# Late-start retirement investing: focus on savings, not returns

2026-09-23T00:17:00+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Two personal finance articles advise that starting retirement investing at 40 or 45 with little corpus does not require chasing high returns. Livemint quotes Krishanu Choudhary of Anand Rathi Wealth, who says investors should first calculate the required corpus and then invest a larger amount consistently, reducing equity exposure as retirement nears. For a 40-year-old retiring at 55 needing Rs 50,000 monthly expenses today, inflation at 7% would push that need to Rs 1.4 lakh a month. Businesstoday notes that Rs 1 crore accumulated by 45 is a starting point, not a final target, because 15 years of inflation and rising healthcare costs can erode its value. Both outlets stress that regular contributions, annual step-ups and reviewing the plan periodically matter more than aggressive bets. The shared conclusion: retirement readiness depends on matching savings to realistic expenses, not on hitting a round number.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Both sources offer neutral, advisory retirement-planning guides. Livemint leads with the behavioural warning against chasing aggressive returns and frames the late-start problem around risk management and disciplined savings. Businesstoday focuses on the ₹1 crore target specifically and emphasises inflation and longevity calculations, presenting the problem as a mathematical shortfall that can be closed with continued contributions. Neither outlet criticises government policy or product regulation. The shared message is that starting retirement investing late is manageable with realistic savings, not through risk. A key implication: neither source discusses tax treatment of retirement products or SEBI's small-cap caution, which could constrain the advice they give.

## Coverage

- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-finance/starting-retirement-investing-at-40-with-no-corpus-why-chasing-high-returns-could-backfire-and-what-to-do-instead-11790063467871.html>
  Neutral advisory article, leads with a warning against chasing returns
- businesstoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.businesstoday.in/personal-finance/story/is-rs1-crore-enough-for-retirement-at-45-check-corpus-inflation-healthcare-and-longevity-557358-2026-09-24?utm_source=rssfeed>
  Neutral advisory article, leads with the u20b91 crore shortfall question

Tags: Anand Rathi Wealth, Krishanu Choudhary, personal finance, retirement planning
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