Investor with ?40 lakh savings for 5 years with periodic withdrawals should build a diversified portfolio with exposure to debt & equity asset classes. Corporate bonds and debt mutual funds are recommended for capital preservation, while equity mutual funds including large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap index funds are advised for capital appreciation. SBI Small Cap Fund is a good option for exposure to small-cap stocks. One should not take a car loan and instead maintain a contingency fund equal to 6 times monthly expenses. Prepaying home loans depends on evaluating opportunity costs and tax benefits.