The benefits of investing in mutual funds

We think about it all the time, we hear about it all the time, yet we fail to react to it all the time. There are tonnes of benefits that come with investing in monetary instruments on a regular basis. It is the best and simplest way to get a strong portfolio done and to make the best savings on the long run. If you have thought about starting your portfolio, the timing could not have been better. There are tonnes of products that are available and each of them would give you huge benefits and returns.

The simplest and best instrument to invest in is mutual funds. It would give you good returns, help you ease your profit margins and also be able to help you reduce your tax liabilities. There are many reasons why you should invest in the mutual fund market as compared to anything else available today. The first and obvious reason that comes about today is the amount of liability you have or the risk that such an investment carries. There is no doubt that you can get healthier profits from any investment in the stock market, but the level of risk is extremely high too. You would want to reduce the risk you take by trying to divide your investment across different verticals.

Instead of putting all your money in the stock market, look at investing across different mutual fund India products. This would be so much better than putting your money in one specific company. With this, you would also be able to grow out different investment patterns and profit rates. It is bound to give you a huge boost in both the short and long span of time. When you are looking to invest in these funds, study the bunch of companies that have been put together and realise the industry growth that is expected. It would give you a clear idea on how well you can do and how the growth just might be.

The tax benefits are another reason that most people want to buy these funds. Because you are able to reduce the amount of tax you are liable for thanks to these investments, they are hot property. You would be in an instant win situation right from the word go. The benefits are surely present when you are investing in mutual funds, apart from being a great source of money, it would be a great learning curve too.

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What are the Different Types of Mutual Funds?

Investing in mutual funds is without doubt the best idea if you have been thinking about your future and financial security. The biggest benefit is that you are able to plan it out perfectly based on your financial capabilities, plus you are able to control your investments completely when you have calculated your returns. Apart from understanding the benefits of mutual funds, you have to also understand the different kinds of funds that are present in the market today.

Open ended

One of the biggest kinds of mutual funds is open-ended which would allow you to buy or sell units of the fund at any point of time. In other words, there is no fixed maturity date on the fund. In these kinds of funds, there are a few kinds too

1.       Debt/Income funds: In this kind of fund, most of the invested money is put into debentures or other debt investment plans. This could include government security instruments too. Now, even though the capital appreciation is lower as compared to others, it is perfect for investors who want to a constant income coming through.

2.       Liquid funds:  These kinds of investments are to make the excess funds into short term investments so that you decide a better long term investment afterwards. These kinds of investments are perfect when you have saved an amount and planning a short term investment.

3.       Growth funds: These are very popular in retail investments and it could be a high risk element in both the short or long term. These kinds of schemes are a perfect example of the capital appreciation you can receive in the long run. This is probably the reason that most people look at investing in growth funds early so that the risk involved is lesser and the returns on the long run are very good.

4.       Tax saving growth funds: This probably the most recommended mutual funds, as they provide big tax benefits to its investors. Your money is invested in equities that offer long term growth opportunities called equity linked saving schemes or ELSS. These kinds of funds normally come with a 3 year lock in period.

Balanced funds

These kinds of funds are good for investors that are looking to enjoy good growth and income at the same time. These funds are invested in different kinds of securities – mostly equities and fixed income. Of course, the proportion of investment is pre-decided and is revealed in the offer documents. These are great ways to get good returns and is cut out for the investor that knows his kind of investment returns and plans. It does bring out a great deal of profits if you plan it right. This makes it one of the most popular types of mutual funds.

Close ended funds

These funds do not allow you to buy or sell units at any point of time. These kinds of funds can be invested at only during the launch of the fund. These are rolled out during the new fund offer period and can be purchased only then. These funds do come with the goal to protect the principal amount and deliver good returns at the same time.

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Calculating Your Mutual Fund Returns is as Simple as 1, 2 & 3!

