ELSS Funds for different Risk Profile

Match your Goals Risk Profile With ELSS Investment

DIFFERENT TRACKS Unlike funds with a clearly defined investment universe -- large-cap, mid-cap or multi-cap - Tax Saving Schemes do not specify investment focus

If you are looking for an equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) to pare your tax burden, the plethora of options may confuse you. Many investors simply opt for ELSS funds, also called tax saving schemes with the best return over a certain time period. However, this may not yield the best results. There are several types of ELSS funds and it requires a nuanced approach to pick the right one.

DIFFERENT RISK PROFILES

Unlike funds with a clearly defined investment universe -- large-cap, midcap or even multi-cap schemes in the ELSS category do not specify their investment focus. While these schemes have the flexibility to invest anywhere, most tend to follow a defined template.

For instance, some funds take a distinct large-cap tilt with a limited exposure to mid or small-cap stocks. Others prefer a higher exposure to the small-cap basket, with a modest large cap exposure, mostly intended to ensure liquidity in the portfolio. Some maintain a balanced portfolio, while a few adopt a more fluid approach, changing the portfolio mix according to market circumstances.

This difference in investment focus is evident in the portfolio of ELSS schemes. While the median portfolio market capitalisation (average market cap of a company a fund invests in) for ELSS funds is around Rs 36,000 crore, there are schemes with average portfolio market cap as high as `87,500 crore and as low as `13,000 crore, highlighting the disparity in the portfolio construction across ELSS funds.

A differentiated approach to portfolio construction means that the risk profile of ELSS funds varies substantially across schemes. Fund selection, therefore, is critical. The choice of fund should ideally be based on your risk profile, and not purely on a fund's return profile.

Investors should identify the nature of underlying exposure of the ELSS funds to ensure that the scheme objectives are in line with their own requirements.

If you are looking for an aggressive tilt and higher alpha or excess returns and can stomach volatility, then a scheme with a clear mid-cap bias would suit you better. Funds like Reliance Tax Saver, Sundaram Tax Saver and IDBI Equity Advantage come under this category .

For those who prefer stability over alpha, funds with a conservative, large-cap orientation would be a better fit. Franklin India Taxshield, DHFL Pramerica Tax Savings and Edelweiss Tax Advantage comprise such funds. Schemes like Axis Long Term Equity, Birla Sun Life Tax Plan, ICICI Prudential Long Term Equity, among others, have a more balanced portfolio.

Identifying the investing focus can also help you zero in on an ELSS fund that best complements your equity fund portfolio. If your existing portfolio is heavy on large-cap funds, you may opt for a tax-saving fund that focuses on mid-caps. Investors need to assess the risk-adjusted performance of funds in this category. It is critical that investors understand the risk involved owing to the portfolio mix. Mid-caps can fetch far higher returns but can witness a sharp fall during a correction. Also, keep an eye on the expense ratio while selecting the fund. A high expense will eat into your returns over time.

Already INVESTED IN ELSS Funds? What Next

For existing investors, this may be a good time to review their investment and see if the fund merits a place in your portfolio.

Some investors have the habit of opting for a different ELSS fund every year. This is far from ideal. Since you would also be holding a few traditional diversified equity funds, having more ELSS funds will lead to an overlap in your portfolio.

Try to limit your ELSS investments to one or two schemes. A financial adviser would be best placed to guide you towards the right ELSS fund, after considering your existing investments and risk profile. Don't be in a hurry to redeem your investment after the mandatory three-year lock-in period. Experts suggest staying with the fund for as long as one can.

Also, tax saving should not be the sole criterion for picking an ELSS fund. These funds are also suited for wealth creation over a long term and patient investors can reap rewards by staying invested for a reasonable 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 contact SaveTaxGetRich on 94 8300 8300

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

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

You can write to us at

Invest [at] SaveTaxGetRich [dot] Com

Call us on 94 8300 8300

How to Decide your asset allocation with Mutual Funds?

