What is DIY Investing? What are the pitfalls to avoid while investing by yourself?

DIY or Do It Yourself is a concept that catches people’s fancy and has been in trend for the past few years. It makes you feel resourceful and worthy of doing things on your own. DIY Investing is something we have all always been doing. We ask our friends/family/That CA uncle for the purpose of investing. Think of it like health. We all get sick but do we always consult a doctor? Not necessarily ! If you have a cut in your hand or cold, your grandmother comes up with a DIY remedy. However, you cannot use home remedies for all health issues.  Similarly, you can start investing on your own for small financial goals or with some basic amount. As it is always better to consult a doctor for your health concerns, it is always better to have a financial advisor on your side.  Where you want to do DIY Investing, let's understand the process of the same. 

The process of DIY investing:

DIY investing allows you to manage your own portfolios with  full control. However, it’s not an effortless process. You must follow a specific and pre-defined methodology towards DIY investing to achieve the expected returns and sufficiently lower risks. 1. Define your needs and objectives Every investor must have  an objective, a set of goals behind their investments. We all save and invest money to achieve our goals such as travelling, buying a car, buying a house etc. If nothing, then the basic objective of achieving wealth creation or financial freedom is a must for everyone. So before you start your investment it is important to pen down your goals along with the amount needed for that goal. You can learn more about this in this article here - Goal based investment. 2. Know your risk profile Now that you know the amount you need and when you need it, the next step is to understand your risk profile i.e. how you want to reach the amount that you need. You must understand how much risk you are comfortable taking to achieve your goals. A person with an aggressive risk profile has a higher risk taking capacity and can invest, say 80% of his savings, in equity whereas a conservative person would invest a lot less in equities. The idea is that you take only so much risk that allows you to sleep peacefully, invest consistently and have a smooth ride to achieving your goals. Know more about your risk profile and how it helps you invest better in this article - What is a risk profile? How to invest on that basis? 3. Understand your Investment Option The next step is to understand all the asset classes. You should know which asset  class is right for you and what are the risks and returns associated with it. You can enroll in our course-  NM 103: Basics of Asset Classes. This course is all about setting the base with learning about the Investment asset classes and what they do.   4. Allocate asset allocation Based on your risk profile, it’s time to put your money to work. For example,  if you are of growth profile invest 70%% of your investment in Equities and 30% of your investment in Debt. A proper asset allocation is what will determine most of your gains rather the selection of the best equity share. 5. Construct plans and strategies After you have gathered and analyzed enough information  the next move is to develop ideas, plans, and strategies in line with their goals.  The plans include how much to invest each month, selection of financial instruments to invest in, tax considerations, and developing an investment strategy. The strategies can either be focused on growth, value, income, or a combination of all based on individual needs and priorities. 6. Implementation of the Plan & Strategy The plans and strategies are then implemented in the most practical manner possible. DIY investors might need to try various strategies before settling for one. Even after implementation, it is necessary to keep monitoring and evaluating the investment strategies and make changes as and when needed.

Pitfalls of DIY investing:

1. Lack of research and Professional Advice DIY investing may seem appealing, but the knowledge and experience of professional financial advisors  cannot and should not be ignored. It takes years  of experience to understand the market. You as a DIY investor will not be that skillful to handle your portfolio in every situation, especially when the markets are volatile. Everytime you believe this is it - there is something completely new that happens to be market and you will have to change your strategy. 2. Needs a lot of time Investing demands a lot of research and monitoring of your portfolio. You need to learn about your investment products, various asset classes, their features, risk & return, market scenario, global market conditions, its impact on your investments, how you should make a decision etc. Even when you consult someone to invest for you - it is very important you understand the basics of Investing. You can check our course for the same - Namaste Money. We start this course with a blank slate and handhold you through each concept as you baby step your way into finances. By the end of this course, you will be a better DIY money manager and investor. 3. Fear & Greed Emotions play an important role while investing. While you are investing on your own your fear or greed can oppose your investment strategy. Whereas, the financial advisor will not ask you to take decisions that are influenced by emotions.  Check out  our blog: What is loss aversion bias in investing? 4. Lack of monitoring DIY investing isn't just about doing your homework prior to making an investment. It is an on-going process. It is essential to monitor your investments. For example, if you are invested in a mutual fund, you need to check a few factors, for example what if the fund manager changes? You need to be updated with your investments. 5. Not rebalancing Investing isn’t a one-time exercise. You need to review and  rebalance (where necessary)it at least once a year. Check out our blog: Smart investing: Time to re balance your investment portfolio

Wealth Café Advice:

Anyone can be a DIY investor. But not everyone will succeed. Where you have the time and ability to do the skills required to invest on your own, DIY Investing can be fun and would save you the cost as well. Do note that finance is a continuous learning process. Where you are just investing based on tips and recommendations and calling it DIY investing, then it is better to seek professional advice and let someone else do it for you. You can reach out to us at iplan@wealthcafe.in.  If you want us to manage your investment, you can learn more about us at ria.wealthcafe.in and reach out to us.

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    Investments - 12/09/2021

    Are Mutual Funds Safe?

    Are mutual funds safe? No it is not! Mutual funds are subjected to all investment risks that your underlying investment asset class is subject to and many more.

    Going back to the fundamental investing rule - High Risk = High Return; Low Risk = Low Return. Your returns are the rewards for managing the risk of an asset class. So if you are earning any kind of return from your mutual funds (which in most cases you are), there is a risk associated with them.

