Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROJECT REPORT
ON
MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT
TOOLS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
2009
Submitted by:
Alok Arya
84003
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
A REPORT
ON
MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“Life is a journey; it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
But Life can’t be completed without the support of many people.
Any accomplishment requires the effort of many people and this work is not different. I would
like to take this opportunity to thanks STANDARD CHARTERED BANK for giving me an
opportunity to be a part of their esteem organization and enhance my knowledge by granting
permission to do summer training project.
I would also like to extend my sincere regards to Mr.NITISH DIPANKAR (Area Sales
Manager, Standard Chartered Bank), my project guide for his guidance and support throughout
my training .My learning has been immeasurable and working under him was great experience. I
would always be grateful to him for the providing such an opportunity; and exposure to ground
realities of business operations and functionalities.
I would also thank my faculty for their immense guidance and suggestions in carrying out this
project.
Last but not the least I also wish to thanks to everybody who helped me through the successful
completion of the project. The learning from this experience has been immense and would be
cherished throughout my life.
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
OBJECTIVE
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the Project
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In the current banking scenario, all the banks are engaged in an in-depth introspection for
analyzing their strengths and weakness and identifying core competencies to set a mission in
which they are likely to find themselves as leaders.
In all private and foreign banks stress is being laid on knowing their customers. This involves not
just finding the profile details about the customer but also catering to their different needs. The
needs and investment pattern of all individual change according to their life stages and are
strongly influenced by their demographics. This project helps to analyze customer investment
habits and suggest portfolio.
INVESTMENTS
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In finance, the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of
favorable future returns. In general terms, investment means the use money in the hope of
making more money. Done wisely, it can help meet individual financial goals like buying a new
house, paying for college education of children, enjoying a comfortable retirement, or whatever
is important to an individual.
Savings form an imperative part of the economy of any nation. With the savings invested in
various options available to the people, the money acts as the driver for growth of the country.
Indian financial scene too presents an excess of avenues to the investors.
You do not have to be wealthy to be an investor. Investing even a small amount can produce
considerable rewards over the long-term, especially if one does it regularly. But one need to
decide about how much you want to invest and where. To choose wisely, one need to know the
investment options thoroughly and their relative risk exposures.
An investment can be described as perfect if it satisfies all the needs of all investors. So, the
starting point in searching for the perfect investment would be to examine investor needs. If all
those needs are met by the investment, then that investment can be termed the perfect
investment.
Understanding the needs of the investor and ensuring that the most appropriate investments are
selected is the most essential.
The investment needs of an investor are simply his lifestyle needs converted into financial terms.
These include the normal living expenses, food, accommodation, as well as education, health,
recreation, transport, special occasions like marriages, festivals etc.
Investment Strategies
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
You can make your own investment picking approach or adopt one after consulting financial
experts or investment advisors. Whatever method you use, keep in mind the importance of
diversification, or variety in your investment portfolio and the need for a strategy, or a plan, to
guide your choices.
Investment approaches
The options you choose to put your money in reflect the investment strategy you are using -
whether you realize it or not. Most people adopt the following approaches:-
Conservative
These investors take only limited risk by concentrating on secure, fixed-income investments etc.
Moderate
Such Investors take moderate risk by investing in mutual funds, bonds, select blue chip equity
shares etc.
Aggressive
These are investors who take major risk on investments in order to have high (above-average)
returns like speculative or unpredictable equity shares, etc.
As a matter of fact, the investment approach of an investor is directly linked to his or her ability
to shoulder risk. The ability to take risks depends largely on personal circumstances and factors
like age, past experiences with investment, level of responsibility, etc.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In order to even begin this portion of your financial plan, one must determine that he/she is ready
to save. In this step one need to determine if one is going to use the money on some good or
service (spend it), or if one will invest or save the money.
• Investment Time Horizon
In this step, you will be determining how long you plan to invest and when you will need the
funds to meet your financial objective(s). You must decide, based on the time horizon of your
objectives, among short-term investments, long-term investments or some combination. In this
step you are going to be determining what you will be saving for, which should give some
indication of your time horizon.
• Risk vs Return
Risk and returns go hand in hand. Higher the risk, higher is the possibility of earning a good
return. Thus, it follows that all types of investment have some form of risk attached to it.
Theoretically, even 'safe' investments (such as bank deposits) are not without some element of
risk. Broadly, here are the various types of risks that you might have to face as an investor.
Credit Risk
The risk is that the issuer of the security will default, or not repay the principal amount. This is
valid for corporate bonds etc.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Liquidity Risk
If you invest in securities, stocks, bonds, you are risking their sell ability. In other words, your
money gets stuck unnecessarily, creating an asset-liability mismatch.
Market Risk
Financial markets are volatile in nature. Volatility means sudden swings in value from high to
low, or the reverse. The more volatile an investment is, the more profit or loss you can make,
since there can be a big spread between what you paid and what you sell it for. But you also have
to be prepared for the price to drop by the same amount. Those who invest in stocks and mutual
funds typically run this risk.
Depending on the interest rate movement in the economy, the rates of interest investment instruments
may go up or come down, resulting in a subsequent reverse movement of their prices. Such a scenario
of economic instability might affect mutual funds etc.
The whole idea behind investment planning is to evaluate the risk associated with various types
of investments and take steps so as to balance it with the desired return.
You will need to determine what your level of risk tolerance is. As the level of risk tolerance
increases so does the potential for higher returns as well as larger losses.
• Investment Selection
Based on above three considerations, investments should be selected to meet your goals. These
investments must satisfy your time horizon and your risk tolerance.
• Evaluate Performance
Once investments are chosen and expectations are established, the performance of your
investments should be determined by comparing the actual realized returns against the expected
returns. The returns should also be compared to a benchmark, such as the S&P 500 index. In
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
addition, the investments should be reevaluated to determine if they continue to meet your
investment criteria.
• Adjust the Portfolio
Your portfolio should be adjusted to maintain your goals and your investment criteria. If your
goals change, your investments should be reviewed to determine if they continue to meet your
objectives.
To summarize, once you have determined that you are financially able to begin investing (or
saving), you should evaluate your investment goals and set out a plan to accomplish these goals.
Once you have begun your investment plan, you must periodically review the performance of
your investments and re-evaluate your objectives and investments to make certain there is a good
fit.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Today choosing a best investment plan is difficult because there are so many investment options
available in India. These days we are getting more money compared to last decades.
Fixed Deposit or FD is the most preferred investment option today. Minimum period is 15 days
and maximum is 5 years and above. Senior citizens get special interest rates for Fixed Deposits.
This is considered to be a safe investment because all banks operated under the guidelines of
Reserve Bank of India. Other features are;
FMPs, as they are popularly known, are the equivalent of a fixed deposit in a bank, with a caveat.
The maturity amount of a fixed deposit in a bank is 'guaranteed', but only 'indicated' in the FMP.
Its other features are;
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
NSC is backed by Govt. of India so it is a safe investment method. Minimum amount is Rs 100
and no upper limit. From FY 2005-'06 onwards interest accrued on NSC is taxable.
Not very attractive vis-à-vis other options like 5-year Bank FDs.
PPF is another form of investment backed by Govt. of India. Minimum amount is Rs500 and
maximum is Rs70,000 in a financial year. A PPF account can be opened in a head post office,
GPO and selected branches of nationalized banks. Both PPF and NSC considered to be best
investment option as it is backed by Government of India
• Low risk with very low liquidity (15-year lock-in period. Partial withdrawal allowed after
6 years).
• 8% assured returns. Interest is tax-free. Also Sec 80C benefit. Hence a good scheme.
• Good tax saving investment option. Good for investing the debt portion of one’s portfolio
5) Equity
This need high risk appetite. Ideal for those investors who have a good corpus, good knowledge
and time to track the stock markets regularly. Care should be taken to invest in good profit
making companies. Penny stocks should be avoided
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
• Attractive tax treatment. No Long Term (investment of more than 1 year) Capital Gain
Tax and 10% Short Term Capital Gains Tax.
6) Mutual Funds
Mutual Fund companies collect money from investors and invest in share market. Investing in
mutual funds is also subject to market risks but return is good. The various fund options are;
Equity Funds
ELSS Funds
Balanced Funds
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Debt Funds
ULIPs are remarkably alike to mutual funds in terms of their structure and functioning;
premium payments made are converted into units and a net asset value (NAV) is declared for
the same. In traditional insurance products, the sum assured is the corner stone; in ULIPs
premium payments is the key component.
• Low to High Risk depending on the investment option i.e. Pure Debt or Mixed or Pure
Equity. Low Liquidity (3-5 years lock-in period).
• Low to high depending on the investment option. Market linked returns.
• Tax free returns also Sec 80 C benefit available.
• Not an attractive option due to high charges, low flexibility and low diversification. There
are other better similar investment products like MFs with low charges, high flexibility
and high diversification. As regards life cover, the same could be done through a term
policy.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
These policies are term policies. Investors have to pay the premiums for a particular term,
and at maturity the accrued bonus and other benefits are returned to the policyholder if he
survives at maturity
Not an attractive option due to low returns. There are other better similar investment products
like PPF. As regards life cover, the same could be done through a term policy
There are many investment options available like investing in Gold, Real Estate , commodities
etc. the features of this options are;
9) Real Estate
• Variable risk and variable liquidity depending on the type and location of property.
• Market linked returns. Good potential.
• No tax advantages, except attractive tax benefits on the home loans.
• High initial investment required which could make one’s portfolio lopsided; high
transactions costs like title-search, registration brokerage etc.; and cannot be partly
liquidated. Therefore, real-estate MFs (expected in the near future) may be a better
alternative than direct property investment. If investing directly, it is important to assess
the potential and clear title.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
10)Commodities
11)Gold
Because of these unique properties, gold has traditionally been the currency of choice for much
of the world's population. The value of gold has transcended all national, political, and cultural
borders, making it the ideal currency.
