Goal plan
A short-horizon SIP for a car purchase — with a note on why short goals change the maths.
A car is a short-term goal, typically 3–5 years. Short horizons change the calculus: there's less time for compounding, so the monthly amount carries more of the load, and market volatility matters more because you can't ride out a downturn before you need the money.
For goals under about three years, many planners prefer lower-volatility instruments over equity SIPs precisely because a bad year right before you buy can derail the plan. The solver uses a more conservative default return here for that reason.
The post-tax view still applies — but with a shorter horizon, more of your redemption may be short-term, which is taxed differently from long-term gains. See the methodology page for how holding period affects tax.