    The question should not be: Are Mutual Funds safe? Which are the safest Mutual Funds? You must understand the underlying risk of these mutual funds and invest in them based on your risk taking capacity. 

    How to Check the Risk of Investing in Mutual Funds? 

    Riskomter in fact sheet  - As per SEBI's product-labelling guidelines, AMCs have started disclosing the new riskometers for their funds. The five risk levels are ‘low’, ‘moderately low’, ‘moderate’, ‘moderately high’ and ‘high’. This helps investors get a better picture of the right risks associated with a particular fund. You must check the riskometer to get a brief idea of the risk of the particular mutual fund scheme.

    Standard deviation - A fund's standard deviation tells you how volatile or risky a fund can be compared to the benchmark and its peers.

    When prices move wildly, standard deviation is high, meaning an investment will be risky. Low standard deviation means prices are calm, so investments come with low risk. Instead of just looking at the standard deviation of a fund, you should compare the standard deviation of a fund with the standard deviation of the benchmark index to get a better idea of the risk

    When it comes to Debt Mutual Funds, there are some specific factors that one can check to know the underlying risk of the same i.e.

    1. Credibility of the fund

    Debt Mutual Funds can invest in securities with different credit ratings, as per the scheme's investment strategy. The credit rating of the security is listed alongside its name in the mutual fund factsheet. These ratings are assigned by different rating agencies and indicate the credit worthiness of the borrower. Higher the rating, higher is the creditworthiness of the borrower, although the returns may be lower as compared to a bond issued by an entity that has a lower rating.

    2. Duration of the fund

    SEBI has defined categories of mutual funds based on maturity or Macaulay duration of the fund. Put very simply, Macaulay Duration is the time taken for a bond to repay its own purchase price in present value terms. Generally, the longer the maturity of the instruments that the mutual fund holds, the higher the Macaulay duration of the fund. Typically the longer the maturity/duration of the fund, the higher the expected returns. But higher duration also leads to higher volatility in returns with change in interest rates.

    Simply put, ultra short duration funds, liquid mutual funds being the one with the shortest duration and underlying better credit securities (you must check the portfolio before investing) are the safe debt mutual funds to invest in. That is why we generally recommend these for any short term goals and emergency fund needs of our investors. 

    You can learn more about the underlying risk of Investing in Equity - here and Investing in Debt - here

    Wealth Café Advice: 

    As explained above, mutual funds are not safe, there will always be a certain level of risk in them. You must analyze that risk based on your risk taking capacity and invest only in those funds which you understand and are okay to bear/manage the risk to achieve your goals. Do not invest in small cap funds or thematic funds because they are trending and you are a conservative person. The funds will trend while you will have sleepless nights. You can’t entirely escape risk, but you can always manage it.  Understanding your risk capacity is the very first key step to help investors gain without pain. -What is a Risk profile? How to Invest basis that?

     

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

     

     

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision

     

    Investments / Mutual Funds - 12/02/2021

    Pay taxes on Mutual funds - Unrealized vs Realized Gains

    Whether you are putting money away for a rainy day, retirement or anything in between, you are likely to be taxed. Investors do not think about tax expenses when making investment decisions, even though it is one of the crucial aspects of investing.

    Do you check pre tax and post tax returns before you invest your money ? Do you know how fixed deposits and debt mutual funds investments can impact your tax differently? Let's discuss how the difference in taxability of Debt Mutual Funds versus Fixed deposits becomes one of the factors you must consider when you make an investment decision.

    Difference between realized and unrealized gains in a mutual fund.

    Realized gains are the returns you make after actually redeeming(selling) your mutual funds. Unrealized or notional gains or losses are the ones which you see based on everyday market movements but do not book it. Unrealized gains only exist on paper and results from an investment which has yet not been sold.

    Taxation of gains

    Where there are unrealized gains - no tax is payable as you have not booked any profits. Only in case of realized gains, do you have to pay taxes in case of a mutual fund. So once you sell your Mutual funds and the funds are credited to your bank account, you have to compute your tax liability and pay capital gains taxes on the same.

    To know more about the taxability of mutual funds, check here - Taxation of Mutual Funds for FY 2021-22 (AY 2022-23).

    It is not that every other asset class, you pay taxes on actual basis, in fact in a fixed deposit, you pay taxes on interest accrued to you, even where the same is not credited to your bank account each year. This way Fixed deposit income is taxed differently as compared to debt mutual funds (because the gains are taxed only on realisation) 

    Let's take an example to help you explain how tax eats into your profits.

    For the purpose of this example, we shall consider that the returns from fixed deposits and debt mutual funds are the same. They will be taxed as per the relevant tax laws and how that would impact the net returns you can make from the investment. 

    Ria is the investor and she falls under the 20% tax bracket. She has made an investment of INR 10 lakhs in FD and debt mutual funds for 3 years, giving a return of 8% per annum.

    https://financial.wealthcafe.in/blog/2021/06/cost-of-inflation-index-fy-2021-22-ay-2022-23-for-capital-gain/

    In case of FD, interest will accrue to her every year, and she has to pay taxes on the same as per her slab rate every year, even where the same is not credited to her bank account. Infact, the interest after the taxes are paid will be reinvested.

