What is mutual fund?
Mutual funds are financial instruments which invest in a portfolio of securities. These securities may be stocks, bonds, money market instruments, gold, silver and real estate investment trusts (REITs) etc. You can buy units of mutual funds; each unit represents a certain percentage of the mutual fund scheme portfolio. Mutual funds are managed by professional fund managers who manage the schemes according to the investment objectives of the schemes.
How to invest in mutual funds?
When an asset management company (AMC) house launches a new mutual fund scheme, it invites subscriptions from the public in the New Fund Offer (NFO). In the NFO period, investors are allotted units at par value (usually Rs 10). If you invested Rs 10,000 in a mutual fund scheme during the NFO period, you would be allotted 1,000 units. You need to be KYC compliant to invest in mutual funds. Your financial advisor can help you fulfil KYC requirements. Along with KYC documents, you need to provide bank details to invest in mutual funds. Investors can invest in mutual funds only from their own bank accounts.
At the end of the NFO period, the money pooled from all the investors are invested in a diversified portfolio of securities according to the scheme's mandate. After the NFO, investors can buy units of open ended schemes from the AMC at prevailing Net Asset Values (NAV). You can also redeem open ended mutual fund schemes at any time at prevailing NAVs. The redemption proceeds will be credited to your bank account on T+3 for equity funds. Investors should note that for redemptions within a certain period of time from investment exit loads may apply.
Different types of mutual funds
There are three broad categories of mutual funds:-
funds:These mutual fund schemes invest in equity and equity related securities. Equity funds have sub-categories based on the market cap segments, where the scheme may primarily invest in e.g. large cap, large and midcap, midcap, small cap, multicap, flexicap etc. The primary investment objective of equity funds is capital appreciation.
Debt funds:These mutual funds schemes invest in debt and money market instruments. Debt funds have sub-categories based on the maturity profiles of the underlying debt or money market instruments e.g. overnight, liquid, ultra-short duration, low duration, short duration, medium duration, long duration etc. The primary investment objective of equity funds is capital appreciation.
Hybrid funds:These funds invest in both equity and debt securities. They may also invest in other classes like gold, REITs, InvITs etc. The primary investment objective of hybrid funds is asset allocation. Different types of hybrid funds include aggressive hybrid funds, conservative hybrid funds, balanced advantage funds, equity savings etc.
Different fund categories and sub-categories have different risk profiles. Mutual funds provide investment solutions for a wide spectrum of risk appetites and investment needs. Your financial advisor can help you select the right investment option for you.
Taxation of mutual funds
Mutual funds, whose average equity allocation (i.e. where underlying assets are equity and equity related securities) is 65% or more, are treated as equity funds from tax perspective. These include all equity funds and also several hybrid fund categories. Short term capital gains (investment holding period of less than 12 months) in equity funds are taxed at 15%. Long term capital gains (investment holding period of more than 12 months) in equity funds are tax free up to Rs 100,000 and taxed at 10% thereafter. Short term capital gains (investment holding period of less than 36 months) in non equity funds are taxed as per the income tax rate of the investor. Long term capital gains (investment holding period of more than 36 months) in non equity funds are taxed at 20% after allowing for indexation. Investments in mutual fund Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) qualify for deductions under Section 80C.
Benefits of Investing in Mutual Funds
Any one who is aware of stock market is not new to mutual funds. Mutual funds have gained in popularity with the investing public especially in the last two decades.Following are some of the primary benefits.
1. Professional Financial Experts
Every Mutual Fund scheme has a well-defined objective and behind every scheme, there is a dedicated team of financial experts working in tandem with specialized investment research team. These experts diligently and judiciously study companies, their products and performance, and after thorough analysis, they decide on the best investment option most aptly suited to achieve the schemes objective as well as investors financial goals.
2. Diversifying Risk
It plays a very big part in the success of any portfolio. Mutual funds invest in a broad range of securities. This limits investment risk by reducing the effect of a possible decline in the value of any one security. Mutual fund unit-holders can benefit from diversification techniques usually available only to investors wealthy enough to buy significant positions in a wide variety of securities.
3. Low Cost
Mutual Funds generally provide an opportunity to invest with fewer funds as compared to other avenues in the capital market. You can invest in a mutual fund with as little as Rs. 5,000 and also have the option of investing a little of Rs.500 every month in a SIP or Systematic Investment Plan.
