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Different Types of Mutual Funds in India

types of mutual funds

Did you know that the Indian Mutual Fund market can be categorized into various types on the basis of its structure, asset class, investment objectives, speciality, and other such factors? It is important to know the classification of mutual funds as it will help you make wiser decisions in creating a portfolio that meets your financial goals. To help you in your quest, here is a complete guide on the different types of mutual funds.

What is Mutual Fund?

Millions of investors pool their money to form a corpus of the fund. They pool money to achieve the common investment goal. In simple terms, this pooled money is called the mutual fund. The pooled money or the mutual fund is managed by a professional body called the Asset Management Company (AMC).

The investors in a mutual fund are given units to denote their contribution to the pooled funds. Hence, mutual fund investors are called unitholders. The AMC appoints a fund manager to invest and manage the pooled funds.

The fund manager invests the pooled money in various assets as per the defined investment objectives and the returns are distributed to the investors.

The market value of the mutual fund is called Net Asset Value (NAV). The NAV is calculated on a daily basis. NAV is the per-unit market value of the mutual fund.

NAV = [Market value of assets – liabilities & expenses] / Outstanding mutual fund units.

Learn: What is Mutual Fund

Different Types of mutual funds in India according to their classification, asset class and investment objective

List of Different Types of Mutual Funds Found in India

Types of Mutual Fund Based on Structure

The structure of a mutual fund defines the flexibility and ease of sale/purchase of the fund. Based on the structure, the types of mutual funds in India are:

Open-Ended Mutual Funds

Open-Ended Mutual Funds are available for sale or purchase all through the year. The purchase or redemption of these funds is at the prevailing NAVs (Net Asset Values). As a result, investors can continue investing according to their wishes. Further, there is no limit on how much they can invest in open-ended schemes. Open-ended mutual funds are subject to expense ratio due to the fund management charge involved. These funds are highly liquid as the funds do not have any maturity period.

Close-Ended Mutual Funds

In close-ended mutual funds, investors can purchase units only during the initial offer period. Investors can redeem units after the completion of a specified maturity period. Since they lack the liquidity as open-ended mutual funds, close-ended mutual funds trade on the stock exchange to compensate for the same.

One of the most prominent differentiating factors between open-ended and close-ended mutual funds is that the close-ended funds cannot be sold back to the mutual fund house. Rather, they are to be sold on the stock market at the prevailing rates for the share.

Interval Funds

Interval Funds bridge the gap between open-ended and close-ended mutual funds. Much like close-ended mutual funds, they are available as an initial offering and then open for the repurchase of shares by the fund management company at different intervals during the tenure of the fund. Initial unit holders can offload their shares by selling it to the mutual fund house.

Types of Mutual Fund Based on Asset Class

Asset class relates to grouping investments on the basis of common or similar characteristics. They may also be subject to similar laws and regulations. Hence, the classification of Mutual Funds on the basis of its asset class is as follows:

Equity Mutual Funds

Debt Mutual Funds

Debt Mutual Funds park your money in fixed income securities such as treasury bills, bonds, and securities. The debt instruments include Fixed Maturity Plans (FMP), Short Term Plan, Liquid Funds, Monthly Income Plans, Gilt Fund, Long Term Bonds, and more. All the fixed income securities offer a fixed rate of interest and have a maturity date.

These investments are safe as they possess low risk. However, the returns are rarely inflation-beating. Further, in the case of debt funds, TDS (tax deducted at source) is not deducted, so those earning more than Rs. 10,000 on their investment should pay the tax on their own.

Let’s discuss all the different types of funds in detail.

Balanced Advantages / Hybrid Funds

Also known as hybrid funds, balanced mutual funds in India are a mix of assets, such as bonds and stocks. The ratio of fixed income to equity could be fixed or variable. Normally, these funds invest in equities and debt in the 40:60 proportion, with either of the two outweighing the other. Accordingly, the risk and returns associated with this mutual fund balance each other out. Due to their characteristics, balanced mutual funds can be thought of as an intermediary of debt and equity funds.

