Asset allocation refers to the diversification of your investment portfolio across different types of assets. A 1986 study done in the United States showed that asset allocation is the most important determinant of portfolio performance (source: Brinson, Hood, Beebower, Financial Analyst Journal 1986). Equity and fixed income...Read More

Index funds are growing in popularity among retail investors in India. Assets under Management (AUM) in index funds stood at over Rs 2 lakh crores as on 31st January 2024, growing 13X in last 3 years (CAGR of 137%, source: AMFI). There are several benefits of investing in index funds like lower costs (TER), no...Read More

Equity markets have rallied in the last 2 months or so. In the December FOMC meeting the US Federal Reserve indicated that there will be multiple rate cuts in 2024, which has lowered US Treasury Bond yields and provided tailwinds to the rally in equities. Nifty and Sensex are trading at their all-time highs. While Nifty...Read More

In its monetary policy meeting held on December 12th and 13th, the US Federal Reserve indicated that it will not hike interest rates further. That Fed has also signalled interest rate cuts in 2024. The Fed meeting brought cheer to both debt and equity bond markets globally, including India. The 10 year Government Bond yield...Read More

With the Diwali approaching, buying gold jewellery is part of festivities of many Indian households. The wedding season will begin a few weeks after Diwali and gold will be on the shopping list of many families. Gold is considered to be an auspicious metal according to our ancient cultural traditions, at the same time...Read More

Equity and fixed income are the traditional asset classes for retail investors. However, commodity investments can help you diversify your portfolio in asset classes other than equity and debt. Commodities are natural resources which can be used as raw material to create different products. Examples of commodities are precious metals...Read More

With the stock market at record high, many investors are focusing on asset allocation. Asset allocation means diversifying your investments across different asset classes like equity, debt etc, with the objective of balancing risks and returns. Traditional asset allocation is focused on equity, debt and cash. However...Read More

Passive investing has taken off in a big way in India since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per AMFI data, in the last four years ending 31st July, 2023, passive assets under management (AUM) grew by nearly five times (5X) at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 49% (source: AMFI July 2023...Read More

Index funds are passive mutual fund schemes that track an equity or debt market index. Unlike actively managed mutual fund schemes, index funds do not aim to beat the market benchmark index. Index funds simply aim to replicate the returns of the index subject to tracking errors. Index funds are very popular in developed...Read More

Asset allocation is spreading your investments over different asset classes, e.g. equity, fixed income, gold, real estate etc. The primary purpose of asset allocation is to balance risk and returns. If you are over-invested in one particular asset class, you may take too much risk or get sub-optimal portfolio returns. Through asset...Read More