Good for very low risk investors and those in the nil or low tax brackets.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Risk tolerance, Investors point of view is the most important factor to consider before investing
in any of the investment pool. Thus to stumble on the Risk, investment duration, time horizon,
job, age and income relation, a survey was conducted asking questions targeting our point that
was to analyze the investors investing strategies, risk avert ness etc.
Primary data which was congregated by a Survey with a survey sample of 50.
The Graphs shows the investment and other factors Relations:
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Analysis
100% of the investors of Income group 1-2 Lakh invest in low Risk Schemes, i.e they invest their
money for longer time. 40% invest in Low and 60% invest in Medium Risk level Schemes in
income group of 2-3 Lakh. Under income group of 3-5 Lakh 22% invest in High risk oriented
schemes, 33% in Low Risk oriented schemes and 44% in Medium Risk oriented schemes. In
High income group of 5-8 Lakh 33% of the investors invest in High Risk oriented schemes, 44%
in Medium Risk oriented scheme and 22% in low risk oriented schemes. The highest income
level group in the survey does not invest in low Risk schemes while maximum of them invest in
Medium Risk level (66%) and rest 44% invest in High risk level schemes.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Income Vs Investment
Fig
Analysis
Investors with high income Level can invest more sums per month than as compared to the lower
Income level investors. 100% of the investors in income group of 1-2 Lakh can invest 1-5
thousand, 50% Investors in income group of 2-3 Lakh can invest 1-5 thousand and 50% can
invest 5-10 thousand. 11.1% of Investors in income group of 3-5 Lakh can invest 1-5 thousand
and rest invests 5-10 thousand monthly. Higher income group invests more per month
Risk Vs Job
Fig
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Analysis
Through the survey it was established that Self employed are less Risk oriented and thus prefer
least riskier Investments, thus can go for Long term Investments. 60% of self employed investors
prefer Low risk investments and rest 20% each in low and high risk oriented schemes. The
Private Service category ones are Medium risk oriented. 30% are risk averted,55% are medium
risk bearing category and 15% are high risk bearing ones. Even the governmnet employed
investors are low risk oriented ones. 50% of them invest in low risk schemes, 25% eacg in high
and medium risky schemes.
Risk Vs Age
Fig
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Analysis
Under Age group of 20-25 18.18% invests in low risk schemes, 63.63% in Medium risk while
18.18% in high risk oriented schemes. Under age group of 26-30, 16.66% prefer low risk, 50%
prefer medium and 33.33% prefer high risk. While 66% of highest group age invest in Low Risk
Level schemes and rest invests in medium one. Thus we see that if age alone is considered to
judge the risk factors, the risk bearing potential decreases with increase in age.
Thus according to his/her risk alertness the investors can look upon the appropriate schemes for
them and can invest into accordingly.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Maximum number of the investors are opting the Life insurance investments and for the Tax
Saving Investments. Specifically low income group are heading for these two options only, but
the higher income group investors still going for child care and health insurance.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Age Vs Investment
Younger age investors are showing more variation in the data about 65% of them is showing 5-
10000 investment per month. Medium age group investors are more interested in low investment
per month. While higher age group again showing variations with maximum in 5- 10000 and
above 20000 investment per month.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The young investors for apparent reasons are investing in for higher duration while the investors
under high age group are investing in relatively less durations. The investors in medium age are
more interested in gaining quick returns for one reason could be their ongoing expenditure
requirements.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
62% of the young investors are opting the tax saving investments while45% are opting for Life
insurance and age group of 40-50 are majority opting for tax saving while the investors in
highest age group of our survey preferred mostly Life insurance investments for them.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Investments for the purpose of Tax Savings are distributed over almost all horizon of time
like 11-15 years, 6-10years, 1-2 years etc. according to the requirements of the investors.
While the Life Insurance purpose investments grab attention for 21-35 years and 11-15 years.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Indian economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The country’s GDP is
growing at an average rate of almost 7% during the last decade with the GDP growth rate
touching 9.4% in the last year. The Indian banking industry also had its share in the growth of
the Indian economy.
With the Indian economy moving on to a high growth trajectory, consumption levels soaring and
investment riding high, the Indian banking sector is at a watershed. The industry has been
growing faster than the real economy, resulting in the ratio of assets of commercial banks to
GDP increasing to 92.5% at end-March 2009. The Indian banks have also been doing
exceptionally well in the financial sector with the price-to-book value being second only to
China.
Consequently, the degree of leverage enjoyed by the banking system, as reflected in the equity
multiplier (measured as total assets divided by total equity), has increased from 15.2% at end
March 2008 to 15.8 % at the end of March 2009.
Growth of the sector
A burgeoning economy, financial sector reforms, rising foreign investment, favorable regulatory
climate and demographic profile has led to India becoming one of the fastest growing banking
markets in the world. The overall banking industry's business grew at a CAGR of about 20 per
cent from US$ 469.4 billion as of March 2002, to US$ 1171.29 billion by March 2009.
In the current fiscal, aggregate bank deposits increased by 23.8 per cent, year-on-year, as of
January 4, 2008 as against 21.5 per cent a year ago. While aggregate demand deposits increased
by 15.6 per cent, aggregate time deposits increased by 25.3 per cent in the same period,
indicating migration from small savings schemes of the Government.
Similarly, aggregate deposits of the scheduled commercial banks (SCB), after growing by 17.8
per cent and 24.6 per cent in 2005-06 and 2006-07, rose by 25.2 per cent, year-on-year, as on
January 4, 2008. In fact, the absolute increase of US$ 96.34 billion (14.6 per cent) in the current
fiscal year up to January 4 2008 was higher than the US$ 70.59 billion (13.2 per cent) increase in
the same period last year.
Simultaneously, loans and advances of SCBs rose by over 30 per cent (i.e. 33.2 per cent in 2004-
05, 31.8 per cent in 2005-06 and 30.6% cent in 2006-07) in the last three financial years,
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
underpinned by the robust macroeconomic performance. The growth has continued in the current
fiscal with non-food credit by SCBs increasing by 22.2 per cent, year-on-year, as on January 4,
2008.
Private Sector
Ever since the banking operations had been opened to the private sector in 1990s, the new private
banks have been increasing its role in the Indian banking industry. Against the industry average
growth of about 20 per cent in the past five years, the new private sector banks registered a
growth of about 35 per cent per annum, growing from US$ 41.63 billion as of March 2002 to
US$ 186.71 billion by March 2009.
Consequently, new private banks market share has increased from about 9 per cent in 2001-02 to
16 per cent as of March 2006-07. Foreign banks, which totaled 29 in June 2007, have also been
expanding at a rapid pace. For example, India was the fastest growing market for Global banking
major HSBC in 2006-07, with a growth rate of 64 per cent.
The balance sheet of private banks and foreign banks in India expanded by 38.7 per cent and
39.5 per cent during 2008-09, taking their combined share (along with private banks) in total
assets of the banking sector to grow from 22.3 per cent at the end of March 2008 to 24.9 per cent
by March 2009.
Investment Banking
The flurry of mergers and acquisition deals by Indian corporate has boosted the investment
banking revenues to a record high. Investment banking revenues from India crossed the US$ 1
billion mark for the first time in 2007 to US$ US$ 1.069 billion.
This is significantly higher than the US$ 400 million investment banking revenues recorded in
2006. Also, this surge in revenues has propelled India to become the third largest market for
investment banking in Asia-Pacific in 2009.
Potential
While this growth has been very impressive, the potential banking market waiting to be tapped in
India is still fairly huge. Out of the 203 million Indian households, three-fourths, or 147 million,
are in rural areas and 89 million are farmer households. In this segment, 51.4 per cent have no
access to formal or informal sources of credit, while 73 per cent have no access to formal sources
of credit.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In fact, according to a report by Boston Consultancy Group, India has the second largest
financially excluded households of about 135 million, which is next only to china. Also, about 60
million new households are expected to be added to India's bankable pool between 2005 and
2009. With such a large untapped market, the Indian banking industry is estimated to grow
rapidly, faster than even china in the long run.
Some of the high growth potential areas to be looked at are: the market for consumer finance
stands at about 2%-3% of GDP, compared with 25% in some European markets, the real estate
market in India is growing at 30% annually and is projected to touch $ 70 billion by 2009, the
retail credit is expected to cross Rs 5, 70,000 crore by 2010 and huge SME sector which
contributes significantly to India’s GDP.
Road Ahead
Banks aspiring to become global must have a presence in India and other emerging markets, as
they are set to become a major source of financial sector revenue and profit growth.
As the Indian banking industry continues its rapid growth along with rise in financial services
penetration in the Indian economy, the industry's profit is likely to simultaneously surge ahead.
According to a report by Boston Consultancy Group, the profit pool of the Indian banking
industry is estimated to increase to US$ 20 billion in 2010 and further to US$ 40 billion by 2015.
Simultaneously, driven by the expansion of the middle class population. With such a favorable
scenario, India is likely to emerge as the third largest banking hub in the world by 2040, says a
Price Waterhouse Coopers report.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Indian
Banking
Sector
Turnaround success strategies
The current policy environment enables a fair level of foreign participation even in the non-
banking financial sector of the country.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Standard chartered: leading the way in Asia, Africa and Middle East
Standard Chartered Bank is a British bank headquartered in London with operations in more
than seventy countries. It operates a network of over 1,700 branches and outlets (including
subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) and employs 73,000 people.
The name Standard Chartered comes from the two original banks from which
it was founded – The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, and The Standard
Bank of British South Africa.
It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is
among the top 25 constituent members of the FTSE 100 Index.In its unique
position as an international bank with strong franchise, Standard Chartered
combines an in-depth knowledge of local markets with global product
expertise to offer effective financial solutions. The bank capitalizes on its
onshore presence across Asia, Africa and the Middle East to offer customers
convenient and reliable access to the widest range of currency markets, to
date local market information, country-specific global risk management
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Type Public
LSE: STAN
SEHK: 2888
OTCBB: SCBFF
Founded 1853
Headquarters London, England, UK
Area served Worldwide
Key people John W. Peace
Chairman of the Board
Peter A. Sands
CEO
Industry Banking
Products Financial Services
Revenue ▲ US$ 23.448 billion (2008)
Operating income ▲ US$ 13.968 billion (2008)
Net income ▲ US$ 3.411 billion (2008)
Total assets ▲ US$ 434.068 billion (2008)
Total equity ▲ US$ 22.695 billion (2008)
Employees 73,800 (2008)
Website StandardChartered.com or SC.com
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Today Standard Chartered is the world's leading emerging markets bank employing 30,000
people in over 500 offices in more than 50 countries primarily in countries in the Asia Pacific
Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
The new millennium has brought with it two of the largest acquisitions in the history of the bank
with the purchase of Grind lays Bank from the ANZ Group and the acquisition of the Chase
Consumer Banking operations in Hong Kong in 2000.