4. Liquidity
You can encash your money from a mutual fund on immediate basis when compared with other forms of savings like the public provident fund or National Savings Scheme. You can withdraw or redeem money at the Net Asset Value related prices in the open-end schemes. In closed-end schemes, lock in period is mentioned, investor cannot redeem his investment until that period.
5. Variety of Investment
There is no shortage of variety when investing in mutual funds. There are funds that focus on blue-chip stocks, technology stocks, bonds or a mix of stocks and bonds and with due assistance from a financial expert, the investor can choose a scheme that aptly fits his requirements, and helps him achieve maximum profitability.
Alternative Investment Funds
Alternative Investment Funds or AIF in short, are defined as privately pooled investment funds and categorized by The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as Category I AIF, Category II AIF, and Category III AIF. It is a fund of funds (FOF) that invests in asset classes other than stocks, bonds, Government securities, fixed deposits or cash. It pools money from various HNI investors and invests them under different investment categories as specified by the SEBI for the benefit of investors.
Assets under management (AUM) under AIF can include start-ups, SME funds, infrastructure funds, private equity funds, venture capital or even hedge funds that may be trading in listed or unlisted derivatives depending on the fund type.
The minimum investment amount to invest in an AIF is Rs 1.00 Crore depending on the type of AIF. Therefore, it can be called as product meant for the HNIs.
Advantages of AIF
AIF offers diversification as the key benefit. AIFs have considerable freedom to decide where to invest unlike most other funds or mutual funds which are totally regulated and follow the fund/ scheme guidelines as mandated by SEBI.
There are various non-traditional investment options available to AIFs which generally are not available to all investors, particularly retail investors.
How AIF works?
Alternative Investment Funds or AIF raise money to form an investment fund pool that invests in non-traditional assets classes that the ordinary investors may not have access through any other products like Mutual Funds. Money can be pooled from various types of investors, example - Resident Investors, NRIs or non-resident investors or foreign investors.
Who can invest in AIF?
AIFs are mainly aimed at high net worth or HNI individuals who are ready to invest minimum Rs 1.00 Crore and take high risk. While the return potential of AIF may be very high, the risk is also very high. Therefore, this is not meant for all investors excepting those who are well versed with these kind of investing.
In summary, if you have a large amount to invest in one instrument
You have the ability to sustain the risk.
You are ready to remain invested with long lock-in periods.
Portfolio Management Schemes
Portfolio Management Services or PMS, is a service offered by the Portfolio Manager or an asset management company, is an investment portfolio in stocks, fixed income, debt, cash and other securities, managed by a professional fund manager that can potentially be tailored to meet specific investment objectives. Unlike mutual funds, where investors own units of the mutual fund scheme, in a PMS, the investors own individual securities. Although the portfolio managers may oversee hundreds of portfolios, your account may be unique.
Types of PMS
Discretionary PMS : Under this service, the choice as well as the timings of the investment decisions is solely lies with the Portfolio Manager.
Non-Discretionary : Under this service, while the portfolio manager will suggest only the investment ideas, the investor will decide the investment timings and decisions regarding the portfolio. However the execution of the trades is done by the PMS portfolio manager.
Advisory : Under this service, while the PMS portfolio manager only suggests the investment ideas, the decision as well as the execution of the investment decisions rest solely with the Investors.
Benefits of a PMS
Professional Management : The PMS Service provides professional management of stock portfolios with the main objective of delivering long-term performance while minimising risk.
Continuous Monitoring : The PMS fund manager, constantly monitors the portfolio and periodic changes are made by him/her to optimise the performance.
Flexibility : The Portfolio Manager has fair amount of flexibility in terms of holding cash, for example, it can keep the cash holding even up to 100% depending upon his./her understanding of the market conditions. The portfolio manager can create a reasonable concentration in the investor portfolios by investing disproportionate amounts in favour of foreseeable opportunities in the market situation.
Risk Control : The research team of the PMS Service, provides real time information to support the fund management team and thus control the risk.
Ease of Operation : Portfolio Management Service provides the clients with a customised service and takes care of all the administrative aspects and provides periodic portfolio reporting. It discloses the overall status of the portfolio, holdings and performance on a daily basis. For this, the PMS Service provides a login ID and password for the investor to check his/her PMS details.
Custom Made Advice : For select clients, the PMS provider gives the benefit of tailor made investment advice designed to achieve investors various financial goals.