What are the risks of mutual funds?
All funds carry some level of risk. With mutual funds, you may lose some or all of the money you invest because the securities held by a fund can go down in value. Dividends or interest payments may also change as market conditions change.
All funds carry some level of risk. With mutual funds, you may lose some or all of the money you invest because the securities held by a fund can go down in value. Dividends or interest payments may also change as market conditions change.
Key Takeaways
Disadvantages include high fees, tax inefficiency, poor trade execution, and the potential for management abuses.
Since equity mutual funds are market-linked2, they can be volatile. This means if the market goes up, they will generate higher returns, and if the market goes down, it can create chances of loss in mutual funds.
In India, mutual funds investing in small and mid-cap stocks are generally considered high risk. These funds invest in high potential small and mid-cap stocks, which can be volatile but may generate high returns. They are suitable for aggressive investors with investment horizons of 5-10 years or more.
The risk of investing in mutual funds is determined by the underlying risks of the stocks, bonds, and other investments held by the fund. No mutual fund can guarantee its returns, and no mutual fund is risk-free. Always remember: the greater the potential return, the greater the risk.
Except minor (anyone under the age of 18) and NRI but, they can also invest in mutual funds after certain conditions, any amount can be invested in the fund. There are no limits to the amount that can be invested.
All investments carry some risk, but mutual funds are typically considered a safer investment than purchasing individual stocks. Since they hold many company stocks within one investment, they offer more diversification than owning one or two individual stocks.
- Appreciation in the fund's NAV, which happens if the fund's investments increase in price while you own the fund.
- Income earned from dividends on stocks or interest on bonds.
- Capital gains or profits incurred when the fund sells investments that have increased in price.
There are several specific reasons investors turn to mutual funds instead of managing their own portfolio directly. The primary reasons why an individual may choose to buy mutual funds instead of individual stocks are diversification, convenience, and lower costs.
What happens if mutual fund collapses?
If the buying fund house decides to close a Mutual Fund, the existing investors of the scheme will receive a payout from the fund house after deduction of applicable expenses of the fund.
Think of it this way: When the market drops, your mutual fund shares are on sale—you're getting them for a lower price because the market is down.
Out of 38 ELSS schemes that have been around in the market, 15 schemes have failed to beat their respective benchmarks. Flexi cap category had an underperformance of 34%. Contra fund and large cap fund categories had an underperformance of around 33%. The value fund category had an underperformance of around 26%.
- Quant Mid Cap Fund. 12.49%
- Quant Small Cap Fund. 11.38%
- Quant Large & Mid Cap Fund. 10.19%
- Quant Large Cap Fund. 9.95%
- ITI Mid Cap Fund. 9.49%
- Kotak Multicap Fund. 9.45%
- Quant Focused Fund. 9.34%
- SBI Long Term Equity Fund. 9.31%
- Quant Small Cap Fund. 1,901,488.91. ...
- Quant Mid Cap Fund. 1,481,473.16. ...
- Nippon India Small Cap Fund. 1,479,532.93. ...
- Quant Flexi Cap Fund. 1,449,704.29. ...
- Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund. 1,428,661.33. ...
- HSBC Small Cap Fund. 1,362,349.31. ...
- SBI Contra Fund. 1,353,971.16. ...
- Bank of India Small Cap Fund.
Mahindra Manulife Small Cap Fund - Direct Plan, ABSL Nifty Smallcap 50 Index Dir, Axis Nifty Smallcap 50 Index, and Bandhan Small cap Direct fund have given stellar returns of more than 70% in just one year, as per data available on Value Research.
When a mutual fund sells investments that have increased in price, it will ultimately distribute the profit to investors in cash, which can impact the capital gains taxes you may owe.
The average ten-year return on mutual funds in India is 20%. Mutual fund performance is directly correlated with market dynamics. Average returns may be higher during a 10-year period if there is a bull market, whereas average returns may be lower during a bear market or an economic slump.
Mutual fund investments when used right can lead to good returns, keeping risk at a minimum, especially when compared with individual stocks or bonds. These are especially great for people who are not experts in stock market dynamics as these are run by experienced fund managers.
Fund Name | Category | Risk |
---|---|---|
Axis Overnight Fund | Debt | Low |
Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund | Hybrid | Low |
Tata Arbitrage Fund | Hybrid | Low |
Nippon India Arbitrage Fund | Hybrid | Low |
Should I put all my money in mutual funds?
Given how high the risk is with these mutual funds, it is best to limit yourself to a limited number of small cap mutual funds. Also, avoid putting in a great percentage of your total mutual fund investment in small cap mutual funds. Debt Funds: Ideally 1, but 2 is also good.
Most mutual funds are aimed at long-term investors and seek relatively smooth, consistent growth with less volatility than the market as a whole. Historically, mutual funds tend to underperform compared to the market average during bull markets, but they outperform the market average during bear markets.
It's common for a mutual fund to outperform its benchmark over a short time horizon – a few years – as happened with Cathie Wood's ARKK. But new research shows that mutual funds fail dismally when performance is measured over the long horizons that retirement-focused investors face.
Mutual funds are not tax-free except for ELSS (equity-linked savings schemes or tax-saving funds) and some retirement funds. As per the Income Tax Act, under Section 80C, you can claim a deduction of up to Rs. 1.5 lakh for investments made in ELSS and can save taxes up to Rs. 46,800.
Fund category | YTD 2021 | 15-Year |
---|---|---|
Long-term bond | -2.66% | 6.19% |
Intermediate-term bond | -2.36% | 4.22% |
Short-term bond | -1.08% | 2.35% |
Mean | 10.16% | 6.39% |