These acquisitions demonstrate Standard Chartered firm committed to the emerging markets,
where it has a strong and established presence and where it sees their future growth.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Awards
Standard Chartered Bank has ended 2007 on a high note by bagging best bond house titles from
three well-respected finance titles, fortifying its strengths and capabilities as a bond powerhouse
in the key markets of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Some of the awards which standard chartered received last year are
Best Trade Finance Bank in Singapore, Best Transaction Bank in Korea - SC First Bank, Best
Domestic Custodian in Korea - SC First Bank. best structured trade finance bank, best sub-
custodian in Indonesia, Korea and Thailand, best trade finance bank in Singapore, best bank for
liquidity management Africa. there are many more awards which the bank received for its good
and efficient performance throughout the world.
Recent Acquisitions
In the year 2000 standard chartered plc was in news because of its acquisition of Grid lays bank.
Standard Chartered Completes Acquisition Of American Express Bank For $823 Million.
AEB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AXP. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in New York,
this acquisition will Significantly enhance Standard Chartered’s Financial Institutions transaction
banking business by bringing both new client relationships and new capabilities to this key
customer segment.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The key business of Standard Chartered Bank in India include consumer banking—mortgages,
personal loans and wealth management- and – wholesale banking, where the bank specializes in
the provision of cash management, trade, finance, treasury and custody services.
Standard Chartered was the first to issue global credit card in India, the first to issue photo card,
the first picture card and was the first credit card issuer to be awarded the ISO 9002 certification.
Some other product innovations of Standard Chartered Bank in India include the “Sap nay”
credit card, the international debit card that provides free access to over 1500 visa ATMs, a first
in the banking industry, Mileage, an overdraft facility against the security of a car and smart
credit, a personal line of credit for salaried customers.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
• Over 50 nationalities are represented among our top 500 senior executives.
• SCB is the only international bank with over 90% profits from Asia, Africa, and the
Middle-East.
• SCB is the only international bank with a long unbroken banking history in India and
China.
• SCB is the largest international bank in India in terms of branch network and profits
• SCB is the only bank in the Falkland Islands.
• SCB is one of three note issuing banks in Hong Kong.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
• At Standard Chartered our success is built on teamwork, partnership and the diversity of
our people.
• At the heart of our values lie diversity and inclusion. They are a fundamental part of our
culture, and constitute a long-term priority in our aim to become the world's best
international bank.
• Today we employ 78,000 people, representing 115 nationalities, and you'll find 61
nationalities among our 500 most senior leaders.
• We believe this diversity helps to fuel creativity and innovation, supporting the
development of exciting new products and services for our customers worldwide.
Strategic intent
Brand promise
Values
• Responsive
• Trustworthy
• International
• Creative
• Courageous
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Approach
• Participation
Focusing on attractive, growing markets where we can leverage our relationships and
expertise
• Competitive positioning
Combining global capability, deep local knowledge and creativity to outperform our
competitors
• Management Discipline
• Continuously improving the way we work, balancing the pursuit of growth with firm
control of costs and risks
Commitment to stakeholders
• Customers
Passionate about our customers' success, delighting them with the quality of our service
• Our People
Helping our people to grow, enabling individuals to make a difference and teams to win
• Communities
• Investors
• Regulators.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
OPERATION
PERSON
SME
COMMERC AL
BANKIN
IAL BANKIN
G
BANKING G
SAVINGS
ULIP
ACCOUNT
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
ACCOUNT
S
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
PRODUCTS OFFERED
Standard Chartered bank provides different products and services in order to cater the needs of
the customers which can be broadly classified into the following categories:
1. PERSONAL BANKING: To cater the diverse financial needs, Standard Chartered offers
a wide range of premium banking products and services through its network of 83
branches in 33 cities across the country. As a privileged customer of this bank, the
customers can always be assured of a banking service that is flexible enough to tailor-
make a product suite to take care of his specific banking needs.
2. SME BANKING: SME Banking provides integrated financial solutions to small and
medium businesses, through a relationship management approach. Its customer focused
product offerings include working capital finance, trade services, foreign exchange, and
cash management.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
SAVINGS ACCOUNT
An account primarily opened for and operated by individuals, wherein the numbers of
transactions are few and which give the customer liquidity, with the facility to earn some interest
on the residual balances. For details of different saving accounts offered by StanC & comparison
with different bank’s a/s see annexure.
Standard Chartered bank offers four types of Savings account catering to the needs of
different customers namely:
1) Axcess Plus -Standard Chartered bank's aXcess Plus is an innovatory savings account that
provides you with unparalleled aXcess to your money. The customer can get instant cash at
over 1 Million ATMs across the world through the Visa network. And a globally valid Debit
Card that lets you shop at over 326,000 outlets in India and at over 21 Million outlets across
the world. Minimum average quarterly balance to be maintained is Rs.10,000.
Unique Features:
• Free aXcess to cash anytime, anywhere, across India
• Free Unlimited Visa ATM transactions* (Cash withdrawal and balance enquiry)
• Phone banking
• Internet banking
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The aXcess plus customers get FREE aXcess to cash withdrawals at over 6500 Visa ATMs
in up to four free transactions per month. This is over and above unlimited free aXcess to all
Standard Chartered Bank ATMs.
2) Super Value – An account with lots of facilities and can be termed as an account much more
than an ordinary saving account. You name it and they offer it. The unique SuperValue savings
account is proof that the best things in life come free. With an average quarterly balance of just
Rs. 50,000, you get a host of services from Standard Chartered absolutely free.
• Multicity Banking - access your account even when you are out of town.
• Enjoy extended banking hours at all our branches, and Speed Cheque Clearing and Metro
Clearing facilities.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
• Phone banking - available to you 365 days a year on a 24-hour basis in the metros and
everyday of the week at other centers.
• Internet banking - access and transact on your accounts through the Internet from any part
of the world.
• Free Investment Advisory Services to assist you in investing in a range of mutual funds.
• Full suite of complimentary banking services including credit cards, loan products and
capital market services.
3) No Frills Saving Accounts - No Frills Savings Account, a New account to meet your basic
banking requirements
You can now open an account with Standard Chartered Bank, with an average quarterly balance
of as low as Rs. 250. What’s more – you can avail of Anywhere Banking, by which you can
access your account from any branch of Standard Chartered Bank in India.
Unique features are;
• Quarterly Average Balance, as low as Rs. 250
• 4 free transactions per month at any Standard Chartered Bank channel (Internet banking,
Phone Banking, ATM & Branch)
• Anywhere banking – Access your account from any branch of Standard Chartered Bank.
Eligibility criteria
This account is available to individual Resident Indian customers.
Account may be opened after being properly introduced in a manner approved by the Bank
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
4) aaSaan - Here's introducing Standard Chartered Bank's aaSaan savings account - the easy
solution to all your banking needs.
Its unique features are:-
• No Minimum Balance requirement
• Free unlimited access to any SCB branch across the country for Customer in-person
• Up to 4 free cash withdrawal transactions per month at other domestic VISA ATMs.
• Nominal quarterly fee of Rs. 100 (reversed if the Average Balance in the quarter is Rs
10,000 or more
Other Facilities
• International Debit Card
• Phone banking
• Net Banking
• Locker facility*
• Doorstep banking
To open an aaSaan account, you have to initially fund the account with Rs. 10,000 (Rs. Ten
Thousand)
5) Parivaar- Parivaar is a unique Wealth Management Solution from Standard Chartered Bank
that offers your family flexibility, convenience and essential tools for wealth accumulation and
preservation.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
• Your family can maintain individual savings accounts with the benefit of clubbing
balances in grouped accounts.
• Anytime, anywhere access to accounts through ATMs, Phone Banking and Inter Net
banking.
• Option of Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), a well known long term wealth building
tool that allows you to invest a fixed amount of money every month in specific mutual
funds. This comes with a direct debit facility and avoids the need to remember dates
and write cheques every month.
• Globally valid ATM-cum-debit card can be used at 55,000 merchant outlets in India
and 12 million outlets worldwide.
ULIP is an abbreviation for Unit Linked Insurance Policy. A ULIP is a life insurance policy
which provides a combination of risk cover and investment. The dynamics of the capital market
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
have a direct bearing on the performance of the ULIPs. ULIP is life insurance solution that
provides for the benefits of protection and flexibility in investment. The investment is denoted as
units and is represented by the value that it has attained called as Net Asset Value (NAV).
ULIP came into play in the 1960s and became very popular in Western Europe and Americas. The
reason that is attributed to the wide spread popularity of ULIP is because of the transparency and
the flexibility which it offers.
As times progressed the plans were also successfully mapped along with life insurance need to
retirement planning. In today’s times, ULIP provides solutions for insurance planning, financial
needs, financial planning for children’s future and retirement planning.
A ULIP, as the name suggests, is a market-linked insurance plan. A ULIP is a unit linked
insurance plan. This is the type of investment where the characteristics of insurance and mutual
fund are combined. Some part of the money invested goes into the insurance cover and the
remaining goes into an asset class.
The main difference between a ULIP and other insurance plans is the way in which the premium
money is invested. Premium from, say, an endowment plan, is invested primarily in risk-free
instruments like government securities (gsecs) and AAA rated corporate paper, while ULIP
premiums can be invested in stock markets in addition to corporate bonds and govt. securities.
