Financial expert Anil Rego of explains why systematic investments are an investor's best bet in the current volatile market.
'Long-term investors seeking sustainable gains from resilient, fundamentally strong companies may go for these funds.'
Mutual fund investment through systematic investment plans (SIPs) has surged to an all-time high of Rs 3.34 lakh crore in 2025, driven by growing investor appetite for disciplined, long-term wealth creation.
'New investors should enter gradually and stay cautious.' 'Silver is a structural multi-year story, but timing matters in a high-volatility metal.'
The most common mistake is investing without assessing suitability and long-term implications.
'For the initial decade, I consistently advise young professionals to prioritise career development and income growth rather than market analysis.'
New investors should enter gradually and with a long horizon. 'Staggered investment through systematic purchase plans is advisable rather than lump-sum buying.'
'Trading without strict position sizing, stop-loss discipline, or a clear exit plan almost guarantees losses.' 'Chasing tips, reacting to intraday noise, or assuming frequent trading improves outcomes are equally damaging habits.'
The highlight in January, with no surprise, has been flows into gold and silver ETFs.
'People become guided by emotions, fear of missing out, and greed. They tend to invest in booming sectors that may prove exceptionally expensive.' 'Typically, that represents the peak, and subsequently, they lose substantially.'
It's also important to understand the rationale behind choosing particular stocks and when to sell.
Inflows into mutual fund (MF) schemes via systematic investment plans (SIPs) have topped Rs 3 trillion for the first time in a calendar year, as investors increasingly rely on the staggered investment route amid market volatility.
Ask rediffGURU and PF expert Nitin Narkhede your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Most first-time investors may be better served by diversified options such as flexicap or multi-cap funds, which already hold pharma and healthcare stocks.
'The volatility in the stock markets since September 2024 has hurt the pace of accretion of new investors.'
New investors or those with lower-than-planned exposure should add US-oriented funds through SIPs.
Every investor loves a bull market - that feeling of watching portfolios rise and headlines being filled with record highs is gratifying. Yet, wealth creation in the stock market is not just a matter of market rallies. Some of the most successful investors make their fortunes in periods of slow or even negative market momentum. The secret is mindset, strategy, and disciplined investing, not chasing short-term rallies.
Equity mutual funds attracted Rs 29,911 crore in November, marking a 21 per cent increase from the preceding month, according to data released by industry body Amfi on Thursday. This rise in inflows comes after three consecutive months of decline, signalling an improvement in investor sentiment.
The post-Covid euphoria surrounding direct equity investing has ebbed in 2025. Individual investors have turned net sellers in the domestic equity market, pulling out about 8,461 crore so far this year - a sharp reversal from the record purchases seen in 2024, according to a report by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
The recent correction suggests that while precious metals hedge geopolitical tension and inflation, they are not immune to sharp short-term corrections and profit-booking.
2025 marked a shift in investor preference when it comes to MF schemes.
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'They are a poor fit for anyone with near-term goals, low volatility tolerance, or a need for steady income or liquidity.' 'First-time investors should typically avoid them.'
'Allocating 5 to 10 per cent of one's portfolio and staying disciplined through market cycles helps in having a positive investment experience.'
The country's primary capital markets delivered a robust performance in FY26, emerging as a global leader in initial public offerings (IPOs) despite an uncertain environment, the Economic Survey said on Thursday.
New investors should not allow themselves to fall prey to FOMO and rush headlong into gold.
It could also clear stalled projects and review various subsidies on the energy, food and fertiliser fronts.
Domestic mutual funds have infused the highest ever -- Rs 4.84 trillion -- this year amid strong inflows via SIPs.
'We operate in an economy that is structurally positioned for long-term growth. As market levels rise over time, our AUM grows in line.'
'...a mix of asset classes.' 'Include equities for growth (across market caps), debt for stability and liquidity, gold as a hedge against macro and currency risk, and global assets for geographical and economic diversification.'
Foreign portfolio investors' (FPI) ownership in NSE-listed companies has declined to 16.9 per cent at the end of September, lowest in 15 years, the largest stock bourse said on Thursday. The domestic mutual funds' ownership climbed to 10.9 per cent in the ninth straight quarter of increase, data shared by NSE said, adding that this is on the back of strong flows into systematic investment plans (SIP).
'We expect modest returns in 2026 versus the steep gains seen over the past few years.'
This exercise allows investors to realign their portfolios with changing market conditions and evolving personal objectives.
'A staggered investment approach (using SIP or STP) can help investors benefit from this opportunity while reducing timing risk.'
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.
Foreign investors fled Indian equities in 2025 at a scale never seen before, pulling out a record Rs 1.6 lakh crore (USD 18 billion) as volatile currency movements, global trade tensions, especially potential US tariffs, and stretched valuations eroded risk appetite, though flows are expected to turn sustainably positive in 2026.
SIP inflows into active equity schemes from areas beyond the top 30 cities (B30), which first crossed this milestone in September 2025, stood at Rs 10,080 crore in October, industry data shows.
This works only for longer-tenured ones such as income funds, as the element of interest rate risk is reduced.
Investors seeking higher returns at relatively higher risk should consider allocation to smallcap equity funds.
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