Types of Mutual Fund Schemes Based on Investment Objectives

What is the end-goal of your investment? Is it to increase wealth? Or Is it to save taxes? Or Is it to make short-term gains? Depending on the ultimate investment objective, the mutual funds can be classified as:

Types of Mutual Funds Based on Specialty

SEBI has also categorized certain funds as speciality funds, these are:

Types of Mutual Funds Based on Risk

Following are the types of mutual funds based on risk:

Conclusion

Mutual fund investment has a lot of benefits in terms of diversification, professional management, low cost, and a dedicated fund manager. But you need to know your investment goals before you make a mutual fund investment.
An equity fund is best for investors having a long-term investment horizon. Debt mutual funds are helpful for investors looking for low volatility short-term investment options.
Now that you have gained some understanding of the various types of mutual funds, you will be in a better position to compartmentalise your investments. Once you have an understanding of what you expect out of your investments, you will be in a better position to pick the funds that suit your requirements and your goal. Do remember to factor in the risk involved against all the different types of mutual funds.
Normally, all types of mutual fund schemes carry some amount of risk, no matter how small. Thus, it is important that as an investor, you should go through their policy documents before investing. This one small act can grant you knowledge about the various facilities offered by the fund house and where your money gets invested.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of mutual fund is best?

There are multiple types of mutual funds, and the best depends on the investor’s investment objective. For example, mutual funds can be categorised based on their structure (open-ended or close-ended or interval funds). They can also be classified based on the asset class, such as Equity, Debt and Hybrid Funds. Furthermore, under each category, there are different types of mutual funds.
Each category of the fund has a different investment objective and different levels of risk associated with them. An equity fund is best for investors having a long-term investment horizon. While debt mutual funds are helpful for investors looking for low volatility short-term investment options. Similarly, hybrid funds are suitable for investors looking for moderate to low volatility medium-term investment options.
Therefore, a mutual fund that is best for an individual doesn’t necessarily have to be the best for the other individual. A best mutual funds is one whose fund objective perfectly aligns with the investor’s profile and investment objective. Hence, on the basis of the investment horizon, objective and risk understanding, one can shortlist mutual funds that best suit their purpose.

What are the safest mutual funds?

Mutual funds are market-linked instruments and hence are subject to market volatility. Therefore, no mutual fund is 100% safe. However, mutual funds have different levels of volatility. In other words, equity mutual funds purely invest in equities and are highly volatile to the changing market dynamics. On the other hand, debt mutual funds invest across different debt instruments issued by the government and corporates, and hence are slightly less volatile in comparison to equity mutual funds.
Unlike bank deposits or government bonds, mutual funds do not guarantee returns.

What are the 3 main groups of mutual funds?

The three main groups of mutual funds are equity, debt and hybrid mutual funds. Equity funds invest in stocks of companies and thus are high-risk investments. In contrast, debt mutual funds invest in debt securities like bonds, government securities, etc. Thus, these are low-risk schemes. On the other hand, hybrid funds invest across both equity and debt schemes and thus are moderate-risk funds.

How many types of mutual funds are there in India?

Based on Structure: Open-Ended, Close-Ended, and Interval Funds
On the Basis of Asset Class: Equity, Debt, and Hybrid/ Balanced Funds
Based on Investment Objectives: Growth, Income, Liquid, Tax Saving, and Pension Funds
Based on Specialty: Index, Fund of Funds, Commodity, Asset Allocation, Retirement, and Children’s Funds.

Which type of mutual fund is best for beginners?

For beginners who are looking to invest in mutual funds can start their journey by investing in large-cap funds. Large-cap mutual funds invest in large-cap stocks. These stocks belong to companies that are market leaders in their sectors. Thus, the funds are not extremely volatile like the mid-cap or small-cap funds.

What are the most popular types of mutual funds in India?

Popular Equity Mutual Funds:
Canara Robeco Bluechip Equity Fund
Popular ELSS Mutual Funds:
Mirae Asset Tax Saver Fund
Popular Liquid Funds:
ICICI Prudential Liquid Fund

What is a sub-asset class in mutual fund?

Equity investments can be grouped by the size of company (large, mid, small); or market (Indian, US) etc. These are called sub-asset classes and help portfolio managers target their investments better.

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