Invest in Existing Funds

Seeing the market condition, should I invest in a new fund or in an existing fund?
- Raj, Aurangabad
It is always advisable to invest in existing funds which have a good performance history. Invest in well rated funds on a monthly basis via SIP. SIP technique will help you average the cost in the long run.

If I invest online in mutual funds, will the units be allotted at same time at current price? If not then when and at wat price?
-Sanjeev
If you invest in mutual funds via the fund house website or through some online broker, you should take note of the cut off time that the site specifies. If you transact before the cut off time you would get units as per same day's NAV. Else you would get the NAV of the next business day.

What is the future of Reliance Growth fund for long time?
-Devender
Reliance growth is a five star rated aggressive mid cap fund which has good track record. Invest in the fund with a long term view, if you have a high risk appetite.

I have to invest Rs. 1.3 lakh for 1 year. Please suggest Fund?
-U.R. Singh, SILVASSA
Equity fund investments are not recommended for 1 year time horizon. For such a time span consider a well rated debt fund like Kotak Flexi Debt or ICICI Pru Long Term.

Is it required to have a Demat A/C for Mutual Fund? Which is less risk MF or a SHARES?
No. For investing in mutual funds you do not need a demat account. You need to have a PAN card, a savings account and KYC compliance (for amount above Rs 50000). A mutual fund is less risky than a stock, as in mutual funds your money is invested in various stocks, thereby diversifying the portfolio and reducing the risk.

I want to invest 1 Lac in equity fund. Please tell me some fund's in which it'll be doubled in the shortest term.
Mutual funds have associated market risks and do not give assured returns. To be aggressive opt for some mid cap funds like Reliance Growth, Birla Mid Cap, or Sundaram Select Midcap. These funds are agressive and tend to be more volatile than diversified funds.

How to know about the track record of a mutual fund?
You can know about the track record of a mutual fund by visiting valueresearchonline.com. The site would help you analyse the fund performance and compare it to other funds in a category.

Which is the best open ended fund in which high risk and high return?
If you wish to invest in a high risk mutual fund, go for a mid cap fund. These funds tend to be more aggressive than large cap oriented fund. Some good mid cap funds are Sundaram Select Midcap, Reliance Growth and Birla Midcap.

I have invested in Franklin Bluechip fund - Rs 10000 for 3yrs. Is it a good fund or not?
Franklin Bluechip is a three star rated large cap oriented fund. Off late the fund has been an average performer and there are better funds in which you can invest like Reliance Vision, Sundaram Select Focus or HDFC Top 200.

I have invested Rs 60,000 in LIC ULIP for tax saving under section 80C.How is the performance of the fund. Should I continue for next year?
One should avoid investing in ULIPs due as they have high associated charges. These charges would eat up your returns in the long run. For the performance of the fund contact the company or visit the companies website.


(by value research)

No MFs Dedicated To Silver

Which funds trade in silver? Any funds where metals, and oil and gas form the bulk of the portfolio?
-Shivi Kanwar

There are four schemes that invest in physical gold (known as Gold Exchange Traded Funds of ETFs), but none that invest or trade in silver. There is also no specific mutual fund scheme which invests only in metals and oil and gas sector stocks. You can consider SBI Magnum Comma which has been consistently increasing its exposure to the metal sector over the past one year. By December 2007, its investment in the sector stood at over 30 per cent. Its one-year return (as on January 11, 2008) was 77.72 per cent. You can also look at UTI Energy (formerly UTI Petro Fund) and Reliance Diversified Power.

(by valuerresearch)

FDs v/s Debt Funds

Why should one opt for a pure debt fund in place of other safer investments like bank FDs? The five star rated debt fund - Kotak Flexi Debt has generated an annual return of 7.28 per cent (as on February 14, 2008) for a three year period, whereas any bank FD would have fetched more than that.
-Rahul Maheshwari

It is true that fixed deposits (FDs) are a safer investment option when compared to debt funds. Debt funds are sensitive to interest rate fluctuations unlike an FD which offers a fixed interest rate for a fixed tenure. But the most important difference between these two is the tax treatment on gains. The interest earned on a fixed deposit is to be added on to your income irrespective of the term of the FD. Further, there is no distinction between short or long term capital gains tax in FDs. This overall reduces the yield of a fixed deposit, especially if you fall in the 30 per cent tax bracket.

What makes debt funds a better choice is the tax treatment on its gains. Just like FDs, if you redeem a debt fund within one year then you need to add the gains to your income (Short term capital gains). In case you redeem the investment after one year (long term capital gains) you can avail the indexation benefit.

(by valueresearch)