Mutual Fund Guides

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is the single most useful number for comparing mutual fund performance. Here's what it means and how to read it.

Three ways to measure mutual fund returns — and when each one is the right tool.

NAV is the per-unit price of a mutual fund. Here's how it's calculated, why a low NAV isn't 'cheap', and what it does and doesn't tell you.

Why a single 5-year CAGR can flatter a fund, and how rolling returns test consistency instead of luck.

The three risk numbers on every factsheet — what each measures and how to read them together with CAGR.

Alpha measures value added over the benchmark — but only if the benchmark is the right one.

SEBI's six-level risk label on every scheme — what it captures, how often it updates, and its limits.

Assets Under Management explained — when a large fund helps you, and when size starts working against returns.

The fundamental split in mutual funds — what each owns, the risks that drive returns, and how to decide the mix.

SEBI's market-cap definitions, the risk and return trade-off between the three, and how to combine them.

Tracking a benchmark versus trying to beat it — costs, tracking error, and what the evidence says for Indian investors.

Exchange Traded Funds trade like shares. What that changes about pricing, costs and access — and when an index fund is simpler.

A fund that invests in other funds — where the structure genuinely helps, and the extra layer of cost it adds.

How arbitrage funds capture the cash-futures spread, why their risk resembles short-term debt, and who they suit.

Where to park short-term money — returns, access speed, safety and tax compared.

Interest-rate risk and credit risk explained — why a 'safe' debt fund can still lose money, and how duration governs the damage.

Concentrated bets on one sector or theme. Why they top the charts and the bottom of them, and how much to allocate.

Funds that shift between equity and debt using a valuation model. What they are good at, and what they are not.

One scheme holding equity, debt and gold. How the mandate works and why the mix reduces dependence on any single market.

Three ways to hold gold without the metal. Costs, liquidity, tax and what each suits.

Solution-oriented schemes come with a five-year lock-in. What the lock-in buys you, and whether you need one.

Why every AMC's 'large cap fund' means the same thing, and how the 2017 categorisation rules help you compare.

ELSS funds offer tax deduction under Section 80C with the shortest lock-in of any 80C option. Here's how they work.

The same scheme, two price tags. Why direct plans have a higher NAV and what the commission difference compounds to over a decade.

Two options within one scheme. Why growth almost always compounds better, and why IDCW NAV and returns look lower.

The annual cost of owning a fund, deducted daily from NAV. What's included, what SEBI caps it at, and how much it costs you over time.

A fee charged when you redeem before a set period. Typical structures by category and how it differs from the expense ratio.

Capital gains rules for equity, debt, gold and hybrid funds — holding periods, current rates and the exemption limit.

A practical checklist for picking an Indian mutual fund — beyond just chasing the highest CAGR.

Should you invest a lump sum or spread it out through a SIP? How each interacts with CAGR.

The mechanics of a Systematic Investment Plan — unit allocation, NAV dates, rupee-cost averaging and what it does not protect against.

Systematic Withdrawal and Transfer Plans — how to draw an income or stagger a lump sum, and why an SWP usually beats IDCW.

Why most portfolios hold too many funds, how overlap creates fake diversification, and a workable structure.

Good reasons to sell, bad reasons to sell, and how to tell underperformance from a style that is temporarily out of favour.

KYC, the accounts you need, direct versus platform routes, and a sensible first fund.