Understanding how mutual funds work is very important if you are planning to invest in them. Unlike the stock market which fluctuates through the day, a pricing for a fund is decided only one a day and that is typically done at the end of business hours. Calculating your return on investment is very important and is quite simple to do too. The ROI should be calculated for a specific time period and would be the total increase in capital divided by the total investment made. This percentage would give you the best idea of how well your investment is doing. 

There are different methods of calculating the profit that you have made on your investment also. Different formats are taken by different investors but the simplest two ways are to break it down by an absolute return method or by a total return in fund. 

In the absolute return method, you most important dates are the date of investing and the date of exiting the fund. You can calculate the absolute return by dividing the total chance in the NAV during period of investment and the NAV that was present at the start of your investment. With this you are easily able to figure out the return and you can use this on any kind of mutual fund. So, this is how the absolute return is calculated using - (NAV(end) - NAV(start))/NAV(start).

The other way to use a mutual fund calculator is by calculating the total return that is obtained from the fund. In this method, you include the dividends that you have received too. So add the dividends in the holding period and then remove the total change in the NAV. Finally divide this with the initial NAV when you purchased the fund. This can be calculated with - {Dividends +[NAV(end) - NAV(start)]}/NAV(start).

With these calculators, you would be able to plan your investment and know how close to your target you’ve reached.

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Why You Should Invest in ULIP: Unit Linked Insurance Plan

Investment plans should always have a firm plan and that is precisely what you get when you invest in Unit Linked Insurance Plans – it is a combination of insurance and investment. While many have reasons to think of the reasons to invest here, the honest idea is quite simple. Because it has elements of insurance as an aspect of it, you are in it for the long term. Just like you would with an insurance policy for your child or an investment for your child's wedding perhaps. It is long term and has plenty of benefits. What are they? Let's find out.

1.       You are protected: With a volatile market and not much to guarantee on economic conditions, there is a severe need to be sure of the goal you have in mind. Irrespective of the policyholder, your investment is safe. The final target which you had with the investment is cleared out in the event of death or at the period of maturity. You are safe from fluctuations and that keeps you protected.

2.       Tax exemptions: We are all struggling to reach our exemption limits with respect to tax. If your total investment is to a level of Rs 1 Lakh, this would be deductible and also the amount you get on maturity is tax free. Do note that this is applicable if the total premium paid is not over 20% of the insured amount.

3.       Flexibility: Not all investments give you this opportunity and with ULIP, you have just that. You can switch without any thought and that means a seamless and tax friendly method. You can do this at any time and change your portfolio in many ways.

4.       Long term thinking: Anyone who is planning to invest here should be thinking of exiting only after 12-14 years. That is a long time and the dividends come out only in such periods. When you enter this investment, you are protecting your long term goals and that gives you so much more than any short term investment.

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How to Calculate Mutual Fund Performance and Returns?

As we progress through our career and financial goals, there would come a time when you are required to take informed decisions on financial planning. Each time, you would have to take a call on the evaluation of the investment and how well you are planning it out. Yes, there has to be a diversified approach to your investment, but having a constant watch over the growth is a must.

Mutual funds are a common choice by many to plan out their investment for a long period. Equity based funds almost always beats other investment forms in the market today. To evaluate the performance of your fund, it is important to keep a benchmark. This benchmark will and must always give you an idea of exiting or progressing ahead.   

So, how would you go about this? Here are a few simple methods –

1.       Absolute return: The two most important dates with respect to an investment are – the beginning date and the end of the holding. This is calculated by the dividing the absolute change in the NAV from the investing period and the NAV during the start of the investment. The simplest advantage is that we can use this calculation on any kind of fund to track out the return. (NAV(end) - NAV(start))/NAV(start) would give you the percentage increase.

2.        Total return in fund: Another method to calculate the total return that has come from the fund is to include the dividends that are in place too. This can be calculated by adding the dividends which are spread across the holding period and with the total change to the NAV, divided by the NAV at the initial day. {Dividends +[NAV(end) - NAV(start)]}/NAV(start)

With these calculations, the mutual fund performance can be tracked and you would be able to know when the fund is performing well as per your ‘benchmark’.