Type of Funds
Most insurers offer a wide range of funds to suit one’s investment objectives, risk profile and time
horizons. Different funds have different risk profiles. The potential for returns also varies from
fund to fund.
The following are some of the common types of funds available along with an indication of their
risk characteristics.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
ULIPs offer a variety of options to the individual depending on his risk profile. For instance, an
individual with an above-average risk appetite can choose a ULIP option that invests up to 60% of
premium in equities. Likewise, an individual with a lower risk appetite can select a ULIP that
invests up to 20% of premium in equities.
SUM ASSURED
Perhaps the most fundamental difference between ULIPs and traditional endowment plans is in the
concept of premium and sum assured.
When you want to take a traditional endowment plan, the question your agent will ask you are --
how much insurance cover do you need? Or in other words, what is the sum assured you are
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
looking for? The premium is calculated based on the number you give your agent.
With a ULIP it works in reverse. When you opt for a ULIP, you will have to answer the question --
how much premium can you pay?
2. Flexibility
While ULIPs offer the opportunity to invest up to 100% in equity, it is also true that ULIPs provide
individuals the flexibility to shift to up to 100% debt. It is entirely upon the individual how he
wishes to allocate his premiums between equity and debt. This is not the case with endowment
type plans- individuals can't choose their investment avenues and have to be content with the
insurance company's investment decisions which revolve largely around debt.
ULIPs are available in 3 broad variants: 'Aggressive' ULIPs, which invest upto 100% of their
corpus in equities, 'Balanced' ULIPs which invest upto 60% of their corpus in equities and
'Conservative' ULIPs which invest up to 100% of their corpus in debt instruments and the money
market instruments*. Individuals are free to decide where they want to invest their money. For
example, individuals with an appetite for risk can invest their entire money in equities while
conservative individuals have the option to park their money in balanced or conservative ULIPs.
* The percentages given in the paragraph above may differ across life insurance companies.
That apart, ULIPs also provide individuals with the flexibility of terminating/resuming premiums,
increasing/decreasing premiums and paying top-ups (i.e. a one-time sum over and above the
regular premium) whenever possible. These options are not available in regular endowment plans.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
3. Transparency
For the first time, ULIPs introduced transparency into the manner in which life insurance products
were being managed. This is something that was missing in conventional savings-based insurance
products (like endowment/ money-back/ pension plans). To understand why we are saying this,
one has to first understand the structure of traditional endowment plans. Traditional endowment
plans have been opaque in more ways than one.
To begin with, traditional endowment plans have invested a sizable portion of their corpus in debt
instruments like gsecs and bonds. The quantum of money invested is not known. Individuals do
not have access to portfolios of endowment plans so they never find out how much money is in
debt/equities. Add to this the fact that the expenses, which form a sizable percentage of the
premium in the first few years, are also not clear and you have a situation where the individual is
'investing' in life insurance purely on the basis of faith and little else!
Unit linked plans brought transparency into the scheme of things. Today, if an individual wants to
invest in a ULIP, he knows upfront what percentage of the premium is being invested, what are the
charges being levied and where his monies are being invested. This is a welcome change for the
policyholder. Another advantage ULIPs offer is that they enable insurance seekers to compare
plans across companies and help him buy a plan that fits well into his portfolio. Also ULIPs
disclose their portfolios at regular intervals, so you know exactly where your money is being
invested.
4. TAX BENEFITS
Taxation is one area where there is common ground between ULIPs and traditional endowment.
Premiums in ULIPs as well as traditional endowment plans are eligible for tax benefits under
Section 80C subject to a maximum limit of Rs 100,000. On the same lines, monies received on
maturity on ULIPs and traditional endowment are tax-free under Section 10.
5. Liquidity
ULIPs offer liquidity to the individual. He can withdraw money anytime he wishes to once the
initial years' premiums are paid. He will not be levied with any surrender charges i.e. he stands to
get the full market value of his investments, net of charges, till date. This is unlike conventional
endowment plans where individuals tend to lose out on surrender charges on surrendering their
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
policies. Besides, part surrender is also allowed in ULIPs. Simply put, part surrender allows
individuals to withdraw a part of their corpus and thus keep the policy alive, albeit with some
adjustments. This helps individuals tide over a situation where they need cash but have few 'liquid'
investments at their disposal.
So does this mean that it is the end of the road for endowment plans? Not quite! Individuals need
to understand the de-merits of investing in market-linked products like ULIPs. The latter are
susceptible to the vagaries of markets and can burn a hole in your portfolio over the short term. So
if you can't withstand that kind of volatility, equity-oriented ULIPs are not the right investment
option for you. Insurance seekers would do well to take into consideration their risk appetite as
well as their overall financial portfolio before taking a final call on ULIP investments. The ideal
option is to have a prudent mix of endowment and ULIPs depending on your preference for either
long-term growth or stability.
CHARGES
Premium Allocation Charge
This is a percentage of the premium appropriated towards charges before allocating the units under
the policy. This charge normally includes initial and renewal expenses apart from commission
expenses.
Mortality Charges
These are charges to provide for the cost of insurance coverage under the plan. Mortality charges
depend on number of factors such as age, amount of coverage, state of health etc
Fund Management Fees
These are fees levied for management of the fund(s) and are deducted before arriving at the Net
Asset Value (NAV).
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Generally a limited number of fund switches may be allowed each year without charge, with
subsequent switches, subject to a charge.
Service Tax Deductions
Before allotment of the units the applicable service tax is deducted from the risk portion of the
premium.
Investors may note, that the portion of the premium after deducting for all charges and
premium for risk cover is utilized for purchasing units.
BAJAJ ALLIANZ:
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Bajaj Auto Limited
and Allianz SE. Both enjoy a reputation of expertise, stability and strength.
The Allianz Group is one of the leading global services providers in insurance, banking and asset
management.
With approximately 181,000 employees worldwide (as of December 31, 2007), the Allianz
Group serves more than 80 million customers in about 70 countries. On the insurance side, Allianz
is the market leader in the German market and has a strong international presence.
In fiscal 2007 the Allianz Group achieved total revenues of over 102 billion euros. Allianz is also
one of the world’s largest asset managers, with third-party assets of 765 billion euros under
management at year end 2007.
Bajaj Auto Ltd, the flagship company of the Rs80bn Bajaj Group is the largest manufacturer of
two-wheelers and three-wheelers in India and one of the largest in the world. Bajaj Auto has a
strong brand image & brand loyalty synonymous with quality & customer focus in India
In the Indian market, together are committed to offer Insurance solutions that provide all the
security needed for a family.
• Choice of 5 investment funds today with flexible investment management: you can change
funds at any time and also invest in the newer funds that would be introduced from time to
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
time.
• Provision for full/partial Withdrawl any time after three years from commencement if three
full years’ premium are paid.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Bajaj Allianz Capital Unit Gain gives up to 97% allocation from the first year onwards to ensure
that your investment income gets accelerated from the first year itself. With Bajaj Allianz Capital
Unit Gain one can get to choose from a wide range of high quality investment funds coupled
with flexible investment management. This is the one-stop solution to investment, tax-saving and
protection needs.
Regular Premium
Market linked insurance plans invest the premium in to the equity, debt and cash markets by the
way of allocating units, which like any other mutual fund have a NAV and the customer is free to
switch between one fund class to another depending of the risk factor he wishes to be in. ULIPs
offer better returns than the traditional endowment plans and offer a great deal of flexibility
along with great returns making them the finest product offering. We at Bajaj Allianz Life
Insurance have developed a number of ULIP products which range from single premium to a
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
regular premiums option along with investment funds ranging from index funds to mid-cap funds
and debt market linked funds.
Ensure fully and get MAX allocation along with a host of additional benefits to choose from.
A flexible unit linked plan that allows partial & full withdrawal after 3 years.
Additional benefits:
UL Accidental Death Benefit and UL Disability Benefit.
UL Critical Illness Benefit and UL Hospital Cash Benefit.
3 funds to choose from & flexibility to pay top-up any time.
A Flexible Investment plan with Pure Stock Fund- (a unique ethical fund that invests in environment
responsive companies and also suits religious guidelines.)
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Century Plus
A limited premium payment term option with a unique combination of protection and attractive
returns.
98% allocation in year 1 and year 2 and 100% allocation 3rd year onwards.
Guaranteed life cover with twin-benefits of sum assured plus fund value.
Get Loyalty Units of 7% annualized premium from sixth year onwards.
Additional 0.25% Loyalty Units on regular premium fund value for annual premium equal to or
above Rs. 1 Lac
Young Care
Bajaj Allianz Young Care offers you a unique way to reassure yourself that you have taken care of
the ones you cherish. This investment plan is a Gift of a lifetime to your loved one, as it offers a
guaranteed Sum Assured and continued pay premium on your behalf, in case of your unfortunate
death.
Single Premium
Unit Linked Single Premium Plans require the premium to be paid only once.
New Unit Gain Premier SP
New Unit Gain Premier SP is an unique insurance cum investment plan that provides your
investment a zing from the start, by allocating 105% of the single premium paid from day one,
thereby ensuring that you get MORE.
105% allocation.
Guaranteed life cover.
Flexible withdrawal option u/s 10 (10) D.
MUTUAL FUNDS
A mutual fund is a pool of money, collected from investors, and is invested according to certain
investment objectives. A mutual fund uses the money collected from the investors to buy those
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
assets which are specifically permitted by its stated investment objective. The fund’s assets are
owned by the investors in the same proportion as their contribution bears to the total
contributions of all investors put together.
The mutual fund industry in India started in 1963 with the formation of Unit Trust of India, at the
initiative of the Government of India and Reserve Bank the. The history of mutual funds in India
can be broadly divided into four distinct phases
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Unit Trust of India (UTI) was established on 1963 by an Act of Parliament. It was set up by the
Reserve Bank of India and functioned under the Regulatory and administrative control of the
Reserve Bank of India. In 1978 UTI was de-linked from the RBI and the Industrial Development
Bank of India (IDBI) took over the regulatory and administrative control in place of RBI. The
first scheme launched by UTI was Unit Scheme 1964. At the end of 1988 UTI had Rs.6, 700
crores of assets under management.
