Meet Pooja Maurya, a software engineer and 1% Club member, who has realised 35% returns from her mutual fund investments in one year by following proper diversification. Originally from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Pooja now resides in Bengaluru. She began her investment journey in 2018, the same year she started her career. Like any journey, her path to financial success has had its ups and downs. Read further to know how she transformed her finances and is aiming to reach a FIRE number of Rs 7 crore. Edited Excerpts.

How did you get started with investing and the mistakes you made?

I did not know what things to look into when selecting a mutual fund. I would just look at the last 3 and 5 year returns and invest in them. I started with very small amounts and also used to withdraw from the MFs frequently whenever the returns were negative or I had any extra expenses.

Are there any interesting incidents in your investment journey? 

The most interesting incident I can think of is when I started trading in Futures and Options (FnO) because I saw my peers doing it. Eventually, I realised I was losing a significant amount of money. Thankfully, I didn’t have much to lose at that time, so I stopped investing further.

What’s your current asset allocation?

Mutual Fund – 30% 

Stocks 20% 

Gold – 10%

PF – 5% 

Emergency – 2%, 

Crypto – 5%

REITs – 3%

FDs – 10%

US ETFs – 5%

Real Estate – 10%

I’m not a salaried individual so my Provident Fund amount is less. I have also started investing in PPF recently. 

Are you working towards any short-term and long-term financial goals? 

Yes, my short-term goals are to cover my marriage expenses and buy a car. My long-term goal is to buy a home and secure a comfortable retirement.

When did you join the Masterclass and 1% Club? 

I joined 1 year back. I think I joined the club soon after I attended the masterclass.

Also Read: How this Career Coach is Managing her Business and Personal Finance

Various things you learned after joining 1% Club?

There are two main things that I learnt: 

1. Mutual Fund Selection: How to select the MF, which was a game changer for me. It’s been a year of investing in them and they are already at 35% returns. 

2. Portfolio Diversification: Earlier I used to think whatever gave me the best returns, I would just invest in them. However, I learned the importance of diversification and how to choose investments based on short- and long-term goals.

Additionally, I also made practical improvements like purchasing insurance through Ditto, ensuring my financial safety net is in place.

Lastly, Pooja says, “Reflecting on my financial journey, I am filled with gratitude for the lessons learned and the progress made. Joining the 1% Club has transformed my approach to investing. As I continue to work towards my financial goals, I am excited about the future. I hope my story inspires others to take control of their finances, embrace their mistakes as learning opportunities, and strive for their own financial independence.”

Disclaimer: The above content is based on the information provided by Pooja Maurya. The 1% News doesn’t independently verify non-public data reported by interviewees.