    FD = INR 10,00,000

    Interest - INR 80,000

    Tax - 16,000

    Reinvestment of Interest in year 1 = 64,000

    (same reinvestment would happen in year 2 and year 3 - after tax)

    After 3 years: 

    Total tax paid - INR 48,000

    Net cash in hand = INR 12,04,288

     

    In case of debt mutual funds, she will have to pay taxes only on realization of profits. She decided to sell the same after 3 years and will have to pay long term capital gains on the same at 20% (with indexation benefits). So effectively, the tax she has to pay is less than what she had to pay for her fixed deposits. Also, the reinvestments would be of the entire earnings and not just post tax earnings in case of fixed deposits.

    Amount invested - INR 10,00,000

    Gains = INR 80,000

    Tax - Nil (No sale)

    Reinvestment of gains = INR 80,000*

    After 3 years

    Total Tax Paid - INR 32,565 (indexation benefit)

    Net cash in hand - INR 12,27,147

    *the returns are not assured in a debt mutual fund. We have considered this for explanation purposes here.

     

    From the above example, you can understand that the net cash in hand that ria would earn is 102% of the final amount from fixed deposits. Infact, if she was in the 30% tax bracket, she would make 104% more in the case of debt mutual funds than fixed deposits.

    This is how realized and unrealized gains impact your tax in various asset classes and also become one of the factors that one must consider when they are investing their money.

    You can also check our blog on -Why you should avoid investing all your money in a FIXED DEPOSIT?

     

    Wealth Café advice: 

    Please note that tax is not the only but one of the criteria that one must look at when investing their money in debt funds and Fixed deposits. Fixed deposits are safer and provide assured returns as compared to debt mutual funds. Debt mutual funds have many types and each has a different risk parameter. You can look at the liquid funds, or ultra short duration debt funds for lower risk and comparable returns to Fixed deposits. Please note that returns in all debt mutual funds are volatile and invest in them only after considering all the possible risks.

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

     

     

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Investments / Mutual Funds / Tax - 12/01/2021

    What are the fees you pay on your mutual funds? - fees on the fund is charged and NAV is after that

    There are many different investment options available to help you reach your financial goals. Regardless of which investment you choose, it is important to understand the costs involved and how they can affect your investment. 

    What are these charges??

    When you go out to eat pizza, are you charged only for the ingredients that were used to make the pizza? Of course not. The bill you pay includes other  charges incurred by a restaurant including its rent, electricity, etc. as well as the chef’s expertise. Similarly, when you buy a mutual fund you do not just pay for the securities  that your fund buys and sells. 

    The majority of these expenses are Investment and Advisory fees. Apart from this, there are some other fund management expenses like marketing and selling expenses including agents’ commission, brokerage and transaction cost, registrar fees, trustees fee, audit fee, custodian fees, costs related to investor communication, and more. The total expenses charged by a Mutual Fund are capped in what is called the Total Expense Ratio. 

    Total Expense Ratio 

    Currently, in India, the expense ratio is fungible, i.e., there is no limit on any particular type of allowed expense as long as the total expense ratio is within the prescribed limit. The regulatory limits of TER that can be incurred/charged to the fund by a Mutual Fund AMC have been specified under Regulation 52 of SEBI Mutual Fund Regulations.

    Effective from April 1, 2020 the TER limit has been revised as follows.

    Assets Under Management (AUM) Maximum TER as a percentage of daily net assets
    TER for Equity funds TER for Debt funds
    On the first Rs. 500 crores 2.25% 2.00%
    On the next Rs. 250 crores 2.00% 1.75%
    On the next Rs. 1,250 crores 1.75% 1.50%
    On the next Rs. 3,000 crores 1.60% 1.35%
    On the next Rs. 5,000 crores 1.50% 1.25%
    On the next Rs. 40,000 crores Total expense ratio reduction of 0.05%for every increase of Rs.5,000 crores of daily net assets or part thereof. Total expense ratio reduction of 0.05%for every increase of Rs.5,000 crores of daily net assets or part thereof.
    Above Rs. 50,000 crores 1.05% 0.80%

    Source: https://www.amfiindia.com/investor-corner/knowledge-center/Expense-Ratio.html 

    How are these charges levied to the investor? Where can I see this charge?

    The expenses are deducted from the NAV of your Mutual Fund Scheme on a daily basis. The NAV that is listed every day is published only after deducting expenses of a mutual fund. For example, if your investment value today is Rs. 100,000 and expense ratio of your fund is 1% then today’s expense amount charged to your Fund  will be 100,000 X 1% / 365 i.e. Rs.2.73. The total value of your investments will be reduced to INR 99,997.27. 

    Basically, you do not get a separate report of your charges in the account statement but it is deducted from your fund NAV. You can check the expense ratio as a % to know whether the fund you own has a high or low expense ratio compared to other funds. It is one of the factors to refer to but remember that it is not the only one.

    Wealth Café advice:

    Before investing in a fund, you should always check the expense ratio. If it’s possible, read the Scheme Information Document to see what all expenses have been charged for. Also, remember, a good fund is the one that delivers good performance with optimal expenses.

     

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Mutual Funds - 11/29/2021

    What is a Risk profile? How to Invest basis that?

    Many young investors tend to invest on peer pressure or because someone asked them without understanding why they want to invest and how they should invest.

    There is only one answer to your ``Where to invest?”, “How much to Invest”. “When to sell” ? “How to get started?” i.e. risk profile.

