Guides
A growing collection of how-to guides and reference notes.
- Half-yearly unaudited financial results of a mutual fund scheme
Half-yearly unaudited financial results are SEBI-mandated financial statements that each mutual fund scheme must publish within two months after the end of September and March, disclosing income, expenditure, and balance sheet data in a standardised format.
- Half-yearly portfolio statement for mutual funds
The half-yearly portfolio statement is a SEBI-mandated disclosure in which mutual fund AMCs publish the full scheme portfolio and unitholder distribution as of 31 March and 30 September each year, supplementing the monthly portfolio disclosure with additional regulatory data.
- GST on mutual fund management fees
Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 18 per cent applies to the investment management fee component of a mutual fund's total expense ratio. It is embedded within the published TER ceiling and effectively reduces the net fee retained by the AMC.
- Growth option vs IDCW option in mutual funds
Comparative reference on the growth and IDCW (formerly dividend) options in Indian mutual funds: NAV mechanics, tax efficiency, suitability by investor profile, and common selection errors.
- Grandfathering of LTCG on equity MFs (31 January 2018)
The 31 January 2018 grandfathering provision under Section 55(2)(ac) shields pre-2018 equity mutual fund gains from LTCG tax. Computation method, NAV lookup, and worked examples.
- Gold ETF vs Sovereign Gold Bond vs Gold mutual fund
A factual comparison of Gold ETFs, Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs), and gold mutual funds (fund of funds) in India covering returns, tax treatment, liquidity, storage, and SEBI/RBI regulation.
- Gold ETF in India
Encyclopedic reference on Gold ETFs in India: SEBI definition, 99.5% purity physical gold backing, demat form, GST exemption, taxation, custodian arrangements, comparison with sovereign gold bonds and gold mutual funds.
- Gilt mutual fund
Encyclopedic reference on gilt mutual funds in India: SEBI definition (80% in government securities across maturities), interest rate risk, RBI monetary policy impact, taxation, and comparison with gilt 10-year constant duration and corporate bond funds.
- FundsIndia
FundsIndia is an Indian online mutual fund distribution and financial planning platform, one of India's earliest direct-to-consumer MF portals, offering both direct and regular plan investing.
- Franklin Templeton six-scheme winding-up (April 2020)
In April 2020 Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund abruptly wound up six debt schemes with Rs 25,000 crore AUM, triggering India's largest open-end fund closure and landmark SEBI enforcement proceedings.
- Franklin Templeton India Mutual Fund
Franklin Templeton India Mutual Fund is the Indian arm of the US-based Franklin Templeton Investments, active since 1996 and notable for its 2020 debt fund closure event.
- FPI and mutual fund investing
Reference on Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) registered under SEBI regulations investing in Indian mutual fund schemes: eligibility, investment limits, KYC, tax treatment, and interaction with direct equity investment limits.
- Form 26AS -- TDS on mutual fund dividends in India
Form 26AS reflects TDS deducted under Section 194K on mutual fund dividend (IDCW) payouts exceeding Rs 5,000 per financial year from a single AMC, and is a key reconciliation document for mutual fund investors filing income-tax returns in India.
- Folio number in mutual funds
Reference on folio numbers in Indian mutual funds: what a folio is, how it is assigned, relationship to PAN and KYC, consolidation of folios, and distinction from demat account.
- Focused equity mutual fund
Encyclopedic reference on focused equity mutual funds in India: SEBI 30-stock maximum concentrated portfolio rule, no market-cap constraint, high conviction investing, tracking error versus diversified peers, and exemplar schemes.
- Flex SIP and Smart SIP
Reference on flex SIP and smart SIP in Indian mutual funds: valuation-based variable instalment mechanisms, how market signals adjust the investment amount, and comparison with fixed SIP.
- FATCA-restricted US/Canada NRI MF rules
Detailed analysis of why most Indian AMCs refuse mutual fund investments from US and Canada tax-resident NRIs, the FATCA IGA framework, which fund houses accept such investors, and compliance pathways.
- Exit load in mutual funds
An exit load is a charge deducted from redemption proceeds when an investor exits a mutual fund within a specified holding period. It discourages short-term trading and compensates the remaining investors for transaction costs caused by early redemptions.
- Exit load cap rule, Indian mutual funds
Encyclopedic reference on SEBI's exit load cap rule for Indian mutual funds: the prohibition on entry loads, the 1% cap for equity funds, credit of exit loads to the scheme, and the current regulatory framework under Regulation 52.
- ESG and Sustainable Investing in Indian Mutual Funds
The evolution of ESG (environmental, social, governance) mutual fund schemes in India, from the first ESG funds in 2018-19 to SEBI's disclosure framework, scheme performance, and the challenges of ESG data in an emerging market context.
- Equity savings mutual fund
Encyclopedic reference on equity savings mutual funds in India: SEBI rules for unhedged equity, arbitrage, and debt allocation, equity-fund taxation treatment, comparison with conservative hybrid and balanced advantage funds.
- Equity ETF in India
Encyclopedic reference on equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in India: SEBI definition, creation-redemption mechanism, tracking error, NSE/BSE listing, taxation, comparison with index funds, and major equity ETF examples including NIFTY BeES.
- Equity Culture in India and the Role of Mutual Funds
How mutual funds became the primary vehicle for expanding equity culture in India, transforming equity investing from an urban elite activity to a mass retail behaviour over three decades.
- EPFO equity ETF channel
Reference on the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's equity investment mandate through index ETFs: legal basis, fund selection, SBI MF and UTI AMC mandates, asset allocation caps, returns, and investor implications.
- EPFO and the Equity ETF Channel
How the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation became a dominant institutional investor in Indian equity ETFs, its mandate evolution from 2015 to 2025, portfolio composition, and implications for passive fund AUM.
- EOP regulations 2023 (Execution-Only Platform framework)
SEBI's 2023 Execution-Only Platform (EOP) framework formally defines and regulates platforms that facilitate direct-plan mutual fund transactions without providing investment advice in India.
- Entry load in mutual funds, historical note
Entry load was a one-time charge levied on mutual fund investors at the time of purchase, deducted from the investment amount before units were allotted. SEBI abolished entry loads on all mutual fund schemes with effect from 1 August 2009.
- Employee Unique Identification Number (EUIN)
The EUIN is a mandatory identifier issued by AMFI to individual employees of mutual fund distributors in India, enabling accountability for specific investment recommendations made to retail investors.
- ELSS vs ULIP
A factual comparison of Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) and Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) as Section 80C instruments in India, covering cost, lock-in, mortality charges, tax treatment, and suitability.
- ELSS vs PPF
A detailed comparison of Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) and Public Provident Fund (PPF) as Section 80C tax-saving instruments in India, covering returns, risk, lock-in, liquidity, and suitability.