1987 marked the entry of non- UTI, public sector mutual funds set up by public sector banks and
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC).
SBI Mutual Fund was the first non- UTI Mutual Fund established in June 1987 followed by
Canbank Mutual Fund (Dec 87), Punjab National Bank Mutual Fund (Aug 89), Indian Bank
Mutual Fund (Nov 89), Bank of India (Jun 90), Bank of Baroda Mutual Fund (Oct 92). LIC
established its mutual fund in June 1989 while GIC had set up its mutual fund in December
1990. At the end of 1993, the mutual fund industry had assets under management of Rs.47,004
crores.
With the entry of private sector funds in 1993, a new era started in the Indian mutual fund
industry, giving the Indian investors a wider choice of fund families. Also, 1993
was the year in which the first Mutual Fund Regulations came into being, under which all mutual
funds, except UTI were to be registered and governed. The erstwhile Kothari Pioneer (now
merged with Franklin Templeton) was the first private sector mutual fund registered in July
1993. The 1993 SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations were substituted by a more comprehensive and
revised Mutual Fund Regulations in 1996. The industry now functions under the SEBI (Mutual
Fund) Regulations 1996.
The number of mutual fund houses went on increasing, with many foreign mutual funds setting
up funds in India and also the industry has witnessed several mergers and acquisitions. As at the
end of January 2003, there were 33 mutual funds with total assets of Rs. 1,21,805 crores. The
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Unit Trust of India with Rs.44, 541 crores of assets under management was way ahead of other
mutual funds.
In February 2003, following the repeal of the Unit Trust of India Act 1963 UTI was bifurcated
into two separate entities. One is the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India with assets
under management of Rs.29, 835 crores as at the end of January 2003, representing broadly, the
assets of US 64 scheme, assured return and certain other schemes. The Specified Undertaking of
Unit Trust of India, functioning under an administrator and under the rules framed by
Government of India and does
The second is the UTI Mutual Fund Ltd, sponsored by SBI, PNB, BOB and LIC. It is registered
with SEBI and functions under the Mutual Fund Regulations. With the bifurcation of the
erstwhile UTI which had in March 2000 more than Rs.76, 000 crores of assets under
management and with the setting up of a UTI Mutual Fund, conforming to the SEBI Mutual
Fund Regulations, and with recent mergers taking place among different private sector funds, the
mutual fund industry has entered its current phase of consolidation and growth. As at the end of
September, 2004, there were 29 funds, which manage assets of Rs.153108 crores under 421
schemes.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
CHARGES
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Asset Management Companies (AMCs) managing the Mutual Funds levy a load as a
percentage of NAV at the time of entry into the Schemes or at the time of exiting from the
Schemes.
Entry Load - It is the load charged by the fund when an investor invests into the fund. It
increases the price of the units to more than the NAV and is expressed as a percentage of NAV.
Exit Load - It is the load charged by the fund when an investor redeems the units from the fund.
It reduces the price of the units to less than the NAV and is expressed as a percentage of NAV.
Cost of Churning/Turnover cost - It refers to the costs associated with the churning (or changes
made to the holdings) of the portfolio. Portfolio changes have associated costs of brokerage,
custody fees, transaction fees and registration fees, which lower the returns. The quantum
depends on the management style of the fund manager.
Expense Ratio - The Expenses of a mutual fund include management fees and all the fees
associated with the fund's daily operations. Expense Ratio refers to the annual percentage of
fund's assets that is paid out in expenses.
Tax
Capital Gains Tax- The profit realizations on sale of securities and certain other capital assets
(including units of mutual funds) are called capital gains. The gains can be classified into long-
term or short-term depending on the period of holding of the asset and are charged to tax at
different rates. Gains on mutual fund units held for a period of 12 months or more are long-term
gains. These gains are taxable.
Dividend Distribution Tax – The Mutual Fund schemes distributing dividends on their units to
the investors attract a distribution tax as per tax laws.
Securities Transaction Tax – AMCs managing the portfolio have to pay STT on transaction
(buying/selling) of different securities in the stock market. Presently the tax rate is 0.025%.
The flow chart below describes broadly the working of a mutual fund:
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
64
MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
A close-ended fund or scheme has a stipulated maturity period e.g. 5-7 years. The
fund is open for subscription only during a specified period at the time of launch of the
scheme. Investors can invest in the scheme at the time of the initial public issue and
thereafter they can buy or sell the units of the scheme on the stock exchanges where the
units are listed. In order to provide an exit route to the investors, some close-ended funds
give an option of selling back the units to the mutual fund through periodic repurchase at
NAV related prices. SEBI Regulations stipulate that at least one of the two exit routes is
provided to the investor i.e. either repurchase facility or through listing on stock
exchanges. These mutual funds schemes disclose NAV generally on weekly basis.
2. Schemes according to Investment Objective:-
A scheme can also be classified as growth scheme, income scheme, or balanced
scheme considering its investment objective. Such schemes may be open-ended or close-
ended schemes as described earlier. Such schemes may be classified mainly as follows:
Growth / Equity Oriented Scheme:-
The aim of growth funds is to provide capital appreciation over the medium to
long- term. Such schemes normally invest a major part of their corpus in equities. Such
funds have comparatively high risks. These schemes provide different options to the
investors like dividend option, capital appreciation, etc. and the investors may choose an
option depending on their preferences. The investors must indicate the option in the
application form. The mutual funds also allow the investors to change the options at a
later date. Growth schemes are good for investors having a long-term outlook seeking
appreciation over a period of time.
The aim of income funds is to provide regular and steady income to investors. Such
schemes generally invest in fixed income securities such as bonds, corporate debentures,
Government securities and money market instruments. Such funds are less risky
compared to equity schemes. These funds are not affected because of fluctuations in
equity markets. However, opportunities of capital appreciation are also limited in such
funds. The NAVs of such funds are affected because of change in interest rates in the
country. If the interest rates fall, NAVs of such funds are likely to increase in the short
run and vice versa. However, long term investors may not bother about these fluctuations.
Balanced Fund:-
The aim of balanced funds is to provide both growth and regular income as such
schemes invest both in equities and fixed income securities in the proportion indicated in
their offer documents. These are appropriate for investors looking for moderate growth.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
They generally invest 40-60% in equity and debt instruments. These funds are also
affected because of fluctuations in share prices in the stock markets. However, NAVs of
such funds are likely to be less volatile compared to pure equity funds.
These funds are also income funds and their aim is to provide easy liquidity,
preservation of capital and moderate income. These schemes invest exclusively in safer
short-term instruments such as treasury bills, certificates of deposit, commercial paper
and inter-bank call money, government securities, etc. Returns on these schemes fluctuate
much less compared to other funds. These funds are appropriate for corporate and
individual investors as a means to park their surplus funds for short periods.
Gilt Fund:-
Index Funds :-
Index Funds replicate the portfolio of a particular index such as the BSE Sensitive
index, S&P NSE 50 index (Nifty), etc These schemes invest in the securities in the same
weightage comprising of an index. NAVs of such schemes would rise or fall in
accordance with the rise or fall in the index, though not exactly by the same percentage
due to some factors known as "tracking error" in technical terms. Necessary disclosures
in this regard are made in the offer document of the mutual fund scheme.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Portfolio
Mutual Funds invest in a well-diversified portfolio of securities which enables investor to
1. Diversificatio
hold a diversified investment portfolio (whether the amount of investment is big or small).
n
Fund manager undergoes through various research works and has better investment
Professional
2. management skills which ensure higher returns to the investor than what he can manage
Management
on his own.
Low
Due to the economies of scale (benefits of larger volumes), mutual funds pay lesser
4. Transaction
transaction costs. These benefits are passed on to the investors.
Costs
An investor may not be able to sell some of the shares held by him very easily and
5. Liquidity
quickly, whereas units of a mutual fund are far more liquid.
Mutual funds provide investors with various schemes with different investment
Choice of objectives. Investors have the option of investing in a scheme having a correlation
6.
Schemes between its investment objectives and their own financial goals. These schemes further
have different plans/options
Transparenc Funds provide investors with updated information pertaining to the markets and the
7.
y schemes. All material facts are disclosed to investors as required by the regulator.
Investors also benefit from the convenience and flexibility offered by Mutual Funds.
Investors can switch their holdings from a debt scheme to an equity scheme and vice-
8. Flexibility
versa. Option of systematic (at regular intervals) investment and withdrawal is also
offered to the investors in most open-end schemes.
Disadvanta
S. No. Particulars
ge
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Costs
Control Investor has to pay investment management fees and fund distribution costs as a
1. Not in the percentage of the value of his investments (as long as he holds the units), irrespective
Hands of of the performance of the fund.
an Investor
The portfolio of securities in which a fund invests is a decision taken by the fund
No
manager. Investors have no right to interfere in the decision making process of a fund
2. Customize
manager, which some investors find as a constraint in achieving their financial
d Portfolios
objectives.
Difficulty
in Selecting Many investors find it difficult to select one option from the plethora of
3. a Suitable funds/schemes/plans available. For this, they may have to take advice from financial
Fund planners in order to invest in the right fund to achieve their objectives.
Scheme
Performance Evaluation
Risk
Returns
Liquidity
Expense Ratio
Composition of Portfolio
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Business Risk:
Business Risk is the uncertainty concerning the future existence, stability and profitability of the
issuer of the security. Business Risk is inherent in all business ventures. The future financial
stability of a company can not be predicted or guaranteed, nor can the price of its securities.
Adverse changes in business circumstances will reduce the market price of the company’s equity
resulting in proportionate fall in the NAV of mutual fund scheme, which has invested in the
equity of such a company.
Economic Risk :
Economic Risk involves uncertainty in the economy, which, in turn can have an adverse effect
on a company’s business. For instance, if monsoons fall in a year, equity stocks of agriculture
bases companies will fall and NAVs of mutual funds, which have invested in such stocks, will
fall proportionately.
Measurement of risk
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Beta relates a fund’s return with a market index. It basically measures the sensitivity of funds
return to changes in market index.
