Mutual Funds are investment tools wherein a number of entities/people (investors) with a common financial goal invest capital. The pool of money is maintained by a fund manager who then invests the sum into company stocks, shares and bonds. This investment is done in alignment with the risk profile/appetite of the investors.
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Mutual funds investments are one of the best options for people who do not have the expertise to invest in the market. Top-rated mutual funds are run by professional managers who pick different instruments to invest in. Since mutual funds pool capital from different investors, it reduces the overall risk of investment. Mutual funds are also liquid which means they can be sold at any time. Looking for the best Direct mutual funds to invest? Read on, you are at the right place!
Equity mutual funds invest at least 65% of their funds into equity shares. These funds are named after the stocks that they invest in i.e. large cap, small cap, mid cap, sector-based stocks. Equity mutual funds are risky because their movement and growth are dependent on stock market performance. In case the market falls, it may lead to a loss of capital. Equity mutual funds may issue a dividend in case an income plan is selected. In case of a growth plan, the dividend is reinvested in the company leading to growth.
Debt mutual funds invest in a range of fixed income instruments based on their maturities. These instruments are:
Generally, these best mutual funds have fixed or assured returns. These funds are an excellent option for people looking for capital protection and an assured return. Since these funds are liquid, they provide additional convenience since they can be liquidated at any point in time.
These funds invest in a mix of debt and equity. Depending on the investment strategy adopted by the fund, the mix between debt and equity will change i.e aggressive hybrid funds invest majorly in equity whereas conservative hybrid funds invest the majority of their funds in debt instruments.
Particulars |
Direct Mutual Fund |
Regular Mutual Fund |
Expense ratio |
Lower since no commission is paid out to the intermediary |
Higher since some amount gets paid to the brokers as commission |
Advice/Guidance |
Minimal. |
Yes. Guidance provided by broker |
Net Asset Value (N.A.V) |
Marginally higher as compared to the regular plan |
Lower than the growth plan option |
Research & market knowledge required |
Perfect for the market and those interested in investing |
The qualified intermediary guides as per the individual goals and risk appetite |
Convenience |
This investment has to be made directly with the mutual fund house. |
Needs the assistance of a broker |
Returns |
A Direct mutual fund has higher returns than a regular plan because of a lower expense ratio. |
AMC fees reduce returns on a regular mutual fund option plan. |
In India, mutual funds are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The two major parameters that determine the decision to go for mutual fund investments are your financial goals and risk appetite.
First of all, you need to identify your financial and investment goals. Some Mutual Fund schemes are suitable for short term requirements or goals, whereas some might be better for long term goals. It is imperative that they are aligned with your goals. Often, your goal might also have something to do with investing with a specific purpose, or in a specific sector. There are sector-focused mutual funds for that.
The other parameter to consider is the risk appetite. Your risk profile governs the extent of risk you are happy to be exposed to. Some people may be okay with high exposure to risk if that means the possibility of high returns. Such investors will likely opt for equity mutual funds. The more conservative investor may be keen on getting an assured return, and would thus opt for debt mutual funds.
You can seek help from financial planners or investment advisers or Mutual Fund distributors to assess your risk appetite and align your portfolio with your overarching financial goals.
Mutual fund investment solves one of the most nagging problems facing the investors: which instruments are the best to invest in? They either don’t have the knack, time, interest or the knowledge to conduct the research to get an answer. Mutual funds essentially help outsource the work of management of these investments. The fund managers execute all the administrative work as well as choose the investment funds to align with the investors’ goals.
Mutual funds are managed by professional fund managers and as an investor, you benefit from their research and expertise. While this may not completely eliminate risk, it certainly lowers it.
Mutual Funds invest in a basket of securities. Diversification helps in minimizing the risk from a specific security’s under-performance.
If the time horizon of the investment is in sync with the fund selected, you protect yourself from very short term fluctuations. For example, if you have invested in an Equity Fund, you may be affected by short term fluctuations, but over a longer-term, you would be more likely to get the long term returns associated with equities.
Liquidity is ease of access or conversion of an asset into cash. Mutual funds can be easily withdrawn in most cases, except the Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) which comes with a lock-in period of 3 years.
Most of the mutual fund schemes are open-end schemes, which means they can be encashed easily. Once the redemption is complete, funds are transferred to the designated bank account of the investor, within 3 business days after the redemption was lodged. However, there may be an exit load period in certain schemes, and some fund managers may indicate a minimum amount for redemption.
ELSS, as mentioned above, are the mutual fund schemes that allow an investor a deduction from the total income of up to Rs. 1.5 lacs under Sec 80C of Income Tax Act 1961.
Invest in professionally managed Direct Mutual Funds online at Bajaj Markets. Open an account with us and invest in funds of your choice without having to pay any brokerage fee. What’s more! It is extremely simple to set up a Mutual Fund account with us – all you need to do is submit your KYC documents and fill up a few details. Moreover, you can start a SIP for as little as Rs. 500 per month!
The KYC documents required are:
Identity proof (PAN card/Aadhar card/Passport/ Driving License/ Voter ID)
Address proof (Aadhar Card/Passport/Driving License/Voter ID/Electricity bill/Gas bill/Telephone bill/Property ownership papers such as house purchase agreement, society registration documents, bank loan agreement/Ration card).
As per Reserve Bank of India guidelines, we need to perform Know Your Customer (KYC) for every customer we serve. To make it convenient for the customer, we offer online verification using a video. This helps us verify your identity and comply with RBI guidelines.
As a part of Reserve Bank guidelines, we have to perform a Know Your Customer (KYC) check for each customer. This includes verifying the address proof. To verify address proof, we have a list of acceptable documents which you can photograph and submit to us. This will help us verify your address and complete KYC proceedings. Some address proof documents are:
Passport
Aadhar Card
Driving License
Voter ID
Telephone bill with your name
Electricity bill in your name
Gas bill in your name
Ration card with your name
Property ownership or rental papers
If you are already an existing customer then no additional KYC needs to be done.
Here are a few tips to grow your wealth:
Make investments every month. Be sure to invest a small sum in different instruments depending on your goals
Don’t leave a high balance in your savings account. Deploy it in other instruments which will earn a higher rate of return.
Invest based on your goals and fund requirements i.e. short-term fund requirements such as child’s education and longer-term fund requirements such as retirement. Investments for these goals should be done separately.
Review your investments periodically
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