    What is a risk profile?

    There is a risk associated with everything that you do in life. Whether it is a choice of the college that you want to study in  or the employer you decide to work for; everything that you do in life is associated with a certain amount of risks with anticipation of some return. Even your relationships have the risk - return associated with it.   Your investments are not any different, there is a risk - return relationship there as well. Every investment has an underlying risk and hence, you earn a return on the same. Hence, you must invest based on your risk profile - i.e. your risk taking capacity which basically means - How much risk are you okay to bear  in order to earn your desired returns. 

    Technically speaking, Risk profile is an analysis of your risk appetite in different situations. Every individual has a different tolerance of risk based on their age, income, financial stability, etc 

    Your risk taking capacity (risk profile) is a function of two things:

    1. Your ability to take risk ( Depends on your age, amount of wealth and urgency of goal)
    2. Your willingness to take risks (Depends on your wealth, life experience and your profession.)

    Remember the fundamental rule of investing:

    High Risk = High Returns

    Low Risk = Low Returns

    You can learn more about what investment risk is from our YouTube video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pl5IIldDFE 

    Use our risk calculator tool to view your investment risk level. Find out your risk profile, estimate financial risk-taking capacity and understand your (psychological) risk tolerance level . This will help you know your asset allocation i.e. your Debt: Equity mix which will help you derive how much you should invest in each asset class.

    You must know the risk of your investments and then you must align your risk taking capacity with the underlying risk of the investments so you can sleep peacefully at night while your money is growing for you.

     

    Here are the most common risk profiles for investors: 

     

    SR No Risk Profile Meaning Percentage in Equity(Return = 15%) Percentage in Debt(Return = 8%) Expected Return
    1 Aggressive Willing to take significant risk to maximize return over long term 90% 10% 14.3%
    2 Growth Seeking maximum return over medium to long term with high risk 70% 30% 12.9%
    3 Balanced Seeking for relatively higher  returns over medium to long term with moderate risk 50% 50% 11.5%
    4 Conservative Willing to take small level of risk for potential returns over medium to long term 30% 70% 10.1%
    5 Defensive Seeking safety of capital, minimal risk and/or low return 10% 90% 8.7%

     

    Why to invest based on a risk profile?

    It is very convenient to invest based on a random recommendation or a tweet or a telegram post. But does that really work for you? Does it give you the desired results needed to achieve your goals? Does it answer your question of how much to buy and when to sell? Such recommended buys are only half baked - Let me share an example with you, one of our Instagram followers had messaged us about her investment journey. Tanya (name changed) was a college graduate and had an urge to invest her internship stipend. It was a good initiative of her to invest from an early age; however due to lack of knowledge she invested in small cap mutual funds as her friends suggested, initially it was doing very well. Now given that she was a college graduate and was investing her only pocket money savings - small cap funds were a very risky investment for her. But she did not know this and invested all her savings in that. . Sadly after a year the market crashed in March 2020 and she faced more than  50% loss in her portfolio, and she sold all of them in panic. This is not Tanya's story but everyone’s. We are sure that at some point in time, you would have also bought and sold purely based on recommendations and regretted those decisions later.

     

    Further, we learn from this instance that if she would have diversified her portfolio based on her risk appetite, she wouldn’t have faced so much loss and would have in fact more money eventually because she would have continued to invest with the market loss. 

    I have written a detailed blog on my personal investment journey where I invested based on my risk profile and how I made over 28% gains from my portfolio. https://financial.wealthcafe.in/blog/2020/03/how-am-i-investing-in-current-times/ 

    As an  investor, your risk profile will help you plan your investments as per your risk bearing capacity so that in any worst-case scenario, you will never lose beyond your capacity. Hence, the benefits of the same are: 

    • It helps you in taking the right risk as per your willingness and ability.
    • Selecting the right asset class in check with your goal and risk profile, so that you have a perfect balance of rewards and risk in your portfolio.
    • It helps to keep your emotions away from your trading decisions.

    Read our article to understand how to invest based on risk profile: https://financial.wealthcafe.in/blog/2021/10/monthly-sip-for-higher-education/ 

    Wealth Café Advice

    Risk profiling is very important for every investor. Any investment planned without a risk profile analysis can lead to severe financial problems. However, with changing priorities and responsibilities your risk profile will change. For instance, the kind of risk you were willing to take at 20 may not appeal to you at age of 45. Therefore, revisit your risk profile every year when you are reviewing your portfolio. This will help to benchmark your risk tolerance without much hassle. To understand this better you can even seek financial advice  from a registered investment advisor.  You can reach out to us by filling this google form or at iplan@wealthcafe.in We are SEBI registered investment advisors and can help you make sound investment decisions. You can read about our advisory services at ria.wealthcafe.in

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Investments - 11/26/2021

    What are the factors you must check when you are looking at a mutual fund?

    Are you someone investing in mutual funds using app filters like 4-5 stars or sorting it based on highest to lowest returns? Do you invest in mutual funds with low NAV and believe you bought it for cheap? Do you feel that lower the expense ratio of a mutual fund scheme, cheaper the investment for you? Do you make mutual fund investments based on hearsay or advice from your relatives, colleagues or train companions? Or, are you investing in the Best 2021 Mutual Funds suggested on someone's Instagram reels?

    Well, if your answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you are at the right place. Selecting a mutual fund is an art and science that is tough to learn but rewarding in the long run.