If Beta = 1
Fund moves with the market i.e. Passive fund
If Beta < 1
Fund is less volatile than the market i. e Defensive Fund
If Beta > 1
Funds will give higher returns when market rises & higher losses when market falls i.e.
Aggressive Fund
Ex –Marks represents co relation with markets. Higher the Ex-marks lower the risk of the fund
because a fund with higher Ex-marks is better diversified than a fund with lower Ex-marks.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Percentage change in NAV is an absolute measure of return, which finds the NAV appreciation
between two points of time, as a percentage.
e .g: If NAV of one fund changes from Rs.20 to Rs.22 in 12 months then
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Converting a return value for a period other than one year, into a value for one year, is called as
annualisation. In order to annualize a rate, we find out what the return would be for a year, if the
return behaved for a year, in the same manner it did, for any other fractional period.
E .g: If NAV of one fund changes from Rs.20 to Rs.22 in 6 months then
Annual Return = (22 – 20) /20 X 12/6 X 100 = 20%
The total return method takes into account the dividends distributed by the mutual fund, and adds
it to the NAV appreciation, to arrive at returns.
Total Return =
(Dividend distributed + Change in NAV)/ NAV at the start X 100
e .g: If NAV of one fund changes from Rs.20 to Rs.22 in 6 months if in between dividend of Rs.
4 has been distributed then
Total Return = {4 + (22 – 20)}/20 X 100 = 30%
This method is also called the return on investment (ROI) method. In this method, the dividends
are reinvested into the scheme as soon as they are received at the then prevailing NAV (ex-
dividend NAV).
= ((Value of holdings at the end of the period/ value of the holdings at the beginning) – 1)*100
E.g. An investor buys 100 units of a fund at Rs. 10.5 on January 1, 2007. On June 30, 2007 he
receives dividends at the rate of 10%. The ex-dividend NAV was Rs. 10.25. On December 31,
2007, the fund’s NAV was Rs. 12.25.
Value of holdings at the beginning period= 10.5*100= 1050
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
This method is basically used for calculating the return for more than 1 year. In this method
return is calculated with the following formula:
A = P X (1 + R / 100) N
Where P = Principal invested
A = maturity value
N = period of investment in years
R = Annualized compounded interest rate in %
R = {(Nth root of A / P) – 1} X 100
E. g: If amount invested is Rs. 100 & in the end we get return of Rs. 200 & period of investment
is 10 years then annualized compounded return is
200 = 100 (1 + R / 100) 10
Rate = 7.2 %
RETURNS:
Returns have to be studied along with the risk. A fund could have earned higher return than the
benchmark. But such higher return may be accompanied by high risk. Therefore, we have to
compare funds with the benchmarks, on a risk adjusted basis. William Sharpe created a metric
for fund performance, which enables the ranking of funds on a risk adjusted basis.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
LIQUIDITY:
Most of the funds being sold today are open-ended. That is, investors can sell their existing units,
or buy new units, at any point of time, at prices that are related to the NAV of the fund on the
date of the transaction. Since investors continuously enter and exit funds, funds are actually able
to provide liquidity to investors, even if the underlying markets, in which the portfolio is
invested, may not have the liquidity that the investor seeks.
EXPENSE RATIO:
Expense ratio is defined as the ratio of total expenses of the fund to the average net assets of the
fund. Expense ratio can actually understate the total expenses, because brokerage paid on
transactions of a fund are not included in the expenses. According to the current SEBI norms,
brokerage commissions are capitalized and included in the cost of the transactions.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
As per the taxation laws in force as at the date of the Offer Document, some broad income tax
implications of investing in the units of the Scheme are stated below. The information so stated is
based on the Mutual Fund's understanding of the tax laws in force as of the date of the Offer
Document, which have been confirmed by its auditors. The information stated below is only for
the purposes of providing general information to the investors and is neither designed nor
intended tobe a substitute for professional tax advice. As the tax consequences are specific to
each investor and in view of the changing tax laws, each investor is advised to consult his or her
or its own tax consultant with respect to the specific tax implications arising out of his or her or
its participation in the Scheme.
Implications of the Income-tax Act, 1961 as amended by the Finance Act, 2006
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
In accordance with the provisions of section 10(35)(a) of the Act, income received by all
categories of unit holders in respect of units of the Fund will be exempt from income-tax in their
hands.
Exemption from income tax under section 10(35) of the Act would, however, not apply to any
income arising from the transfer of these units.
As per the provisions of section 2(42A) of the Act, a unit of a Mutual Fund, held by the investor
as a capital asset, is considered to be a short-term capital asset, if it is held for 12 months or less
from the date of its acquisition by the unit holder. Accordingly, if the unit is held for a period of
more than 12 months, it is treated as a long-term capital asset.
Capital gains on transfer of units will be computed after taking into account the cost of their
acquisition. While calculating long-term capital gains, such cost will be indexed by using the
cost inflation index notified by the Government of India.
Individuals and HUFs, are granted a deduction from total income, under section 80C of the Act
upto Rs. 100,000, in respect of specified investments made during the year (please also refer
paragraph d).
As per Section 10(38) of the Act, long-term capital gains arising from the sale of unit of an
equity oriented fund entered into in a recognized stock exchange or sale of such unit of an equity
oriented fund to the mutual fund would be exempt from income-tax, provided such transaction of
sale is chargeable to securities transaction tax.
Pursuant to an amendment made in the Finance Act, 2006, effective 1 April 2006, companies
would be required to include such long term capital gains in computing the book profits and
minimum alternated tax liability under section 115JB of the Act.
As per Section 111A of the Act, short-term capital gains from the sale of unit of an equity
oriented fund entered into in a recognized stock exchange or sale of such unit of an equity
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
oriented fund to the mutual fund would be taxed at 10 per cent, provided such transaction of sale
is chargeable to securities transaction tax.
The said tax rate would be increased by a surcharge of:
- 10 per cent in case of non-corporate Unit holders, where the total income exceeds
Rs.1,000,000,
- 10 per cent in case of resident corporate Unit holders, and
- 2.5 per cent in case of non-resident corporate unit holders irrespective of the amount of taxable
income.
Further, an additional surcharge of 2 per cent by way of education cess would be charged on
amount of tax inclusive of surcharge.
In case of resident individual, if the income from short term capital gains is less than the
maximum amount not chargeable to tax, then there will be no tax payable.
Further, in case of individuals/ HUFs, being residents, where the total income excluding short-
term capital gains is below the maximum amount not chargeable to tax1, then the difference
between the current maximum amount not chargeable to tax and total income excluding short-
term capital gains, shall be adjusted from short-term capital gains. Therefore only the balance
short term capital gains will be liable to income tax at the rate of 10 percent plus surcharge, if
applicable and education cess.
Non-residents
In case of non-resident unit holder who is a resident of a country with which India has signed a
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (which is in force) income tax is payable at the rates
provided in the Act, as discussed above, or the rates provided in the such agreement, if any,
whichever is more beneficial to such non-resident unit holder.
Investment by Minors
Where sale / repurchase is made during the minority of the child, tax will be levied on either of
the parents, whose income is greater, where the said income is not covered by the exception in
the proviso to section 64(1A) of the Act. When the child attains majority, such tax liability will
be on the child.
Losses arising from sale of units
- As per the provisions of section 94(7) of the Act, loss arising on transfer of
units, which are acquired within a period of three months prior to the record date
(date fixed by the Fund for the purposes of entitlement of the unit holder to
receive the income from units) and sold within a period of nine months after the
record date, shall not be allowed to the extent of income distributed by the Fund
in respect of such units.
- As per the provisions of section 94(8) of the Act, where any units ("original
units") are acquired within a period of three months prior to the record date (date
fixed by the Fund for the purposes of entitlement of the unit holder to receive
bonus units) and any bonus units are allotted (free of cost) based on the holding of
the original units, the loss, if any, on sale of the original units within a period of
nine months after the record date, shall be ignored in the computation of the unit
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
holder's taxable income. Such loss will however, be deemed to be the cost of
acquisition of the bonus units.
--Each Unit holder is advised to consult his / her or its own professional tax
advisor before claiming set off of long-term capital loss arising on sale /
repurchase of units of an equity oriented fund referred to above, against long-term
capital gains arising on sale of other assets.
- Short-term capital loss suffered on sale / repurchase of units shall be available
for set off against both long-term and short-term capital gains arising on sale of
other assets and balance short-term capital loss shall be carried forward for set off
against capital gains in subsequent years.
- Carry forward of losses is admissible maximum upto eight assessment years.
Capital gains arising to a unit holder on repurchase of units by the Fund should attract tax
withholding as under:
- No tax needs to be withheld from capital gains arising to a FII on the basis of the provisions of
section 196D of the Act.
- In case of non-resident unit holder who is a resident of a country with which India has signed a
double taxation avoidance agreement (which is in force) the tax should be deducted at source
under section 195 of the Act at the rate provided in the Finance Act of the relevant year or the
rate provided in the said agreement, whichever is beneficial to such non-resident unit holder.
However, such a nonresident unit holder will be required to provide appropriate documents to the
Fund, to be entitled to the beneficial rate provided under such agreement.
- No tax needs to be withheld from capital gains arising to a resident unit holder on the basis of
the Circular no. 715 dated 8 August 1995 issued by the CBDT.
Subject to the above, the provisions relating to tax withholding in respect of gains arising from
the sale of units of the various schemes of the fund are as under:
- No tax is required is to be withheld from long term capital gains arising from sale of units in
equity oriented fund schemes, that are subject to securities transaction tax.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Units held under the Schemes of the Fund are not treated as assets within the meaning of section
2(ea) of the Wealth Tax Act, 1957 and therefore, not liable to wealth-tax.
Nature of Transaction Current tax rate Tax rate effective (%) 1 June 2006 (%) Delivery based
purchase transaction in equity shares or units of equity oriented fund entered in a recognized
stock exchange 0.1 0.125 Delivery based sale transaction in equity shares or units of equity
oriented fund entered in a recognized stock exchange 0.1 0.125 Non-delivery based sale
transaction in equity shares or units of equity oriented fund entered in a recognized stock
exchange. 0.02 0.025 Sale of units of an equity oriented fund to the mutual fund 0.2 0.25 Value
of taxable securities transaction in case of units shall be the price at which such units are
purchased or sold.
