There are so many people out there who don't have enough saved or aren't aware of just how much they should be saving. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can catch up in time to enjoy the Wealth you deserve. Don't delay!
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
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Monday, April 22, 2024
Investments in India for NRIs in USA/ CanadaIndian
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Exit strategy is a less discussed topic for mutual funds
While investing in Mutual Funds, Investors take various factors in consideration, like when to buy, what to buy, how much to buy etc. However, a less discussed topic is an exit strategy.
Ideally, an investor should exit mutual fund investments on completion of financial goal apart from that, there are four other scenarios when an investor should exit MF investments.
In fact, for long-term investments, he/she should start exiting equity-linked MFs when the goal is still 2 to 3 years away and shifting the funds to safer investment options.- When the mutual fund deviates from its stated mandate and takes undue risks that it is not supposed to take.
- The mutual fund is unable to deliver consistent fund performance over a full market cycle of under five years.
- When your asset allocation merits you to rebalance between asset classes.
- When you need money.
In such cases, here are the exit strategies an investor should follow:
When the mutual fund deviates from its stated mandate and takes undue risks
A classic example for this would be Franklin Templeton. The company had to wind up 6 of its mutual funds in debt category in April last year simply because it took more risk than its stated mandate.
The AMC took exposure in bonds with high credit risk to generate high return. As much as this strategy might work wonders for longer term investments, the company took this risk for short-term debt funds.
Though these funds were able to provide high returns before the pandemic based on this strategy, in the post-COVID era, as redemption requests increased and the bonds became illiquid, unable to manage the pressure, the AMC had to wind up its funds.
The mutual fund is unable to deliver consistent fund performance.
A fund can be called as an underperformer if it has delivered say 5% or 6% in 2-3 years. “It may be that the market too delivered the same. Not your fund’s fault.
Also, if a fund has been steadily behind the benchmark for 3 or more quarters by 3-6 percentage points or more, it is again an underperformer.
Then, you need to see if this has to do with the theme/strategy itself. For example, a value fund might not be performing well in the Nifty 50 but, the situation might be as such that other value funds are also at the same level. In that case, compare it with similar funds to know if your fund is a poor one among the other underdogs. “It is a different call if you choose to exit a strategy. That is more about your portfolio requirement and less to do with the performance of the fund."
What should be the exit strategy for the above-mentioned cases.
If your fund has been underperforming or shifted from its stated mandate, you should first stop the SIP. And, start the same in similar funds in your portfolio or choose a better one.
“If you simply stop with the above, it is likely that over a period, you will be left with an unwieldy portfolio."
When your asset allocation merits you to rebalance between asset classes.
For an effective investment plan, one needs to rebalance his/her portfolio periodically. It is done by selling/exiting investments in overpriced asset classes and investing in underpriced ones. Rebalancing portfolio helps the investor to generate higher return and at the same time de-risk the assets.
How to decide which funds to sell?
When you are rebalancing and you have multiple funds from the same category or style, exit the funds that are performing average first, if there are no funds that are underperforming.
Reinvest in funds that you like/favour in your portfolio and if there are none, the nearest fund in terms of risk profile.
For example, if you had a large and midcap fund and you would rather exit it to consolidate, you can well consider investing in a multicap fund. It may be marginally less aggressive but there’s no point adding a new fund since your aim is to consolidate. Else, split it between a multicap fund and midcap fund that you already hold.
When you need money.
No matter how prepared you are for the rainy days, there can be emergency situations when you might need to sell your mutual fund investments from the long-term portfolio.
How to decide which funds to sell?
Under such circumstances, the funds in the underperforming and performing average categories should be your first choice.
Many of you use the argument that you will book profit in the performing fund first. But you need to remember that MFs are not stocks. A stock that has gone up becomes expensive. A mutual fund that has returned well, may continue to return well as it rejigs its portfolio to find newer opportunities. Track record of consistent performance is more important. The exception to this is sector/theme funds.
However, there is no one correct answer to when one should exit a mutual fund, it depends on various factors.
“It's a function of investor time horizon, risk appetite and the purpose of investment."
An Investor Education & Awareness Initiative
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Are Mutual Funds Safe to Invest In?
Mutual funds are investment vehicles that pool a group of people or institutions and invest their money in bonds, stocks, and other securities. A fund manager, who is usually a finance expert, manages the investment and provides maximum returns to investors by putting the amount in various securities that are in accordance with the mandates stated in the mutual fund’s prospectus.