    FACTORS TO CONSIDER

    Personal Needs: Your Individual requirements

    1. Investment Objective - Every investor has an objective, a set of goals behind their investments. We all save and invest money to achieve our goals such as travelling, buying a car, buying a house etc. If nothing, then the basic objective of achieving wealth creation or financial freedom is a must for everyone. So before you start your investment it is important to pen down your goals along with the amount needed for that goal. You can learn more about this on this article here - Goal based investment
    2. Goal Tenure - Once your objective is in place, you need to calculate the time required to achieve that goal. It will also help you to choose the right investment for you. Simply put - short term goals - invest in debt ; long term goals - invest in a mix of debt & equity as per risk profile.
    3. Risk Profile - Now that you know the amount you need and when you need it, the next step is to understand your risk profile i.e. how do you want to reach the amount that you need. You must understand how much risk you are comfortable taking to achieve your goals. A person with an aggressive risk profile has a higher risk taking capacity and can invest, say 80% of his savings, in equity whereas a conservative person would invest a lot less in equities. The idea is that you take only so much risk that allows you to sleep peacefully, invest consistently and have a smooth ride to achieving your goals. Know more about your risk profile and how it helps you invest better in this article - What is a risk profile? How to invest basis that?

    Quantitative factors: Evaluating the Fund

    1. Past Return Performance

    Past performance of a Fund is a starting point of what to expect from investing in a fund. However, ensure that you do not look at this number in isolation.

    • Every mutual fund scheme has a benchmark against which it tracks and evaluates its performance. Check how the mutual fund scheme has performed compared to its benchmark. Has it been under-performing its benchmark or been able to beat the benchmark consistently?
    • You should then check the returns of the mutual fund in comparison to other funds in the same category. If you are choosing a Large cap fund, you must check how well your fund has performed in comparison to other large cap funds.

    All this while you must bear in mind that there is no guarantee of the past performance of the fund being repeated in the future.

    2. Risk Statistics

    Risk is uncertainty and variability in returns. Returns are the result of managing the risk. Some of the statistics that will help you understand the risk your fund is taking to achieve the returns you just analyzed include:.  

    1. Standard Deviation: It measures the mutual funds’ investment risk and is indicative of the stability of returns of a portfolio. With this information, you can judge the range of returns your fund is likely to generate in the future. Higher the standard deviation of a fund, higher is the risk associated with the investment.
    2. Beta: It measures volatility of the fund compared to its benchmark. If the beta of a scheme is more than 1, then the scheme is more volatile than its benchmark. If beta is less than 1, then the scheme is less volatile than the benchmark. Lower the beta, lower the risk associated with the fund. 
    3. Sharpe Ratio: Unlike the previous two measures, the Sharpe Ratio gives you the risk adjusted returns of a portfolio. If two funds have similar returns, the one with the higher standard deviation will have a lower Sharpe Ratio. A fund with a higher Sharpe Ratio is considered better than its peers as it is able to deliver higher risk adjusted returns.

    3.  AUM of the Fund

    AUM is the total amount invested by that particular fund. It is the total market value of the assets that a mutual fund manages at a given point in time. 

    Only because a Fund has a large AUM, it does not mean it is a good Fund. You need to consider other factors as well. Having said that, avoid Mutual Fund Schemes that have a very small AUM as the returns from such schemes can be very volatile and subject to large movements on exit by large investors of that scheme.

    4. Cost of the fund:

    As with any business, running a mutual fund involves costs. This cost is called the Expense Ratio. If you have 2 identical funds w.r.t. to the above discussed parameters, then you choose the fund with the lower Expense Ratio. Check out our article to understand it more in detail

    III. Qualitative factors: Fund Manager and Fund’s philosophy

    The fund manager is the professional who takes the investment decisions for your money after you invest in a scheme. The fund manager plays a key role in how your investment performs, as he/she is the person to decide on which stocks or securities to invest and how to distribute the money for a particular mutual fund. 

    Obviously the Fund manager is not alone and he has a team helping him do the analysis and his decisions will be based on the Objectives of the particular Scheme and the overall Fund Management philosophy.  

    Apart from looking at the qualifications of the Fund Manager, you must look at his experience and how long he has been managing the Mutual Fund Scheme and the performance of the Fund under him. Longer his tenure with the fund with a consistent performance should give you confidence in selecting the Fund.

    A strong Mutual Fund team, guided by well defined Investment Fund Philosophy will be a great aid to an experienced Fund Manager.

    Wealth Café  Advice: 

    These pointers will give you a headstart to start evaluating the various Mutual funds schemes and shortlist them. You need to regularly track these parameters of your invested Funds, track the Fund Managers and see how your Fund is performing vis-à-vis the market. 

    If your day to day job does not give you the time to keep a track of your funds, you can always consult an expert whoa will do this for you. If you want us to manage your investment, you can learn more about us at ria.wealthcafe.in and reach out to us.

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

     
    Mutual Funds - 11/25/2021

    How are investors buying mutual funds - looking at the best performing ones?

    The first thing to answer before you start investing is to know “WHY” you are investing in Mutual Funds.

