiple funds hold the same stocks, you're adding complexity without meaningfully reducing risk. A focused portfolio of three to four funds with distinct investment strategies can be easier to track, rebalance, and manage while providing better diversification. 
 

A lot of Indian households still carry endowment policies or ULIPs that were sold as "investment plus insurance" years ago. These products typically deliver returns lower than a fixed deposit, while charging significantly more than a standalone term plan would.

If you're paying ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 a year into a policy like this, check the surrender value and compare it with what a term plan plus SIP combination would deliver over the same horizon. Sometimes the best financial decision you make all year is simply stopping a product that no longer earns its place.
 

Credit card revolving debt in India carries an annual interest rate of 36% to 42%, according to most major issuers. If you're investing through SIPs while carrying an unpaid credit card balance, that interest could be eating into your wealth faster than your investments can grow. Prioritise clearing high interest debt before increasing your SIP contributions. It's a simple way to strengthen your finances without earning more. 
 

Most of us leave tax planning until the last week of March and end up investing in ELSS or PPF just to save tax. But why wait? October is a good time to review your existing Section 80C investments, calculate how much of the ₹1.5 lakh limit is still available, and plan your contributions accordingly. You can also explore NPS for additional tax benefits, depending on your tax regime.

If your emergency corpus is sitting in a savings account at 2.5% to 3%, it's safe but it's also quietly losing purchasing power every year. A liquid fund or a short duration debt fund can offer meaningfully better returns with near identical access when you need the money.

It's a small optimisation, but the kind that compounds quietly in the background over five to ten years.
 

"I want to build wealth" is a feeling. "I need ₹2.5 crore by 2040, and my current SIPs are projected to reach ₹1.6 crore at an assumed 12% return" is a plan. 

You don't need a complicated financial plan to get started. Just estimate your target corpus, calculate how much your current investments could grow, and identify the shortfall. From there, you can decide whether to step up your SIPs, extend your investment horizon, or revisit your asset allocation.
 

You don't need to make major changes to your finances overnight. But taking one afternoon during the Dussehra break to run through this checklist can quietly save you lakhs over the next decade.

Start by opening ArihantPlus and reviewing your active SIPs to make sure your investments are still aligned with where you want to be financially.