A mutual fund provides individual investors with access to professionally managed portfolios and allows them to invest in a large number of securities. The performance of a fund is usually tracked based on the change in the total market cap of the fund — derived by averaging the performance of each underlying investment. Every shareholder, therefore, makes a profit or loss directly proportional to the amount they invest. The price of the fund unit is referred to as the net asset value (NAV) of the mutual fund. It is the price at which an investor buys or sells fund units of a scheme. The NAV is calculated by dividing the worth of total assets in the portfolio minus liabilities. Mutual fund units are sold and purchased at the prevailing NAV.
Types of Mutual Funds
Mutual funds in India are classified into equity funds, debt funds, and hybrid mutual funds, depending on their equity exposure and asset allocation. Therefore, the associated risk and returns provided by a mutual fund scheme would depend on its type. We provide an analysis of numerous types of mutual funds below:
Equity Mutual Funds
As the name suggests, equity funds invest primarily in equity shares of companies across all market capitalizations. A mutual fund is an equity fund if at least 65% of its portfolio is invested in equity instruments. The returns offered by equity funds depend on market movements and have the potential to be the highest among all classes of mutual funds. These can be classified into small-cap funds, mid-cap funds, large-cap funds, multi-cap funds, sector funds, index funds, and Equity-linked savings schemes (ELSS). The latter is covered under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961, providing investors with tax deductions of up to Rs. 1,50,000 every year.
Debt Mutual Funds
Debt mutual funds invest in debt, money markets, and other fixed-income instruments such as treasury bills, certificates of deposit, government bonds, and various high-rated securities. Debt funds are a good choice for risk-averse investors as their performance is not influenced too much by market fluctuations, making the returns somewhat predictable. Debt mutual funds are divided into dynamic bond funds, income funds, short-term and ultra-short-term debt funds, liquid funds, gilt funds, credit opportunities funds, and fixed maturity plans (FMPs).
Hybrid Mutual Funds
Investing in hybrid funds is a great way to reduce the risk of exposure across asset classes as they allow you to invest in both equity and debt instruments. They can be of various types:
- Equity-oriented hybrid funds
- Debt-oriented hybrid funds
- Monthly income plans
- Arbitrage funds
Depending on the market conditions, the money manager would modify the fund’s asset allocation to maximize benefits to the investors. The primary purpose of hybrid funds is to balance the risk to reward ratio by providing a more diverse portfolio.
Are Mutual Funds Safe
Mutual funds come with a certain level of risk. You stand a chance to lose the money you have invested in the securities held by a fund go that far down in value. Dividend payments may also change based on market conditions. However, all mutual funds are registered with SEBI and function within the provisions of strict rules and regulations created to protect the investor’s interests. And long term investments in mutual funds have the potential to offer you adequate returns.
Mutual funds provide diversification to the investor’s portfolio at a low cost. By investing in a single fund, you can get exposure to at least 30-40 stocks. An investor can opt for a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) to invest a fixed amount periodically. You can start the SIP with an initial amount as low as Rs. 500, which can be transferred automatically from your registered bank account every month. Mutual fund investors can also quickly redeem their shares at any time for the current NAV plus any redemption fees.
Moreover, mutual fund companies hire professionals with vast experience who have spent dedicated time in the capital market to manage their investors’ money. All portfolio-related details are disclosed regularly to enable investors to understand what proportion of fund money is invested in which particular instruments. This makes investing in mutual funds a reliable and transparent option.
To Sum It Up
Mutual funds are growing in popularity as a valuable investment vehicle. It is crucial to choose an appropriate mutual fund scheme based on your investment objectives and risk tolerance. You can invest in mutual funds online thru my NSENMF platform as well offline investment route involves filling up the required application forms, and completing your eKYC (Know Your Customer) compliance by submitting your Aadhaar Card and PAN details.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Why You Need To Get A Health Insurance
The importance of health insurance and why you must get it.
Here are few crucial reasons why you need to consider getting a health insurance plan today:
- To fight lifestyle diseases
Lifestyle diseases are on the rise, especially among people under the age of 45. Illnesses like diabetes, obesity, respiratory problems, heart disease, all of which are prevalent among the older generation, are now rampant in younger people too. Some contributing factors that lead to these diseases include a sedentary lifestyle, stress, pollution, unhealthy eating habits, gadget addiction and undisciplined lives.
While following precautionary measures can help combat and manage these diseases, an unfortunate incident can be challenging to cope with, financially. Opting for Investing in a health plan that covers regular medical tests can help catch these illnesses early and make it easier to take care of medical expenses, leaving you with one less thing to worry about.