Invest In Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Application Forms Buy Gold Mutual Funds Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India) How to Decide your asset allocation ? The funds that base their equity allocation on market valuation have given stable returns in the past. Pick these if you are a buy-and-forget investor. Small investors are often victims of greed and fear. When markets are rising, greed makes the small investor increase his exposure to stocks. And when stocks crash to low levels, fear makes him redeem his investments. But there are a few funds that avoid this risk by continuously changing the asset mix of their portfolios. Their allocation to equity is not based on the fund manager's outlook for the market, but on its valuations. Our top pick is the Franklin Templeton Dynamic PE Ratio Fund, a fund of funds that divides its corpus between two schemes from the same fund house-the...

All about "Derivatives"

What are derivatives? Derivatives are financial instruments, which as the name suggests, derive their value from another asset — called the underlying. What are the typical underlying assets? Any asset, whose price is dynamic, probably has a derivative contract today. The most popular ones being stocks, indices, precious metals, commodities, agro products, currencies, etc. Why were they invented? In an increasingly dynamic world, prices of virtually all assets keep changing, thereby exposing participants to price risks. Hence, derivatives were invented to negate these price fluctuations. For example, a wheat farmer expects to sell his crop at the current price of Rs 10/kg and make profits of Rs 2/kg. But, by the time his crop is ready, the price of wheat may have gone down to Rs 5/kg, making him sell his crop at a loss of Rs 3/kg. In order to avoid this, he may enter into a forward contract, agreeing to sell wheat at Rs 10/ kg, right at the outset. So, even if the price of wheat falls ...

Benefits Of Repo Rate & CRR Rate Cut On Consumers

How Reduction In Repo Rate & CRR Affects Customers Finally RBI announced slashing of repo rate by 25 basis points (bps ) and cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 25 bps which industry experts believe will fuel the economic growth to some extent. Although experts were expecting higher rate cut this year. This lowering of the rate cuts has taken place for the first time in nine months. Now let's see how reducing the repo rate (defined in economic term as the rate at which RBI lends money to the banks) relates to the following individuals and sectors: Banking: Lowering of repo rate directly reduces borrowing costs of a bank. Banks in turn reduces interest rates on different types of loans such as home, auto, business etc. Similarly trimming down of CRR allows banks to unlock money for lending to the customers i.e. with 0.25 rate cut banks are estimated to lend more than INR. 17 Crores. Consumers: Lower repo rate does not necessarily benefit existing loan borrowers but new loan se...

Zero Coupon Bonds or discount bond or deep discount bond

A ZERO-COUPON bond (also called a discount bond or deep discount bond ) is a bond bought at a price lower than its face value with the face value repaid at the time of maturity. There is no coupon or interim payments, hence the term zero-coupon bond. Investors earn return from the compounded interest all paid at maturity plus the difference between the discounted price of the bond and its par (or redemption) value. In contrast, an investor who has a regular bond receives income from coupon payments, which are usually made semi-annually. The investor also receives the principal or face value of the investment when the bond matures. Zero-coupon bonds may be long or short-term investments. Long term zero coupon maturity dates typically start at 10 years. The bonds can be held until maturity or sold on secondary bond markets.

Seven things to remember in any bear run

The year 2008 was a unkind to investors so far. Many have suffered huge losses. It's worth reminding ourselves of basic lessons that every retail investor ought to keep in mind to avoid, or at least minimise, losses in one's portfolio. 1. High rewards don't come without taking high risk. During a bull market, retail investors get taken in by the rise in the stock market. They don't want to be left out. So, they rush in and buy in an indiscriminate way, without realising that they might be taking on too much risk. Remember, if you chase high returns, high risk will follow you. Let's take the example of publicly-listed real estate sector in India. The industry has a very favourable long-term future. However, the rapid rise in the sector's stock prices over the past year made a short-term investment in these stocks a risky bet. As it turns out, the risks have been borne out and this sector has collapsed spectacularly. Understand your own risk profile and how ...

Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds	Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online	Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds	Invest Now

Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds	Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online	Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds	Invest Now

Prajna Capital - An Investment Guide

Search This Blog