Skip to main content

Index Mutual Funds

Although I would prefer largecap diversified funds, index funds are a good option for those who are starting and do not know much about investing in equities. And, this is a good time to begin investing in this asset class.

Another reason to invest in index funds is absence of confidence in the market. With the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index, or Sensex, looking highly volatile with a downward, it is difficult to take a call on an equity-diversified fund.

The main advantage of investing through an index fund, especially in these times, is that these are passively managed. Since the scheme invests the money, according to the index, there is little risk of active management. Then, there are costs as well. Most index funds charge 1-1.5 per cent as annual fund management fees, whereas equity diversified funds can charge 2.25 per cent.

As far as returns are concerned, equity-diversified funds have returned 9.25 per cent in aone-year period, whereas index funds, such as BeES, have returned slightly over 22 per cent. Similarly, funds investing in the Sensex and the Nifty such as Franklin India Index NSE Nifty and HDFC Index Sensex have returned 11-12 per cent. And, if one takes into account the cost-saving due to lower fund management fees, the returns would be at least 100 basis points more.

Although actively-managed funds tend to outperform benchmark indices such as the Sensex or the Nifty, in bad times, a wrong call by fund manager can hurt badly.

An index fund mirrors the benchmark, as it invests in stocks comprising the index and in the same proportion. Their returns should ideally mirror the performance of the underlying index. For instance, the fund manager will passively invest in Nifty-50 stocks in proportion to their market capitalisation. Due to this, index funds are known as passively-managed funds.

However, many times, there is a difference in returns from the index and the scheme that mirrors it. It is because there is a tracking error, which occurs when the fund manager actively manages the scheme. For instance, the Nifty has returned 11.6 per cent in the last one year, whereas the Nifty Junior BeEs has returned 9.37 per cent, a tracking error of 3.28.

In the US, the tracking error that can either be positive or negative is less than a per cent. In India, this error is sometime five per cent or more. According to financial planners, you could invest up to 15-20 per cent of your portfolio into index funds. If you are an experienced investor who does not have index funds in your portfolio, fund managers advise opting for it only if you do not want to keep an active track of your portfolio.

 Buy index funds only if you want safety on the equity side and don't want to keep a constant watch on it. Over a longer term, equity-diversified funds will outperform index funds, especially in the case of emerging markets like India.

This is because fund managers of emerging markets can pick stocks which are multi-baggers. On the other hand, fund managers in developed and mature markets do not have many such opportunities.

Happy Investing!!

We can help. Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

 

---------------------------------------------

Invest Mutual Funds Online

Transact Mutual Fund Online

Download Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

Download Mutual Fund Application Forms

Best Performing Mutual Funds

    1. Largecap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock Top 100 Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Focused Blue Chip Fund
      3. Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund
    2. Large and Midcap Funds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan
      2. HDFC Top 200 Fund
      3. UTI Dividend Yield Fund
    1. Mid and SmallCap Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Equity Opportunities Fund
      2. DSP BlackRock Small & Midcap Fund
      3. Sundaram Select Midcap
      4. IDFC Premier Equity Fund
    1. Small and MicroCap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock MicroCap Fund
    1. Sector Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Banking Fund
      2. Reliance Banking Fund
    1. Tax Saver Mutual  Funds  Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
      2. HDFC Taxsaver
      3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
      4. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
    2. Gold Mutual Funds Invest Online
      1. Relaince Gold Savings Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Regular Gold Savings Fund
      3. HDFC Gold Fund

 

Popular posts from this blog

Liquidity Adjustment Facility

Liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) is a money market tool used by the central bank of a country (in India it is the Reserve Bank of India ), to infuse funds into the country's banking system when liquidity dries up. Again, in case there is excess liquidity, the central bank uses some tools to help banks manage their surplus liquidity. Usually the RBI uses the repurchase facility (called Repo ) to give short-term loans to banks to meet their temporary liquidity shortage. On the other, hand RBI uses reverse repo facility to help banks park their excess liquidity with it. Banks usually use various securities, which are approved by the RBI, as collateral when they take money from the RBI to meet their short term liquidity requirement     Best Tax Saver Mutual Funds or ELSS Mutual Funds for 2015 1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan 2. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund 3. HDFC TaxSaver 4. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund 5. Religare Tax Plan 6. Franklin India TaxShield 7. Canara...
Read more