- To safeguard your family
When scouting for an ideal health insurance plan, you can choose to secure your entire family under the same policy rather than buying separate policies. Consider your ageing parents, who are likely to be vulnerable to illnesses, as well as dependent children. Ensuring they get the best medical treatment, should anything happen to them, is something you would not have to stress about if you have a suitable health cover. Research thoroughly, talk to experts for an unbiased opinion and make sure you get a plan that provides all-round coverage.
- To counter inadequate insurance cover
If you already have health insurance (for example, a policy provided by your employer) check exactly what it protects you against and how much coverage it offers. Chances are it will provide basic coverage. If your current policy does not provide cover against possible threats - such as diseases or illnesses that run in the family - it could prove insufficient in times of need. And with medical treatments advancing considerably, having a higher sum assured can ensure your every medical need is taken care of financially. But don't worry if you cannot afford a higher coverage plan right away. You can start low and gradually increase the cover.
- To deal with medical inflation
As medical technology improves and diseases increase, the cost for treatment rises as well. And it is important to understand that medical expenses are not limited to only hospitals. The costs for doctor's consultation, diagnosis tests, ambulance charges, operation theatre costs, medicines, room rent, etc. are also continually increasing. All of these could put a considerable strain on your finances if you are not adequately prepared. By paying a relatively affordable health insurance premium each year, you can beat the burden of medical inflation while opting for quality treatment, without worrying about how much it will cost you.
- To protect your savings
While an unforeseen illness can lead to mental anguish and stress, there is another side to dealing with health conditions that can leave you drained – the expenses. By buying a suitable health insurance policy, you can better manage your medical expenditure without dipping into your savings. In fact, some insurance providers offer cashless treatment, so you don't have to worry about reimbursements either. Your savings can be used for their intended plans, such as buying a home, your child's education and retirement. Additionally, health insurance lets you avail tax benefits, which further increases your savings.
- Insure early to stay secured
Opting for a health insurance early in life has numerous benefits. Since you are young and healthier, you can avail plans at lower rates and the advantage will continue even as you grow older. Additionally, you will be offered more extensive coverage options. Most policies have a pre-existing waiting period which excludes coverage of pre-existing illnesses. This period will end while you are still young and healthy, thus giving you the advantage of exhaustive coverage that will prove useful if you fall ill later in life.
A health insurance policy is an essential requirement in today's fast-paced lifestyle. Protecting yourself and your loved ones from any eventuality that could leave you financially handicapped is a must. For instance, the Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Health Guard (Brochure) and Extra Care Plus (Brochure) offer comprehensive coverage and various benefits that can ensure your financial security. This is because these products cover day-care procedures, treatment at a wide network of hospitals, pre and post hospitalisation costs and even insure your mental illness treatment, among other things. With inclusions like these, you would not have to worry about a medical condition putting a strain on your finances. So, do your due research and choose a health insurance plan that suits your needs.
You can just click and buy Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Health Guard and Extra Care Plus
You can also connect with me on: 9930444099 or EMAIL: riteshdsheth@gmail.com
The information provided in this blog is generic in nature and for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for specific advice in your own circumstances. You are recommended to obtain specific professional advice from before you take any/refrain from any action.
*Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
What Cause the Market to Go up and Down
It is difficult to identify specific factors that influence
the market as a whole. The stock market is a complex, interrelated system of
large and small investors making uncoordinated decisions about a huge variety
of investments.
The market, so to speak, could be construed as sort of an
ecosystem, one organised by the "invisible hand". Each market
participant acts and plays freely using their individual ideas and by following
their own personal interests. "The market" is shorthand for the
collective values of individuals and companies.
There are basic economic principles that can help explain
any up and down market movements, and with experience and data, there are more
specific indicators market experts have identified as being
significant.
The Basics: Supply and Demand
In a market economy, any price movement can be explained by
a temporary difference between what providers are supplying and what consumers
are demanding. This is why economists say that markets tend
towards equilibrium, where supply equals demand. This is how it works
with stocks; supply is the amount of shares people want to sell, and demand is
the amount of shares people want to purchase.
If there is a greater number of buyers than sellers
(more demand), the buyers bid up the prices of the stocks to entice
sellers to be willing to sell or produce more. Conversely, a larger number of
sellers bids down the price of stocks hoping to entice buyers to purchase.
Individually, security instruments like stocks and bonds are
dependent on the performance of the issuing entity (business or government) and
the likelihood the entity will be valued more highly in the future (stocks) or
be able to repay its debts (bonds).
Widely Accepted Market Indicators
This begs a new question: What creates more buyers or more
sellers?
Confidence in the stability of future investments plays a
significant role in whether markets go up or down. Investors are more likely to
purchase stocks if they are convinced their shares will increase in value in
the future. If, however, there is a reason to believe that shares will perform
poorly, there are often more investors looking to sell than to buy.