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The Simple Benefits of Investing in Mutual Funds in India

Aren’t we all bogged down about the different investment options that are available for us? One of the first things that come to our mind when we are thinking about making investments is mutual funds. There are many benefits and most of them are way better than investing in any other form.  Well, here are simple financial gains you can get out of investing in them –

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1.       Beat Inflation: Without having to think too much, you can beat inflation and hence get good returns. Instead of having to put your money into the standard saving accounts in your bank, you can make your money grow via mutual funds. While you invest in the savings account of your bank, you get just about 6% interest – that does not beat inflation which is close to 10% on an average. So, mutual funds would always be a smarter investment as compared to a basic bank investment.

2.       The Convenience Factor: As compared to investing in the stock market or even real estate, investing in mutual funds is a lot easier. There is a lot of documentation when you are going to invest in real estate or the stock market – on the other hand, investing in mutual funds in India is really easy. Not too much documentation or details to be shared.

3.       Tax Saving Benefits: the biggest advantage you get by investing in mutual funds is that you get tax exemptions from the government too. That means you are able to save money apart from the growth that comes your way. Completing the limit of your tax exemption is a must of a goal and you can do that easily by investing smartly.

4.       Cost Factor: With all the investment points that are present in the market today, you need to be very choosy about where you put your money. It does require a lot of research, but especially if you are putting larger sums of money. This is the case with real estate especially – the cost of investment is really high. When it comes to mutual funds though, your costs are lower and thus, it is affordable.

5.       It’s a Mixed Basket: It is never advisable to put all your money into a single point of investment. You need to keep your investments as diversified as possible and thus you have a wide array of assets. There are plenty of short, medium and long term options that are virtually tailor made for you.

6.       Accessible Investments: Unlike how you get stuck with many investments – stock market, real estate or even gold, mutual funds can be liquidated any time. There are many schemes that can be used based on the net asset value at any time.

7.       Crystal Clear: One of the best advantages you get with mutual funds is that you always aware of the investment value and growth. Plus, each mutual fund is regulated by SEBI and that guarantees that your money is kept in the right place.

There is no doubt that there are plenty of benefits when you make smart investments. The entire idea is to plan the money you have saved towards mutual funds. Not only would you be saving money, you would be making money.

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Planning of making your first investment?

One of the first excitements after you start earning is to make your first investment. You are curious as to the ways you can make the investment and if you have to just start small and choose amongst the many options to take the plunge. Just like any other first time investor, you are bound to come across many ideas from friends, colleagues and well wishers and probably, one of them would be mutual fund investments.

What is mutual fund?

A mutual fund is an investment programme that is promoted or created by shareholders amongst diversified holdings and trading. This is professionally managed and you would have experts looking after your investment, giving you a massive benefit. The mutual fund definition itself means creating a portfolio among different companies so as to get a balanced return.

How to make an investment?

One of the first tips for investment in a mutual fund is to understand the kind of companies that are going to be a part of the portfolio and the period of investment. You can gauge an approximate of the growth thinking about the industry as well as the exit time horizon. You would know how long you would be participating in the mutual fund as a whole too. It is key to understand what the estimates are from the mutual fund investments and how you can get the best results from it.

The main idea would be to keep a close watch on the growth of the fund and since it is one of the first investments to make, you can choose similar funds in the future. It is important to notice that these predictions being made are by experts and that they would consider the past and present market conditions to determine the future growth of the mutual fund.

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How to invest in mutual funds

Rarely does one make a profit out of an investment without research. Before you look at investing your money, you must look at the market conditions and if the investment matches your requirement. There are several factors that contribute to the success of a fund investment and timing and fund selection are the most important of them. Yes, there are different requirement for so different investors, so let’s take a look at what you should know before you invest in mutual funds. 

