Equity SIPs have delivered good returns over the long term, but why do most of us give up midway?

Equity SIPs historically have delivered good returns over a 7-10 year time frames

But despite that most of us give up on our Equity SIPs midway

Why does this happen?

This is because we are not prepared for the three punches that an Equity SIP delivers in the initial years!

Equity SIP and the 3 Punches

These three punches come in the form of 3 temporary but painful phases:

1. Disappointment phase i.e “I expected far more…” phase – returns temporarily become 7-10% 

2. Irritation Phase i.e  “My FD would have done better…” phase – returns temporarily become 0-7% 

3. Panic Phase i.e “My portfolio value is lower than what I invested…” phase – returns temporarily become NEGATIVE! 

This happens in almost every Equity SIP investor’s journey – more frequently during the initial years (read as the first 5 years). 

Most of us give up during these phases, especially when they sometimes extend over several months.

Preparing for the 3 punches

So what should you do when your Equity SIP inevitably hits these temporary but painful phases?

While it sounds counterintuitive, naive, and boring…

Just patiently continuing your SIP for another 1–3 years usually leads to a dramatic recovery in performance!

You can check the attached image for proof.

A detailed interactive version of this chart can also be found in FundsIndia’s Evidence Labs here https://www.fundsindia.com/mf/sip-matrix/

As you can see, historically, each and every time your returns dipped below 10% (seen via the red, orange, and white shades), inevitably over the next 2-3 years the returns saw a significant recovery (green shades).

Parting Thoughts

So, the real trick to superior long-term returns (read as 7-10 years) from your Equity SIP finally boils down to patiently enduring these three punches!!

Introspection Time…

Are you patient enough to endure the three phases?