Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is a type of professionally-managed collective investment vehicle that pools money from many investors to purchase securities. Mutual Fund, commonly abbreviated as MF, is an entity which pools in the money of a number of investors who share a common financial goal and invests the same in capital market, i.e. shares, fixed income securities like bonds, commercial papers, corporate deposits etc. An Equity Mutual Fund Scheme in turn invests the accumulated kitty into a basket of shares of different companies, which if invested exclusively by an individual directly, would require a sizeable monetary investment for the same financial intent. This very logic is applicable to Debt Mutual Fund Schemes as well.
MFs are often characterized by the inflow of money when the markets escalate and similarly redemption prevails when it plummets. Such upward & downward volatilities are considered to be opportunities by the rational Fund Managers to be capitalized upon & therefore doesn't affect individual investors. Rather an appropriate portfolio is created based upon investor's risk profile managed by efficient fund management team. Thus, by investing in a mutual fund scheme a Fund Manager ensures maximum return on an individual investment achieved through diversification in a basket of well identified securities / schemes. Besides, an individual also receives the benefit of the Research facilities of the Fund House and expertise of a qualified and experienced Fund Manager.

Mutual Funds offer a range of unique advantages unmatched by most other investment avenues.Expert Management:Mutual Funds are managed by qualified and experienced portfolio management professionals, who objectively assess company's research, critically analyze financials & market information so as to devise a prudent strategy & methodology to deliver sound investment guidance. They are best qualified to identify and maximize the returns on investments.Reduced Risks:By portfolio diversification, Mutual Fund helps to contain the overall investment risk involved. A huge investment amount is required to achieve a comparable diversification (risk mitigation) by investing directly in different equities. Mutual funds offer diversification across asset classes as well as within a specific asset class.Ease of Liquidation:Investments in open-ended mutual fund schemes can be liquidated easily at their Net Asset Values (NAV) which is usually declared on a daily basis on all trading days.Affordability:Since the minimum amount to be invested in a mutual fund is low therefore an entry into a low-risk, diversified portfolio even with a very small amount of money is possible.Tax benefits:Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) offer tax rebates to investors under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Also, Dividend income from Mutual Funds is tax-free in the hands of the investor.Low Costs:Mutual Funds benefit from economies of scale in brokerage, custodial and other fees translating into even lower costs for the investors in such schemes.Transparency:Since the fund performances are disclosed to investors on a regular basis, Mutual Funds are a transparent investment vehicle.Regulated For Investor Protection:The Mutual Funds sector is regulated to safeguard investor interests.