What is mutual fund in the first place? It is a diversified investment in a set of companies or equities that will give you a return over a period of time, based on the performance of the overall set of companies. You can choose sector specific mutual funds which can be targeted to pharmaceuticals, energy, petro companies and so on. You can also invest based on the market cap of the company. Large cap, medium cap and small cap are the three major kinds. It is based on your take to a volatile investment that you can choose which of the three to choose. These are the mutual fund basics that you have to know before you go ahead making an investment. These are tax saving funds too and would give you a healthy benefit in income tax. To understand which kind of mutual fund definition of market cap would suit you best – speak to your financial advisor or an industry expert. The performance of your investment depends on the market condition and hence you require expert guidance.

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Why You Should Invest in Mutual Funds in 2015?

Mutual Funds are some of the most sought after investment opportunities. They offer good returns and a great sense of security that most other investment opportunities cannot provide for their investors. At the start of the year, mutual funds faced a slump of sorts, but market analysts expect the year to be quite fruitful for those who have made the smart decision of investing their money in mutual funds. However, those who have predicted good returns from the market have also stated that these returns will depend on certain factors that will act as benchmarks for the market through the year. These benchmarks include the pricing of crude oil, which saw a slump last year, and a hike in the rates of the Central Bank.

Mutual Funds

The decrease in the crude oil prices hit the energy sector in a bad way. At the end of 2014, energy mutual funds were seen as the biggest losers, and these doesn’t seem to be any respite in sight for these funds. On the other hand, this slump in prices has been most beneficial for airlines, as airline stocks skyrocketed. Therefore, on the whole, the lowering of crude oil prices has benefitted the market.

After the financial crisis in 2008, the Federal Reserve System set up some aggressive measures in the form of rates being at an all-time low, and repurchasing assets. The central bank completed its 3 rounds of repurchases by October 2014, but they continued to keep their rates low. It is however expected that they will raise the rates during this year, which will have a positive effect on the market, as profit margins are expected to rise.

Based on the market expectation, market analysts have handpicked the T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund, the Fidelity Select Transportation Fund, and the T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund as the three funds to have invested in this year. They feel that these funds are most likely to give you the best returns for your money. Always remember to check all fund documents before you finally decide where to invest your money.

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How to profit on your Mutual Fund investments

In India, saving money is always something we are taught to do from a young age. We are not a society that lives on credit. We firmly believe that being cautious with our money is the best route towards success. However, due to this nature, we are not prone to invest in financial products that do not provide a good measure of security. It is for this reason that mutual fund investments are a big part of the financial market in our country. They allow us to generate some income from the money we invest, while still providing a lower level of risk when compared to other investment products.

The reason for the success of mutual funds in India is that the risk to individual investors is lowered simply because he is not investing alone. The funds operate by obtaining capital from multiple investors and then investing the total amount into various equities and securities. The rate of return on the funds depends entirely on how the fund is managed and where the money is being invested. Usually funds that invest either entirely or mostly in equity, yield a higher rate of return but are also higher in risk due to the fact that they are affected by changes in the market. Meanwhile funds that invest in long term security, such as government bonds, offer a much lower risk but also offer much lower rates of returns to the investors.

In order to determine the rate of return for investors, mutual funds sell units within the fund to investors, based on the money they put in. The value of each unit is known as the net asset value or the mutual fund NAV. The more units an investor purchases, the higher are the returns he receives. The value of these units may fluctuate based on market conditions and on how well the fund is doing due to these conditions.

The funds also vary in terms of time-period. It is therefore very important for the investor to know before he invests how long he can invest his money for. Usually, most equity funds are of a shorter term than those that invest in long term securities. In fact, investors should take a lot of factors into consideration when investing, such as how much they are willing to invest in total, whether they can invest regularly in the fund, if they choose an SIP fund and also the amount of risk they are willing to take with their investments.

Mutual funds are usually managed by fund management companies or by fund managers, and they provide with a prospectus that contains all the details of the fund. The objective and goals of the funds are all mentioned in this document and it is important for an investor to understand every aspect of the document so that they know how the fund operates and how their money is being invested.

It is important for investors to get professional advice before investing in the funds because they are not as well versed with the market conditions as professionals. However, they should be aware that it is their financial objectives that are important and that it is their money that is being invested and so should insist on courses of action they best feel realises these goals.

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