Events that affect investor confidence include:
- · Wars or other conflicts
- · Concerns over inflation or deflation
- · Government fiscal and monetary policy
- · Technological changes
- · Natural disasters/extreme weather fluctuations
- · Regulation or deregulation
- · Changes in the trust of whole industries such as the financial industry
- · Changes in the trust in the legal system
For example, It took Sensex just 17 months to add 31,000
points from a March 2020 low of sub-26,000 level to hit 61000 level for the
first time ever on Tuesday. This is against 31 years (since its inception in
1986) the index took to touch the 31,000 mark for the first time in May 2017.
This move is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a lot of
uncertainty about the future. Therefore, the market had many more sellers than
buyers.
Interest rates are also believed to play a major role
in the valuation of any stock or bond. There are several reasons for this, and
there is some debate about which is most important. First, interest rates
affect how much investors, banks, businesses, and governments are willing to
borrow, therefore affecting how much money is spent in the economy.
Additionally, rising interest rates make certain "safer" investments
a more attractive alternative to stocks.
Bottom Line
While using your instincts and intuition when investing,
it’s easy to let your emotions get the best of you. Keep in mind that even with
careful research, investing always
carries some inherent risk. It’s a good idea to diversify
your portfolio as much as possible, so that you’re spreading
out your risk over multiple investments. An easy way to do this is by primarily
Mutual fund Schemes instead of individual
stocks.
Mutual
Funds are great ways to build wealth with relatively low maintenance and low
barriers to entry. If you also want to invest in individual stocks, it’s always
a good idea to do your
research and become well-informed about a stock’s past and
potential performance before buying anything.
Ultimately, though the stock market may have its ups and downs in the short term, investing in equity funds of mutual funds is a great way to build wealth in the long term. Be sure that you’re investing smartly with a strategy that suits your financial goals, and keep your focus on your long-term goals (such as saving for retirement) to avoid making hasty decisions based on short-term panic or the fear of missing out.
You Can Contact me on any of your Investment and Insurance Requirements.
Ritesh Sheth Call on: 9930444099 email : riteshdsheth@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER:
An Investor Education & Awareness Initiative.Saturday, September 25, 2021
What are Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds?
Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds are hybrid funds, which are free to manage their exposure to equity and debt instruments without any caps or minimum exposure limits from the SEBI. These funds change their exposure to equity and debt instruments as per the changing equity valuations with the help of their in-house proprietary models. These models help their funds to eliminate human biases during investment decision making. They also maintain exposure to equity derivatives to implement hedging strategies and benefit from equity tax treatment during overvalued equity market conditions.
Advantages of Balanced Advantage Funds
You can manage market volatility and aim to limit your losses when markets correct
- The strategy focuses on buying and selling assets based on valuations; for instance it may sell assets with high valuations and purchase assets that may be fairly valued depending on the schemes investment strategy.
- By investing across asset classes your portfolio risk is diversified.
- Performing asset classes can make up for the returns of underperforming ones.
Why invest in Dynamic Asset Allocation or Balanced Advantage Funds?
- Aims to deliver long-term returns closer to equity funds but with significant lower volatility
- Combines the features of potential capital appreciation, capital preservation and volatility control
- Aims to generate capital gains primarily through dynamic management of equity allocation as per varying market conditions
- Aims to provide stability and regular income through exposure to fixed income instruments
- Portfolio rebalancing decisions are usually based on a well-defined and time tested models without any biases
- Offers higher tax efficiency than asset allocation implemented by the investor himself.
Who should invest in Dynamic Asset Allocation Funds?
- Investors seeking to create long term wealth with lower volatility
- Those seeking exposure to equity and debt asset classes with a dynamic asset allocation
- Those wishing to participate in equity markets with a relatively conservative approach
- Fresh mutual fund investors seeking to gain equity market exposure with lower volatility
- Intermediate investors looking for an automated solution during over-valued or confusing market conditions.
- Experienced investors seeking an automated asset allocation model from the fund house itself.
