Asset classes refer to categories of investments that have the same fundamental characteristics. The four common asset classes are equity, debt, gold and real estate. Equity and debt are financial assets. Gold and real estate can be in form of physical assets (e.g. gold jewellery, gold bars,residential or...

Many mutual fund investors may have come across a new term IDCW over the past couple of months. Many investors may have received emails from Asset Management Companies notifying about the change in terminology. Some investors may be aware what IDCW is, but there may be many investors who do not know what...

Sundaram Global Brand Fund, erstwhile Sundaram Global Advantage Fund, is a fund of fund which invests in shares of leading global brands. The past history of Sundaram Global Advantage fund is irrelevant for the purposes of this fund review because the fundamental attributes of the scheme was changed when the...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the greatest crisis faced by the world, including India, in many generations. Everyone has been affected by the pandemic in some form or other. Many people have lost their loved ones or seen them suffer through sickness. Others may have suffered from financial difficulties caused by...

One question which we often see in Quora and other social media platforms is, “In what proportion should I invest in large cap, midcap and small cap funds”. Your financial advisor may have recommended a mix of large cap, multicap, midcap and small cap funds, but you should try to understand the basis of...

Mutual fund systematic investment plan (SIP) is a very popular investment vehicle among retail investors in India. As per AMFI data (February 2021), there are nearly 3.63 crore SIP accounts in India. Nearly 1.25 crore new accounts were added till February 2021 in FY 2020-21 (source: AMFI). Till February year to date (FY 2020-21), total SIP...

The year 2020 was one of the most volatile years for capital market in recent years. With outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic threatening to overwhelm healthcare infrastructure, the stock market saw one of its worst crashes in the month, with the Nifty falling more than 20%. The ensuing lock-down resulted in one of the worst economic...

Several important tax changes were announced in Union Budget of 2020. Taxation is an important consideration in financial planning from various tax savings options to tax consequences of your investments. Investors should note that several important changes were announced in the Budget which may have an impact on your income...

Dividend paying mutual funds hold allure for many investors, especially those who want regular cash-flows from their investments. Though many mutual fund schemes have excellent dividend pay-out track records, it is important for investors to understand that mutual fund dividends are not guaranteed. Mutual fund dividends are...

Passive investing i.e. investing through ETFs or index funds is very popular in the developed economies. Passive mutual fundswere launched in the 1970s, but their popularity soared globally after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. As on March 2020, global assets under management (AUM) in passive mutual funds crossed...