A deduction in respect of securities transaction tax paid is not permitted for the purpose of
computation of business income or capital gains.
However, if the total income of an assessee includes any business income arising from taxable
securities transactions, he shall be entitled to a rebate3 from income-tax of an amount equal to
the securities transaction tax paid by him in respect of the taxable securities transactions entered
during the course of his business.
Standard Chartered Mutual Fund is well-established fund house and is sponsored by the Standard
Chartered Group. At Standard Chartered Mutual Fund we strive to launch not just innovative
products, but products that truly add value to our investors. We were among the first to launch an
active management debt fund-the Dynamic Bond Fund - that had the capability to mimic a cash
fund or an income fund depending on market situations. The Short term and Medium term funds
that were uniquely positioned at various points along the interest rate curve with the sole
objective of maximizing value to investors with different investment time horizons.
Lately this innovation was again brought to the fore with the launch of the Standard Chartered
Enterprise Equity Fund , a close-ended fund that sought to invest a portion in Equity IPOs. The
fund also launched the Standard Chartered Premier Equity fund an equity fund that seeks to
generate wealth by investing in relatively smaller companies. We manage our schemes through
well-researched and thoroughly tested processes like the 3 D Factor (For debt funds and helps us
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
in predicting interest rate movements) and the Equity Circle process. SCMF also pioneered
several service initiatives that helped increase transactional ease. It was the first mutual fund to
initiate
Across the counter redemptions for all classes of investors in liquid funds,
Phone transact service wherein investors can redeem without having any Personal
Identification Number
Standard Chartered Mutual Fund currently manages assets in excess of Rs 15801.53Cr as on 5th
February 2008 and has touched the lives of more than lakhs of investors residing in more than
1000 Indian towns.
Returns on investments
It implies that by investing in this debt fund, what returns does the investor get. For
this purpose, it can be known as:
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
9% GOI 2014 means getting 9% interest rate till the maturity in the year 2014.
Schemes Managed
Scheme Name
Grindlays Cash Fund (G)
Grindlays CF - Inst Plan (G)
Grindlays Dynamic Bond (G)
Grindlays FRF - LTP Inst (G)
Grindlays Floating Rate (G)
Grindlays FRF- Inst Plan (G)
Grindlays FRF - LTP (RP) (G)
Grindlays GSec - Inv Plan (G)
Grindlays GSec Fund - PF (G)
Grindlays GSec - STP (G)
Grindlays SSIF - MTP A (G)
Grindlays SSIF STP - Inst (G)
GSSIF STP - MF Plan C (G)
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
A mutual fund is set up in the form of a trust, which has sponsor, trustees, asset management
company (AMC) and custodian. The trust is established by a sponsor or more than one sponsor
who is like promoter of a company. The trustees of the mutual fund hold its property for the
benefit of the unit holders. Asset Management Company (AMC) approved by SEBI manages the
funds by making investments in various types of securities. Custodian, who is registered with
SEBI, holds the securities of various schemes of the fund in its custody. The trustees are vested
with the general power of superintendence and direction over AMC. They monitor the
performance and compliance of SEBI Regulations by the mutual fund.
SEBI Regulations require that at least two thirds of the directors of trustee company or board of
trustees must be independent i.e. they should not be associated with the sponsors. Also, 50% of
the directors of AMC must be independent. All mutual funds are required to be registered with
SEBI before they launch any scheme.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
With the increase in mutual fund players in India, a need for mutual fund association in India
was generated to function as a non-profit organization. Association of Mutual Funds in India
(AMFI) was incorporated on 22nd August, 1995.AMFI is an apex body of all Asset Management
Companies (AMC) which has been registered with SEBI. Till date all the AMCs are that have
launched mutual fund schemes are its members. It functions under the supervision and guidelines
of its Board of Directors.
Association of Mutual Funds India has brought down the Indian Mutual Fund Industry to a
professional and healthy market with ethical lines enhancing and maintaining standards. It
follows the principle of both protecting and promoting the interests of mutual funds as well as
their unit holders.
The objectives of Association of Mutual Funds in India:---
The Association of Mutual Funds of India works with 30 registered AMCs of the country. It has
certain defined objectives which juxtaposes the guidelines of its Board of Directors. The
objectives are as follows:-
This mutual fund association of India maintains a high professional and ethical
standards in all areas of operation of the industry.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
It also recommends and promotes the top class business practices and code of conduct
which is followed by members and related people engaged in the activities of mutual
fund and asset management. The agencies who are by any means connected or
involved in the field of capital markets and financial services also involved in this
code of conduct of the association.
AMFI interacts with SEBI and works according to SEBIs guidelines in the mutual
fund industry.
AMFI undertakes all India awareness programme for investors in order to promote
proper understanding of the concept and working of mutual funds.
At last but not the least association of mutual fund of India also disseminate information on
Mutual Fund Industry and undertakes studies and research either directly or in association with
other bodies.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Sharpe ratios are ideal for comparing funds that have a mixed asset classes. That is balanced
funds that have a component of fixed income offerings.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
themselves. The primary objectives of an investment proposal would fit into one or combination
of the two broad categories, i.e., Income and Capital gains. How mutual fund is expected to be
over and above an individual in achieving the two said objectives, is what attracts investors to
opt for mutual funds.
Mutual Funds are suitable for the investors who call for:
• Risk reluctance- Mutual funds are relatively safer and stable, the reason being it
provides Diversification which is the idea of putting not putting all the eggs into one
basket. By investing in many companies the mutual funds can protect themselves from
unexpected drop in values of some shares. The small investors can achieve wide
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
diversification on his own because of many reasons, mainly funds at his disposal. Mutual
funds on the other hand, pool funds of lakhs of investors and thus can participate in a
large basket of shares of many different companies. Majority of people consider
diversification as the major strength of mutual funds.
Risk in investment is as to recovery of the principal amount and as to return on it. Mutual
fund investments on both fronts provide a comfortable situation for investors. The expert
supervision, diversification and liquidity of units ensured in mutual funds reduce the
risks. Investors are no longer expected to come to grief by falling prey to misleading and
motivating ‘headline’ leads and tips, if they invest in mutual funds
• Safety of Investments-Besides depending on the expert supervision of fund
managers, the legislation in a country (like SEBI in India) also provides for the safety of
investments. Mutual funds have to broadly follow the laid down provisions for their
regulations, SEBI acts as a watchdog and attempts whole heatedly to safeguard investors
interests
• Tax Shelter: Depending on the scheme of mutual funds, tax shelter is also available.
As per the Union Budget-2003, income earned through dividends from mutual funds is
100% tax-free at the hands of the investors.
• Minimize Operating Costs: Mutual funds having large invisible funds at their
disposal avail economies of scale. The brokerage fee or trading commission may be
reduced substantially. The reduced operating cost visibly increases the income available
for investors. Investing in securities through mutual funds has many advantages like –
option to reinvest dividends, strong possibility of capital appreciation, regular returns,
etc.The test of their economic efficiency as financial intermediary lies in the extent to
which they are able to mobilize additional savings and channeling to more productive
sectors of the economy.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
2. Always obtain all available information before you invest. Request the prospectus, the
Statement of Additional Information and the latest shareholder report from each fund you are
considering.
3. Never invest in periodic payment plans unless you are virtually certain that you will not have
to redeem early. If you redeem early or do not complete the plan, you may have to pay sales
charges of up to 51% of your investment.
4. Be on the alert for incorporation by reference. You will have "no excuse" for not knowing this
information, if a problem arises. You may be legally presumed to know materials incorporated
by reference in a prospectus or other documents.
5. Always determine all sales charges, fees and expenses before you invest. Fees such as 12b-1
fees can cost you dearly and charges for reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions
can substantially add to your costs. Shop around among the many funds offered and compare the
various fees and costs connected with funds that appeal to you.
6. Learn the costs of redemption. Sometimes investors are surprised to learn that they have to pay
to get out of funds through back-end loads or redemption fees. Find out the redemption costs
before you invest so you won’t be unpleasantly surprised when you redeem your shares.
7. Never treat the risks of investment in a fund lightly. Weigh the risks of the funds you want to
buy against your ability to tolerate the ups and downs of the market and your investment goals.
Be extra cautious when considering investing in funds with high yield/high risk portfolios. Junk
bond problems, for example, invariably affect the fund’s performance.
8. Don’t be misled by the name of a fund. Some funds have been given names denoting safety,
stability and low risk, despite the fact that the underlying investments in the portfolio are volatile
and highly risky.
Selecting a tool may seem like a daunting task, but knowing your objectives and risk tolerance is
half the battle. Thus the investors should study the tools before investing in and should match the
scheme with their preferences.
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Before acquiring shares in any fund, an investor must first identify his or her goals and desires
for the money being invested. Are long-term capital gains desired, or a current income is
preferred. Will the money be used to pay for college expenses, or to supplement a retirement that
is decades away? Identifying a goal is important because it will enable the investor dramatically
whittle down the list so many tools available in the the public domain.
In addition, investors must also consider the issue of risk tolerance. If the investor is able to
afford and mentally accept dramatic swings in portfolio value then he should go for riskier
investments. Or, if a more conservative investment warranted from the scheme. Therefore
Identifying objective preferences and risk tolerance is as important as identifying a goal.
To finish, I would like to state that this project gave me a lot of assistance to get a hold on the
basic knowledge about the products like ULIP, saving accounts and Mutual Funds in detailed
manner and also all the mechanism, maneuver related to it.