Jeevan Labh

 The Life Insurance Corporation of India has announced Jeevan Labh , its limited-premium, with-profits endowment plan .   It comes with a premium paying terms of 10, 15 and 16 years for corresponding policy tenures of 16, 21, and 25 years respectively. ----------------------------------------------- Invest Rs 1,50,000 and Save Tax under Section 80C. Get Great Returns by Investing in Best Performing ELSS Mutual Funds Top 10 Tax Saving Mutual Funds to invest in India for 2016 Best 10 ELSS Mutual Funds in india for 2016 1. BNP Paribas Long Term Equity Fund 2. Axis Tax Saver Fund 3. Franklin India TaxShield 4. ICICI Prudential Long Term Equity Fund 5. IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund 6. Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 7. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund 8. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund 9. Religare Tax Plan 10. Birla Sun Life Tax Plan Invest in Best Performing 2016 Tax Saver Mutual Funds Online Invest Online Download Application Forms For further information contact Prajna Capital on 94 83...
Read more

BHIM App

What is BHIM? BHIM stands for Bharat Interface for Money , which is an easy way of transferring money from one bank account to an other via a smartphone using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform . It is an instant payments application meant for sending money as well as requesting for payments. How is it different from UPI? BHIM is no different than UPI. But in the case of BHIM, customers don't have to download mobile applications of multiple banks, instead a single BHIM app downloaded from Android Play Store is sufficient. Other than that, payments can be made through a virtual payments ID or through account number and IFS code, same as UPI. What you need to use BHIM? BHIM can be used across an droid smartphones with version 4.0 and above, also it will be made available on iPhones and Windows smartphones very soon. Further, for feature phone users they need to use the USSD feature by dial ing *99#. Why was the need for BHIM felt when UPI is already in place? With various...
Read more

NPS for Tax Saving

The NPS is a great way to save tax if you don't mind locking in your money till you retire. Till last year, the taxability of the NPS was a big issue. But last year's Budget changed the rules and made 40% of the corpus tax free. The PFRDA wants that the balance 60% to be exempt from tax as well. The emphasis is on increasing pension coverage. So, allowing EEE status (to NPS ) is our major demand (in the Budget NPS is especially useful for investors who may have exhausted the `1.5 lakh investment limit under Section 80C but want to save more.   Another way the NPS can cut tax is by rejigging the salary.If a company deposits up to 10% of the basic salary of an employee in the NPS under Section 80CCD(2d), the amount will be tax free. Turn to page 28 to see how much tax this can save. However, the take-home pay of the employee will come down. Invest Rs 1,50,000 and Save Tax upto Rs 46,350 under Section 80C. Get Great Returns by Investing in Best Performing ELSS Funds Top 10 Tax...
Read more

Bajaj Allianz Health Guard policy

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has redesigned its ` Health Guard' policy with new features. It now includes extended policy term of up to 3 years, new definition of family under a single policy and reinstatement of sum insured for same disease in the policy period. Invest Rs 1,50,000 and Save Tax upto Rs 46,350 under Section 80C. Get Great Returns by Investing in Best Performing ELSS Funds Top 10 Tax Saver Mutual Funds for 2017 - 2018 Best 10 ELSS Mutual Funds to invest in India for 2017 1. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund 2. Invesco India Tax Plan 3. Tata India Tax Savings Fund 4. ICICI Prudential Long Term Equity Fund 5. Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 6. Franklin India TaxShield  7. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund 8. BNP Paribas Long Term Equity Fund 9. Axis Tax Saver Fund 10. Birla Sun Life Tax Plan Invest in Best Performing 2017 Tax Saver Mutual Funds Online Invest Best Tax Saver Mutual Funds Online Download Top Tax Saver Mutual Funds  Application Forms For further information cont...
Read more
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds Invest Now