    1. Debt Funds - To build a safety net, achieve short term goals and earn higher tax efficient returns compared to  fixed deposits.
    2. Equity Funds - To create long term wealth and achieve goals

     

    Many Investors just look at the best performing funds. They would google - Top 5 funds for 2020 or Top 5 funds for 2021 and invest their money in the fund names that appear. So much so that most of the time they do not even remember the name of the fund. So many times, we have asked people - which fund have you invested in and I would get an answer saying - Umm HDFC bank? Kotak? Something DDFC…basically full confusion and no research.

     

    Yes, when you don't know how to invest and you want to invest, choosing the best funds based on recent past performance seems the easiest choice to make. However, it would also turn out to be a bad choice. 

     

    Studies have proven that selecting mutual funds based on high-performance track records is naïve. The Star rating of various mutual funds keeps changing, a fund that is top rated in this one year, is hardly the top-rated fund in the subsequent years. Tim Courtney, a chief Investment advisor of US-based Burns Advisory, did backtesting of past performance of the funds most highly rated, he found that they usually performed poorly after they have gotten 5 ratings. Hulbert financial digest, an investment newsletter, found that if investors continually adjusted their mutual funds' holdings to hold only the highest-rated funds, a total stock market index would have beaten them by 45.8 % in the past decade (he studied funds from 1994 to 2004 in the USA). In fact over the years, it has gotten even more difficult to beat the markets and get alpha on your investments.  - extracts from Millionaire extracts - How to build wealth living overseas by Andrew Hallam

     

    Recently, even ET money conducted a similar study for the Indian Mutual Fund market and tracked the returns investors would make. As per the study, they tracked that if investors followed a buy and sell strategy with top rated mutual funds i.e. they bought the best fund and then sold them when their rankings fell, they would make a CAGR of 12.6% in the past 10 years (without accounting for the cost of investing, selling and taxation on the same). Now, instead of doing this, if the investor would have only invested in an index fund in the past 10 years (2010 to 2020), they would have made a return of 12.2%. 

     

    The cost of transactions such as brokerage, exit load, STT and capital gains taxes (payable every time you book gains on mutual fund transactions) would further reduce your returns in case of a buy and sell strategy based on the top ranking fund. Also, it is not feasible to follow this approach once your portfolio grows too much.

     

    Some learnings from the above 2 studies are as follows:

     

    1. Chasing past performance and looking out for best returns is a futile activity, it is not giving you better performances. It is only tiring you and keeping you away from focusing on important parameters.
    2. Invest as per your goals and risk profile, finalize the funds and stick to them. Rather than looking for quick gains, understanding wealth creation takes consistency and discipline is the way.
    3. If you want to learn on what parameters to check to select the right fund (please stop using the word best funds), check our blog  - Factors to check.
    4. If you really want to invest and make a financial plan - you can reach out to us by filling this google form or at iplan@wealthcafe.in We are SEBI registered investment advisors and can help you make sound investment decisions. You can read about our advisory services at ria.wealthcafe.in

     

    Wealth Café Advice -  “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” In search of looking for the best, you are missing on the right and the time a fund needs to create wealth and achieve your goals.

     

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Mutual Funds - 11/23/2021

    How long should you stay invested in mutual funds?

    The struggle to stay committed to investments is as real as it is to stay committed to a human. How long your relationship with your mutual funds is a function of your need for that investment and your risk profile. 

     

    Based on tenure of your goals

     

    Invest based on your goal tenure: Investing is very simple if we understand all the rules. Goal based investing is based on the tenure of your goals.

    • Short term goals are less than 3 years goals.
    • Long term goals are more than 3 years goals

     

    Invest in mutual funds by first identifying for which goal you are investing, what is the tenure of that goal and then invest till that goal is accomplished. Now where you invest to achieve that goal is a function of your risk profile. (we have discussed that here)

    • Short term goals are less than 3 years goals. - Debt Mutual Funds (short term)
    • Long term goals are more than 3 years goals - Mix of debt & Equity (as per your risk profile)

     

    Invest in Equity for long term for higher gains and managed risk

     

    Invest in equity for the long term to reduce the risk of investing in equity. Compound and grow your wealth and eventually achieve your long term goals. Lets understand how your long term goals will be achieved by investing in Equity. 

     

    For instance, in 2010, if Rakhi had a goal of financing her child’s education and back then she knew that 12 years later i.e. in 2023 for her child’s Graduation, she would need around 1 crore for the same she would invest in the below mentioned manner (based on our recommendations)

     

    From our savings calculator, you would have known that you need to invest INR 42,000 each month for the next 10 years (based on the assumption that you have a growth profile and would earn 12.6% returns from the same).

     

    Now based on our investment plan - she would put 70% in equity and balance 30% in debt. Hence, from INR 30,000 if she invested 21,000 in Nippon India Growth Fund ( a mid cap Mutual Fund) each month for the past 10 years and stayed with the fund through all ups and downs, she would have made 17.10% return. Do note that when you are investing for a long term goal it will eventually turn into a short term goal and in the last 2 or 3 years remaining for the goal, you must shift your investments to debt and discontinue investing in Equity.

     

    Hence, in case of Rakhi, she would invest in Nippon India Growth Fund till 2021 and then discontinue the same. For 2021, 2022, and 2023, she would invest the entire 30,000 INR in debt.

     

    As per the returns, in 2021, she would have an equity corpus of INR 98.31 lakhs and a debt corpus of INR 21 lakhs. A total of INR 1.19 crores was accumulated in 2021. Given the goal is 2 years away, we advise Rakhi to gradually move her Equity exposure to debt to avoid any last minute volatility. Where the goal's value would have changed and Rakhi decides to continue her 30,000 investments, she can invest the same in Debt. 