Age
• The segment (18-25) can be a potential customer segment for the bank as most of the
people are falling in the income group of less than Rs.15000 per month. The company
can target this segment by offering its ULIP product both as an insurance and investment
product, which can provide high returns as the investments and provide the insurance
cover too, as a large segment doesn’t have an insurance cover. The return in new Capital
Unit Gain Plan is around 20% which is quite good enough. Mutual Fund Schemes can
also be offered to those respondents in this age group who are risk takers as in mutual
funds small amounts can invested. The need is to make this segment aware of the
products like ULIP (which is promising return of 20-25% p.a.) and tap as many
customers as possible. Also Positioning of the Mutual Funds should be such that attracts
customers.
• In order to tap the 25-35 years segment ULIP can be promoted as an investment option
rather than an insurance product. Mutual funds need to be promoted as only a small
segment is investing in mutual funds. Mutual funds and ULIP both can be the best
investment option for this segment.
• As the segment 35-45 years is an investing and risk taking segment, Mutual funds
promising higher returns can be promoted in this segment. The product ULIP is also
highly acceptable by this segment, so both of these products can be promoted as a best
investment options promising high returns and low risks. People in this age group can
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MUTUAL FUNDS AND OTHER INVESTMENT TOOLS COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS AND INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
also invest in real estate as by this age people are in the position to invest large lump sum
money for this investment.
• In the segment of 46 & above age group people be targeting for the Mutual funds as can
be seen that very few people are investing M.Fs. this is because this segment consists of
risk averters as this segment have invested in Fixed Deposits and government securities
and insurance than any other investment product as safety is the most important factor
which is being considered while investing by this segment. But these people are neutral
for these investments. These thus these products can be promoted as safe investments and
better than F.D’s only then this segment can be tapped.
Income
• The income bracket less than Rs.15000 per month are basically safe investors and
have not and do not prefer investing in mutual funds and ULIP. Thus positioning of
these products should be such that people are attracted towards this scheme. Emphasis
on marketing of the products should be given.
• Respondents under income bracket Rs.15000-Rs.30000 have mainly invested in
insurance. But when survey was done and their preferences were asked these
respondents strongly preferred investing in these strategies.
• Income Bracket of Rs.30000-Rs.50000 is the strong contenders for investing their
money and these people have invested in real estate, insurance and fixed deposits.
Moreover there is mixed preferences for their investments thus proper segmentation
of the sample should be done accordingly marketing strategies should be adopted.
• Though there is a small percentage of respondents in income bracket above Rs.50000
who least prefer investing in mutual fund. But this is the segment which can be well
targeted and their portfolio should be such that gives them more returns. The case of
ULIP is different as people strongly prefer investing in this investment strategy. Thus
emphasis for selling ULIP in this income bracket.
Occupation
The survey conducted has resulted in the observation that the business
class should be targeted for ULIP and Mutual funds as they strongly prefer
investing in these two products. These products should be positioned as safe
investment and then been sold it to service class and retirees as these investors are
the safe investor.
Some facts for the growth of mutual funds in India
• Numbers of foreign AMC’s are in the queue to enter the Indian markets like Fidelity
Investments, US based, with over US$1trillion assets under management worldwide.
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• Our saving rate is over 23%, highest in the world. Only channelizing these savings in
mutual funds sector is required.
• We have approximately 29 mutual funds which is much less than US having more than
800. There is a big scope for expansion.
• 'B' and 'C' class cities are growing rapidly. Today most of the mutual funds are
concentrating on the 'A' class cities. Soon they will find scope in the growing cities.
• Mutual fund can penetrate rural like the Indian insurance industry with simple and limited
products.
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Similarly ULIP investors have the option of investing across various schemes similar to the ones
found in the mutual funds domain, i.e. diversified equity funds, balanced funds and debt funds to
name a few. Generally speaking, ULIPs can be termed as mutual fund schemes with an insurance
component.
However it should not be construed that barring the insurance element there is nothing
differentiating mutual funds from ULIPs.
How ULIPs can make you RICH!
Despite the seemingly comparable structures there are various factors wherein the two differ.
In this article we evaluate the two avenues on certain common parameters and find out how they
measure up.
Section 80C benefits are availableSection 80C benefits are available only
Tax benefits on all ULIP investments on investments in tax-saving funds
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monthly basis. In ULIPs, determining the premium paid is often the starting point for the
investment activity.
This is in stark contrast to conventional insurance plans where the sum assured is the starting
point and premiums to be paid are determined thereafter.
ULIP investors also have the flexibility to alter the premium amounts during the policy's tenure.
For example an individual with access to surplus funds can enhance the contribution thereby
ensuring that his surplus funds are gainfully invested; conversely an individual faced with a
liquidity crunch has the option of paying a lower amount (the difference being adjusted in the
accumulated value of his ULIP). The freedom to modify premium payments at one's convenience
clearly gives ULIP investors an edge over their mutual fund counterparts.
2. Expenses
In mutual fund investments, expenses charged for various activities like fund management, sales
and marketing, administration among others are subject to pre-determined upper limits as
prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
For example equity-oriented funds can charge their investors a maximum of 2.5% per annum on
a recurring basis for all their expenses; any expense above the prescribed limit is borne by the
fund house and not the investors.
Similarly funds also charge their investors entry and exit loads (in most cases, either is
applicable). Entry loads are charged at the timing of making an investment while the exit load is
charged at the time of sale.
Insurance companies have a free hand in levying expenses on their ULIP products with no upper
limits being prescribed by the regulator, i.e. the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority. This explains the complex and at times 'unwieldy' expense structures on ULIP
offerings. The only restraint placed is that insurers are required to notify the regulator of all the
expenses that will be charged on their ULIP offerings.
Expenses can have far-reaching consequences on investors since higher expenses translate into
lower amounts being invested and a smaller corpus being accumulated. ULIP-related expenses
have been dealt with in detail in the article "Understanding ULIP expenses".
3. Portfolio disclosure
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Mutual fund houses are required to statutorily declare their portfolios on a quarterly basis, albeit
most fund houses do so on a monthly basis. Investors get the opportunity to see where their
monies are being invested and how they have been managed by studying the portfolio.
There is lack of consensus on whether ULIPs are required to disclose their portfolios. During our
interactions with leading insurers we came across divergent views on this issue.
There is lack of consensus on whether ULIPs are required to disclose their portfolios. While
some insurers claim that disclosing portfolios on a quarterly basis is mandatory, others state that
there is no legal obligation to do so.
4. Flexibility in altering the asset allocation
As was stated earlier, offerings in both the mutual funds segment and ULIPs segment are largely
comparable. For example plans that invest their entire corpus in equities (diversified equity
funds), a 60:40 allotment in equity and debt instruments (balanced funds) and those investing
only in debt instruments (debt funds) can be found in both ULIPs and mutual funds.
If a mutual fund investor in a diversified equity fund wishes to shift his corpus into a debt from
the same fund house, he could have to bear an exit load and/or entry load.
On the other hand most insurance companies permit their ULIP inventors to shift investments
across various plans/asset classes either at a nominal or no cost (usually, a couple of switches are
allowed free of charge every year and a cost has to be borne for additional switches).
Effectively the ULIP investor is given the option to invest across asset classes as per his
convenience in a cost-effective manner.
This can prove to be very useful for investors, for example in a bull market when the ULIP
investor's equity component has appreciated, he can book profits by simply transferring the
requisite amount to a debt-oriented plan.
5. Tax benefits
ULIP investments qualify for deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. This holds
good, irrespective of the nature of the plan chosen by the investor. On the other hand in the
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mutual funds domain, only investments in tax-saving funds (also referred to as equity-linked
savings schemes) are eligible for Section 80C benefits.
Maturity proceeds from ULIPs are tax free. In case of equity-oriented funds (for example
diversified equity funds, balanced funds), if the investments are held for a period over 12
months, the gains are tax free; conversely investments sold within a 12-month period attract
short-term capital gains tax @ 10%.
Similarly, debt-oriented funds attract a long-term capital gains tax @ 10%, while a short-term
capital gain is taxed at the investor's marginal tax rate.
Despite the seemingly similar structures evidently both mutual funds and ULIPs have their
unique set of advantages to offer. As always, it is vital for investors to be aware of the nuances in
both offerings and make informed decisions.
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Consumption level is rising with rising earning level. Economic indicators micro and macro both
show a sky facing arrows. Data shows that there will be more number of billionaires from India
than any of other country.
We know that Indians are earning more therefore spending more, but how much they save/invest
in order to secure future. There are numbers of traditional ways of saving. They give guaranteed
return with low risk. High risk associated investment options was not considered a right decision.
India is a young country having a considerably big part of young people. They are more risk
taker. They need a right direction for investment options.
This study and survey on mutual funds is a small eye hole to see the picture of mutual funds
industry in India. This provides almost clear view to the readers.
Mutual funds industry is enlarging its size in India. JVs, foreign JVs and acquisitions are in
trend. AUM has gone to $8 trillion, number of investors is rising, and number of AMCs is going
up. These changes are likely to happen. Indian monetary policy is supporting new business.
Private sector is aggressively participating in mutual funds business. Numbers of schemes are
much more than earlier.
With such shining sides, double digit inflation rate, bearish stock market, RBI’s high bank rates,
squeezing liquidity and other dark sides putting pressure on consumers saving. This situation
pushes investors back from investment. They wait and hold cash rather than investing. This study
found that investors are willing to invest with high rate of return. They know high return always
adhere to high risk but market still is not in correction mode. It will take time.
Indian market potential is high, investors are willing to pour money in mutual funds, despite
some temporary restraints,other economic factors are in favorable mode. Thus we need proper
management of advisory services, more schemes, financial advisors and institutions to cater
untouched markets.
Industry need to revise its business strategy. Investor’s perception is not prioritized yet. Instead
of completing targets, advisors working under institutions should consider the requirement of
investors. We need to change pattern of selling mutual funds schemes.
I hope this study will help readers to identify industry’s unidentified areas where they need to
work out.
References:-
www.IDFCMF.com
www.moneycontrolindia.com
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http://www.nse-india.com
http://www.amfiindia.com
http://www.mutualfundsindia.com
http://www.sebi.gov.in
www.businessmapsofindia.com
www.ceicdata.com
www.economictimes.com
www.valueresearchonline.com
www.standardchartered.co.in
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THANK YOU
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