Once upon a time, financial investments in stocks, or bonds were rich men’s games. Thanks to the mushrooming of mutual funds in the Indian market to make the small and medium investors invest in the big funds and bonds. When you are investing in equity PMS, you need your personal portfolio manager for a higher-cost service and need to possess a high amount for investment. When you invest through mutual funds, you share the cost of portfolio management and the price of a stock of a big company. Mutual fund investments have become the buzzing words in the fields of financial investments in the global market even in the growing economy in India. This is just because of the fact that it has opened up the market of financial investments to the middle class and lower-middle-class people in India.
A Mutual Fund is operated by an Asset Management Company (AMC) that collects funds from individual and institutional investors to invest in securities like stocks, and bonds with a common investment goal. Individual investors invest in the share of a mutual fund; it means when you invest in a mutual fund, you own the share of that mutual fund company as well as the company in which that mutual fund is investing. A mutual fund is a gateway to invest in multiple plans and financial goals. This is the most popular mode of goal-based investing in which you can invest online in all existing funds in the market.
Terms you need to know
Portfolio: In finance and investments, a portfolio refers to the collection of your assets that include cash, stocks, bonds, investments, real estate, etc. Managing your portfolio is an important task mainly for investors. So, many people hire their personal portfolio manager, and financial advisor to know how they should distribute their wealth and investments. Many people prefer to manage their portfolios themselves and some depend on banks, mutual funds, and other financial institutions to manage their portfolios. A professional portfolio manager designs the portfolio of an investor keeping in mind the risk factors, investment goals, and duration.
Stocks: Stocks refer to the certified partial ownership of a company. Stocks are made of shares, which is the smallest fractional ownership of a company. You can buy and sell stocks simply online through your Demat account offered by many banks and financial institutions in India. Investing in stocks and shares has high potential and equally high risk because your profit and loss depend on the market value of the stocks of a company. Otherwise, you need to pay tax and other surcharges while investing in stocks. But the stock market is regulated by the government itself; hence there is no chance of fraud. Stocks are mainly of two types: common and preferred. The common stockholders have voting rights and they play major roles in decision-making for the company. On the other hand, preferred shareholders are merely investors and their return depends on the profit and loss of the company.
Bonds: Bond is the loan offered by the investors to corporate, government, and public bodies like municipalities for running any project. When you buy a bond, you directly give a loan to the corporate or government bodies that pay you interest on a regular basis. Owners of the bonds are known to be debtholders who get their principal and a fixed rate of interest from the corporate or government bodies after a specific period of time. Unlike stockholders, a debtholder knows well his return. They can buy and sell debt securities in the bond markets. When you buy bonds, you act like a bank to the borrowers who take your money for investments and give your principal return with a fixed rate of interest.
Equity: When you buy equity, you buy partial ownership of an asset that might have debts and other financial liabilities. Equity is calculated by subtracting the tidal liabilities of the company from the total value of its present assets. Equity refers to the assets that might be distributed among the shareholders of the company after liquidating the assets and paying off all the debts and financial liabilities.
The Mutual Fund companies create a common portfolio on the basis of market conditions and arrange the percentage of investments in stocks, bonds, equities, and other assets. Then it collects capital from individual investors and invests as per the organized plan. It means that when you invest in Mutual Funds, you invest in the shares of the mutual funds as well as the share of the companies for which the mutual fund is investing. The whole process is monitored by the maestros in this field, hence you get the probability of maximum return with minimum risk factors.
Types of Mutual Funds
Debt Funds: IN Mutual Fund, Debt Funds consist of so many popular plans like Monthly Income Plans (MIPs), Short Term Plans (STPs), Fixed Maturity Plans (FMPs), etc. In debt funds, your money is invested in fixed securities like corporate bonds, government securities, etc. Debt funds are very popular because it produces fixed incomes for investors.
ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme): Equity Linked Savings Scheme or ELSS has become so popular among the taxpayers in India because investment in this scheme of Mutual Funds helps you to save tax under section 80C of Income Tax Act 1961. An individual investor can invest up to Rs 1.5 lakh in this scheme to save yearly tax. This scheme normally has a lock-in period of three years.
Hybrid Funds: Hybrid funds in Mutual Funds refers to a fund that is a combination of several high potential investment options like stocks, bonds, and cash.
Liquid Funds: Liquid funds are known to be the safest fund in Mutual Funds that can grow your money within a very short span. This is one kind of debt fund through which liquid investments are made for the big corporates for a maximum 91 days’ period.
Equity Funds: In Mutual Fund, equity fund investment is made mainly for the stocks. Equity funds are also known to be stock funds and its size, and prospect depends on the nature and outcome of the company it is investing for.
Focussed Funds: Mutual funds mostly invest in a number of companies according to their present market value. Focussed funds are less diversified than the traditional schemes of mutual funds. Focussed funds invest in select stocks of mostly 20-30 companies; whereas most of the mutual funds invest in almost 100 companies.
Why Mutual Funds are the Next-Gen Investments
- Mutual Fund investment is goal-based investing and flexible. You can invest from a very small amount to a bigger amount. You can choose big companies as well as small and potential companies.
- Mutual funds combine various types of investment opportunities like stocks, bonds, equities, etc. It is a complete package to invest in several investment items at once.
- A mutual fund is managed by skilled professionals. You don’t have to hire a professional portfolio manager for managing your financial investment portfolio, rather you share the price of management with so many prospective investors like you.
- A mutual fund is the gateway of so many investment plans like SIP, investments in securities, stocks, and bonds.
- Mutual funds are owned by reputed banks, financial companies, and big corporates. Hence, it has gained people’s trust over the course of time.
- Mutual funds investments save your time, money, and energy. Everything you do invest online sitting in the comforts of your home.
- When you invest in a mutual fund, you don’t invest in a specific stock. Hence, you share the risk factor too.