    (image from value research)

     

    Please note that the context of this article is that you must invest for the long term in Equity only where your goal is long term. Over the long term, the risk of equity also reduces as we can see in the case of Nippon India Growth Fund from the image above. Long term investing results in higher gains due to compounding. Still people do not make returns, because they cannot stay committed to their mutual funds.

     

    Do people actually stay invested for long term

    Nippon India Growth Fund, launched in October 1995 as a mid-cap scheme, completed 26 years in October 2021 delivering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.91%. Since launch, the fund has grown 207 times over. In other words, ₹1 lakh invested in the fund at the start would now be worth ₹2.07 crore.

    However, according to data released by the fund house, only 2,600 investors have stayed with the fund since inception and their average assets under management (AUM) is a mere ₹5 lakh. In other words, this cohort of patient investors would have invested just ₹2,415 on average at the time when this fund was launched. (source of this data is from mint - https://www.livemint.com/mutual-fund/mf-news/nippon-amc-sheds-light-on-missing-mf-millionaires-11634232789297.html)

    The effect of your money staying invested for longer is far more than getting in at the right time. Not many investors had stayed put for more than 15 years. Unfortunately, people try to time the market. The fund had been managed by various fund managers over time, and has weathered numerous economic events, including the dot com bust, the 2008 crisis, 2013 taper tantrum and covid in 2020.

    Wealth Café Advise:

    As investors, learn to be more disciplined and focused on the long term and do not get carried away by market volatility.

    According to the study conducted by Axis Mutual Fund, four behavioral traits affect investors’ returns:

    • They overreact to market sentiment.
    • They focus too much on short-term market or fund performance.
    • They don’t follow an asset allocation strategy.
    • And, finally, they tend to invest haphazardly, rather than systematically.

     

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Mutual Funds - 11/17/2021

    Mutual Funds for a beginner - Your First Mutual Fund Investment?

    Mutual Funds are one of the first investments that everyone wants to make. Reasons are very simple, it is super easy to invest in them and they are literally everywhere. Your uncle is recommending you the same, your friend has invested in it, even the influencers are talking about it. 

    Many beginners get stuck with which mutual funds to invest in. There are over 2500 schemes across 44 AMC i.e. like there are over 4000 flavors available across 50 ice cream shops and one can only eat so much.

    When it comes to ice cream, we all know that chocolate or candies are the standard safe bets that one can start with. Similarly in Mutual Funds, there are some categories which you can look at when you are a beginner. 

     

    Before you start the process of Investing in Mutual Funds, check out the below 3 steps.

     

    Step 1 - Understand what a Mutual Fund is - watch our YouTube video to know more about it.

    Step 2 - Types of Mutual Funds and what do they mean - read our articles on this - Types of Mutual Fund

    Step 3 - Know the basics of Investing your money that high risk = high returns and low risk = low returns. So when you are investing in Equity Mutual Funds, it sure does give you higher returns but has higher risks. On the other hand, when you invest in Debt Mutual Funds, it gives you lower returns but has lower risk. The only way to manage this high risk of equity to earn higher returns is to invest for a long  period of time (i.e. for more than 3 years) and stick to debt for short term investments. (Refer to the article to know how to invest your money based on your goals - Investment for children's higher education)

     

    Mutual Funds to focus on as a beginner

     

    Make your first investment in Debt Mutual Fund 

     

    For the first time Mutual Fund investor, we would recommend going for a liquid mutual fund or an ultra short duration fund. These Mutual Funds basically invest in T-bills or short term debt investments with a maturity of not more than 90 days to 6 months. This ensures that there is liquidity and interest rate risk is minimized . Ensure that the underlying investment of the debt funds are all AAA rated to ensure your credit default risk is minimized. 

     

    We recommend beginning with these funds as the risk is low and it will guide you to be more familiarized with the process of investing.

     

    If you are skeptical of Equity, Invest in Hybrid Mutual Funds

     

    Next investments you can try are Hybrid Mutual Funds such as Balanced Advantage Funds or Dynamic Asset Allocation Funds. These Mutual Funds primarily invest in a mix of debt and equity giving a balance of debt along with some growth exposure to equity. Do check the underlying portfolio mix of the Mutual Fund before you invest in them. For example, currently as of October 2021, ICICI prudential Balanced Advantage Fund has 60% in Equity and 40% in Debt. 

    By Investing in a hybrid fund, you are not getting a 100% exposure to equity and it works good for you if you have never invested in equity and are skeptical to invest in it. By investing here, you will understand how volatile they can be and understand your risk tolerance better.

     

    Going for Equity Mutual Funds as a beginner

     

    Where you are comfortable with investing in Equity, you can try investing in either large cap mutual funds or index mutual funds. 

     

     Index fund is a mutual fund which invests in stocks which are a part of the indices that they track. The index can be the benchmark Nifty 50 index or it can be a small cap index or a sectoral Pharma Index.. There are index funds which track these indices and then change their allocation as per the changes in the index. Index Funds that track the Nifty 50 Index are a good starting point  as they give you exposure to the top 50 companies listed on the Indian Stock exchanges i.e. the large-cap companies. There is little to nil interference from the fund manager as they track the underlying index. Also, the expense ratio is lower compared to other actively managed funds. Hence, as a beginner a Nifty50 based index fund can be a good bet to begin with.

