Conservative investors seeking equity-like tax benefits with low risk may go for them.
Even as the returns of mutual fund (MF) schemes have improved considerably in the past three months, addition of new investors has remained in the slow lane for the MF industry. According to industry data, during the first six months of CY 2023, MFs onboarded only 1.6 million new unique investors, in stark contrast to the 4.7 million investors added during the same period last CY and the 2.4 million in 2021. It is noteworthy, however, that the current additions for this year have doubled in comparison to the figure of 800,000 seen in 2020.
Omkeshwar Singh, head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Coming down heavily on MF players who in recent past chose to use shareholder fund to buy out debt of bleeding invested companies, Sebi said MFs can't have standstill agreements with companies and will take action against fund houses for such deals.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
The information and technology (IT) sector, which has been going through a rough patch lately, was among the top draws for equity mutual funds (MFs) in July. MF schemes together invested a net of Rs 1,800 crores in IT stocks last month after pulling out around Rs 700 crore from the sector in June, according to a report by ICICI Securities.
This exercise allows investors to realign their portfolios with changing market conditions and evolving personal objectives.
The Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) has already taken up the matter with the market regulator and the finance ministry.
In an online chat with readers on August 10, Vidya Bala, Vidya Bala, head of mutual fund research at FundsIndia, answered their queries. For hose who missed the chat, here is the transcript.
Entities controlled by governments - sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds - have recorded higher growth in equity assets under custody compared to other foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) over the past five years.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Net inflows into equity mutual funds (MFs) moderated for the second straight month in September, declining 9 per cent during the month to Rs 30,422 crore. The slowdown came as redemptions from active equity schemes rose 30 per cent month-on-month (M-o-M) to a one-year high of around Rs 36,000 crore.
The move comes within months of a crisis at JPMorgan Asset Management Company.
Is the parabolic rise in silver running out of steam or just getting started? Ramalingam Kalirajan offers his take on if you should invest in silver now?
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Ask rediffGURU Reetika Sharma your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Top officials said asking employees other than the fund management team to mandatorily invest a fifth of their salary goes against the principle of natural justice.
From Rs 73k to over Rs 1.2L between January-December 2025 -- is buying gold in 2026 still sensible?
The domestic initial public offering (IPO) market is experiencing a significant surge, fuelled by the financialisation of savings, digital ease of investing, and expanding participation from both retail and institutional investors, investment bankers said on Wednesday.
The reduction in goods & services tax (GST) on individual life and health insurance premiums has been called a "landmark step" for making insurance affordable and inclusive. In a panel discussion at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, Anup Bagchi, managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance; Mahesh Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Kotak Life Insurance; Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO of Bajaj Life Insurance; and Ratnakar Patnaik, MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), listed what else the industry needs to reach more people.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Increasing awareness about mutual funds, ease of transactions through digitisation and sharp surge in equity markets have aided asset management companies to add a staggering 3.17 crore investor accounts in 2021-22, with experts saying the trend is likely to continue this fiscal as well. This was a significant rise from 2020-21 when 81 lakh accounts (or folios in mutual fund parlance) were opened, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed. The ongoing financial year too appears to be promising in terms of folios as increase in investor accounts will enable people to move beyond fixed deposits and savings accounts, said Priti Rathi Gupta, founder of LXME, a financial platform for women.
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
Had you invested Rs 5,000 every month in SBI Magnum Multicap Fund through systematic investment plan (SIP) for the last 5 years, the value of your investment would be over Rs 5.2 lakh as on August 22, 2016
Jaitley said banking network is expanding hugely and the health of banks reflects on the challenges for the economy.
Despite recent underperformance, MNC funds have delivered over longer time frames.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
'Indian markets may underperform global peers for the next two quarters.' 'But beyond that, India should catch up and resume its long-term growth path.'
Anil Rego, CEO, Right Horizons, answers your personal income tax queries.
Here's what Indian investors diversifying into equities, ETFs, and real estate abroad to manage risk, returns, and currency exposure must watch out for.
India's corporate bond market, driven by public sector undertaking (PSU) banks and financial institutions last year, is losing momentum since the second quarter of FY26.
The ideal time to invest in sector funds, is during a downturn so that investors can capitalise on a turnaround in 1.5 to 2 years.
'...not merely in managing fiscal mathematics, but in demonstrating conservatism and prudence within that framework.' 'Looking forward, we believe sufficient growth drivers exist -- ranging from government reforms to revival in consumption to favourable monsoons. Numerous factors support the Indian economy.'
'They are ideal for short-term financial goals like children's education or a down payment for a house.' 'They are also useful for transitional savings, such as during job switches or while starting a business.'
Cross-check key documents, maximise your deductions, avoid errors, and ensure you get your refund smoothly.
New investors should avoid short-term, tactical entries and instead go for staggered buying via ETFs to manage volatility.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
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