- Uses a 2-factor model using Trend/Sentiment Data and Trailing NIFTY 50 P/E to make the most of ‘Buying Low and Selling High’ investment mantra
- The model measures the future of market conditions and removes behavioral & emotional biases from investing
- Other factors used for stock selection include fundamental attributes like P/B and market cap to GDP ratios
- Invests in equity & debt instruments on the basis of a predefined Asset Allocation Model called Procyclical Edelweiss Equity Health Indicator (EEHI) Model
- Actively participates in arbitrage opportunities to generate absolute alpha
- EEHI Model aims to capture the upside during the bull market and protect downside in bear markets
- EEHI Model is purely quantitative in nature built on two key pillars – Market Trend and Health of the Trend
- Equity portfolio of the fund comprises of high quality and consistently growing companies available at reasonable valuations
- Net equity exposure ranges from 30% to 80% of the fund portfolio
- Follows a growth-oriented multi-cap strategy
- Debt portfolio of the fund follows active duration management focused on accrual income
- Arbitrage strategy of the fund involves hedging, capture spreads & corporate actions
- Follows an active strategy to manage market volatility
- Increases the net equity allocation when the P/B & P/E multiples of the market is low and vice versa
- Sets its equity exposure based on an internal model
- Metrics used for deciding debt-equity allocation may also include interest rate cycle, dividend yield, earnings yield, market cap to GDP ratio, medium to long term outlook of the asset class, etc
- The stock selection process is supplemented with the proprietary G.E.M (Generation of Ideas, Evaluation of companies and Manufacturing and Monitoring of portfolios) investing process to invest in quality businesses having reasonable valuations and a strong management track record
- Uses a pre-defined model to indicate the range of active equity allocation based on P/E levels
- The range of equity allocation is reset once in a month based on the weighted P/E ratio of the Nifty 50 for the previous month-end
- Changes within the equity portfolio takes place dynamically on day to day basis
- Follows a multi-cap approach for the equity portfolio
- Prefers higher allocation to large caps during lower exposure to active equity
- Debt portfolio of the fund is actively managed focusing on high credit quality and following short-to-medium duration strategies for containing the duration risk
- Core equity allocation is fixed on the basis of 2-factor asset allocation model using fundamental & technical analysis
- Equity allocation can range between 20% and 90% depending on the outcome of the asset allocation model with the rest of the corpus being allocated to debt and arbitrage instruments
- Combines P/B & P/E ratios of Nifty 50 TRI to determine the attractiveness of equity valuations
- Seeks to generate income through exposure to debt securities and by using arbitrage and other derivative strategies.
- Uses an in-house proprietary Model following valuations & trend following to set the allocation for unhedged equity
- Aims to offer triple benefits of emotions-free asset allocation, lower downside risk through hedging and generation of long term alpha through active sector and stock selection
- Maintains a large cap oriented portfolio well-diversified across sectors
- Investment universe covers all listed large and midcap stocks having derivatives
- Uses a conservative approach for managing debt portfolio by focusing on shorter end of investment through a combination of liquid and short term fixed income securities
- Aims at realising ‘Alpha Potential’ in full market cycle through upside participation in rising markets and downside risk management in falling markets.
- Aims to buy in underpriced opportunities and sell out during overpriced situation
- Runs a well-tested P/E based model to determine its ‘Net Equity Exposure’
- Uses derivatives to reduce the net equity exposure during overvalued markets
- Uses fundamental research to select stocks with potential of adding alpha over a longer period of time
- Open to invest in opportunities available across the market capitalization
- Uses top-down approach to identify growth sectors and bottom-up approach to identify individual stocks.
- Invests primarily in equities and uses derivatives exposure to reduce the downside risk of the portfolio
- Uses an in-house asset allocation model based on long term historical mean Price to Book Value (P/BV) ratio
- Invest across market capitalisations for equity exposure
- Increases equity exposure during attractive valuations and reduces equity exposure expensive market valuations
- Invests in fixed income securities too to generate accrual income and capital appreciation
- Uses a pre-defined model to indicate the range of active equity allocation based on P/E levels
- The range of equity allocation is reset once in a month based on the weighted P/E ratio of the Nifty 50 for the previous month-end
- Changes within the equity portfolio takes place dynamically on day to day basis
- Follows a multi-cap approach for the equity portfolio
- Prefers higher allocation to large caps during lower exposure to active equity
- Debt portfolio of the fund is actively managed focusing on high credit quality and following short-to-medium duration strategies for containing the duration risk
- Makes equity allocation on the basis of Motilal Oswal Value Index (MOVI)
- MOVI is calculated on the basis of PE, PB and dividend yield ratios of Nifty 50 Index
- Equity exposure can range between 65% and 100% of the overall fund portfolio
- Prefers a focused portfolio with high conviction stocks based on the principle of ‘Buy Right: Sit Tight’
- Invests in equities across market-capitalization and sectors
- Exposure to equity derivatives can go up to 35% of the overall fund portfolio
- Derivatives exposure is made using arbitrage strategy and hedged position
- Debt exposure can go up to 35% of the overall fund portfolio.
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