     

    Large Cap Fund - These mutual funds select at least 80% stocks for investment from the largest 100 stocks listed in the Indian markets (highest market capitalization). These funds  may have higher expense ratios compared to Index funds as they are actively managed by the fund manager.  An actively managed fund attempts to beat the returns from an index fund by selecting stocks that the Manager expects will outperform. 

     

    You can select between an active fund or a passive fund based on how you want your money to be managed.  

     

    Useful, simple to understand and easy to execute. These should be the qualities of your first mutual fund. 

     

    Wealth Café Advice:

    Do not look at making quick returns by investing in mid or small cap mutual funds when you are a beginner. Start with large cap  mutual funds or hybrid mutual funds, understand them better, learn more about them and then allocate your money properly across other categories of Mutual Funds. You can start your investments in 2-3 Mutual Fund Schemes and build your portfolio over time. But be sure to keep a tab on the total numbers of Mutual Funds you own. Read our article - How many mutual funds to invest in to learn more about this.

     

    To sum it up, your experience with your first fund will in many ways set the course for how you invest. This is why you do not want to overcomplicate the decision.

    Check our course- NM 104: Basics of Mutual Funds - to learn more about Mutual Funds in detail.

    Disclaimer: - The articles are for information purposes only. Information presented is general information that does not take into account your individual circumstances, financial situation, or needs, nor does it present a personalized recommendation to you. You must consult a financial advisor who understands your specific circumstances and situation before taking an investment decision.

    Mutual Funds - 11/16/2021

    EMERGENCY FUND

    In the current situation, many people have experienced salary cuts or even job loss. During such trying times, an emergency fund can come handy and help you tide over such situations with relative ease. However, you don’t have to wait for an economic rebound to begin saving money. Even if you’re already facing income disruption or financial hardship, you can begin setting aside cash for the future.

    Here is a quick guide  on  how to best make your emergency fund work for you.

    Why have an emergency fund?

    An emergency fund is like the fire extinguisher you keep at home. You hope you’ll never have to use it—but when there’s a need, you’re glad it’s there. 

    While you can plan for some foreseeable expenses, an emergency fund can help you manage all unplanned expenses efficiently. The current pandemic is an example of one such unplanned expense. 

    Here are a few cases in which you might dip into your emergency savings:

    • Job or income loss
    • Medical emergencies
    • Unexpected home repairs
    • Car maintenance
    • Family emergencies
    • Unanticipated travel (not your yearly leisurely travels)

    So, how much emergency fund is needed?

    Aim to have enough in a savings account to cover 6 months of expenses. 

    Everyone’s situation is different, so you can adjust that number based on your circumstances. Before calculating the amount of the emergency fund you need, it is important to calculate the minimum amount you need to get through the unavoidable monthly expenses. 

    This should include house rent, loan installments, utility bills, etc. Ensure that you don’t include avoidable expenses like movies, travel, etc. in this amount. 

    However, it is most critical to know where to park your emergency fund as the amount invested should not go down either and must deliver excellent returns. So, you must design it specifically to meet your contingencies.

    Where should you invest your emergency fund?

    Some of the options available to you are:

    1. Fixed Deposit: It is highly liquid and if you decide to withdraw before maturity, you can have cash deposited to your saving account. Your FD should be linked to your net-banking.
    2. Liquid Mutual Funds - They are considered to be safer than other debt instruments. Many liquid funds allow redemption of up to INR 50,000 or 90% of the invested amount. You can redeem any time. However, you  need to remember that withdrawal may take 1-3 days for funds to be credited in your bank..
    3. Cash at Home - Cash can be your biggest protection against any emergency or any circumstances in which you cannot withdraw money from the bank. You should  have up to 1 month’s expenses as cash for super sudden need!

    Considering the fact that each of these investment avenues behaves differently, it might be good to split up your emergency funds among them based on your comfort level. 

    Where you should not park your emergency fund?

    1. Equity: Never park your emergency fund in equity as the market is volatile. It would be unfortunate to have to sell an investment at a loss to access your emergency fund.
    2. EPF/PPF/ELSS: The number one rule of your emergency fund cash is that it should be money you can easily access in a pinch. Anything that has a lock-in period does not qualify; money in your Public Provident Fund (PPF), Employee Provident Fund (EPF) or Equity Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS) cannot be part of your emergency fund.
    3. Real Estate: Even if you have crores of money in real estate it is impossible to generate emergency funds out of it due to illiquidity.

    Therefore, the emergency fund is a personal insurance policy and not a wealth builder. The money must be easily accessible to you and your immediate family, or it may defeat the purpose if you are elsewhere or hospitalized and cannot access it. Safety and liquidity are the only two parameters that should be taken into account.

    Wealth Cafe advice 

    Emergency fund is like your parachute that saves you from a freefall in the event of a financial crisis. So, always give it the importance it deserves.

    It would be useful to keep reviewing your emergency fund requirements at least once a year, as there may be changes in your life like starting out a business, taking a sabbatical from work, addition of a new family member or a change in your lifestyle.

    Check out our course NM101: Maximise your savings - to learn how to manage your money and get started with savings.

    You can also enroll to NM 102: Build a Safety Net - to learn more about emergency funds and insurances

    Money tips - 11/11/2021

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