Mutual funds related FAQs

How many types of mutual funds scheme ?

Maturity Periods: Mutual funds can be categories  as whether they are open-ended or close-ended, depending on their maturity period. Open-ended Fund/Scheme A scheme or fund that can be subscribed to and repurchased on a continual basis is an open-ended one. These schemes have no fixed maturity period. Investors can easily buy and sell units at the Net Asset Value (NAV), which is calculated daily. Open-end schemes have liquidity as their key feature. Close-ended Scheme/Fund A scheme or fund that is close-ended has a predetermined maturity period. 3-5 years. The scheme is only open to subscription for a specific period. Investors can purchase or sell units of the scheme via the stock exchanges that list them. Close-ended funds provide investors with an exit route by offering the option to sell the units back to the mutual fund via periodic repurchase at NAV relevant prices. According to SEBI Regulations, at least one of these exit routes must be provided to an investor. either through listing on stock markets or repurchase facility. Schemes according Investment Objective: A scheme that meets its investment objective can be classified as either a growth scheme or an income scheme. As mentioned earlier, such schemes can be either closed-ended or open-ended. These schemes could be classified as follows: Growth/Equity Oriented Scheme Capital appreciation is the goal of growth funds over the medium- to long-term. They typically invest a significant portion of their corpus on equities. These funds are highly risky . These funds provide investors with a range of options including growth, dividend option and growth. The investors can choose one option depending on what they prefer. The option must be indicated by the investors in the application form. Mutual funds allow investors to modify the options at a later time. Investors with a long-term perspective and a desire to enjoy appreciation over time are best suited for growth schemes. Income Oriented scheme The goal of income funds are to provide steady, regular income for investors. These funds invest in fixed income securities, such as bonds and corporate debentures. This type of fund is less risky than equity plans. There are limited opportunities for capital appreciation in these funds. Changes in interest rate in the country can impact NAVs. NAVs of these funds are more likely to rise in the short-term if interest rates fall. Long-term investors might not care about fluctuations. Balanced/Hybrid Schems The purpose of balanced schemes are to provide growth and regular income. They invest in both fixed income and equities in the appropriate proportions as stated in their offer documents. These are for investors seeking moderate growth. These funds generally invest 40-60% equity and debt instruments. These funds are also affected by changes in share prices. But, these funds are more volatile than pure stock funds. Money Market or Liquid Schemes This scheme is also an income scheme. Its purpose is to provide liquidity, capital preservation, and moderate income. These schemes only invest in short-term instruments, such as treasury bill, certificates of deposits, commercial paper, interbank call money, securities, and government securities. These schemes offer lower returns than other funds, and they fluctuate less. These funds are suitable for individual and corporate investors who need to temporarily store excess funds. Gilt Funds are those  funds which invest only in government securities. Government securities have no default risk. These schemes have NAVs that fluctuate because of changes in interest rate and other economic factors. This is not the case for income or debt-oriented schemes. Index Funds Index Funds can replicate the portfolio for a specific index like the NSE 50 (Nifty) or the BSE Sensitive Index (Sensex). These are the schemes that  invest it's securities in an  same index weightage. The NAVs of these schemes would rise and fall according to the index's movement, although not exactly the same percentage. Technical terms refer to "tracking error", which is a factor that can cause an increase or decrease in NAVs. This information is required disclosure and is provided in the offer document.


From where an investor get to know about mutual funds ?


Can an investor nominate an individual as nominee in the units of mutual funds ?


What happens to the money if mutual fund scheme is wound up ?


How investors can file their complaint ?


How a mutual fund can register with SEBI ?


How Net Asset Value determined after apply ?


What does Tax saving scheme means ?


What does Exchange trade fund work ?


What does Capital protection oriented scheme work ?


What does Expense ratio work ?


What does CAS ( consolidated Account Statement ) means ?


Do I need to pay entry charge to the person who sells mutual fund scheme ?


From where an investor get the information about the actual commission paid to distributors and about TER ?


What does ASBA ( Application Supported by Blocked Amounts ) means ?


What does Direct Plan work ?


Can an investor make payment through cash in mutual funds ?


How much fee payable by a MF / AMC ?


What are the restrictions on the fees that can pay for the scheme ?


In the limit of expense is service tax included ?


What is the timing for SEBI's observations on SID ?