Each month, your employer deducts a mandatory 12% from your basic salary, including dearness allowance, and allocates it to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF). Interestingly, you have the option to contribute significantly more than this obligatory 12% deduction. This is referred to as a voluntary provident fund (VPF).Investing in a VPF offers a significant advantage as contributions come from your pre-tax income. To boost savings, you can increase VPF contributions beyond the mandatory 12% from your basic salary. Presently, it yields an 8.15% interest rate, subject to annual revision.

More and more Indian investors are believing in the slogan often heard during the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 telecast – ‘Mutual Funds Sahi Hain’. According to data by Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) in October, ₹16,928 crore (approx $2 billion) flowed into SIP accounts, adding up to a total inflow of ₹1.75 lakh crore over the preceding twelve months. In October 2022, it stood at ₹13,040 crore.With over 44 registered mutual fund houses in India and a wide variety of fund categories, it is not easy to construct a mutual funds portfolio that is suitable for one’s needs. Here we take a look at some key factors that will help you build a mutual funds portfolio and select the categories of funds to invest in.

Retail investors are betting on India’s top-down approach, shows the latest data released by AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds of India). Moreover, they are doubling down on some sectors and curbing their preference of others. The festive season has also rekindled India's love for gold products as investments in gold ETFs grew by a whopping 472% in October 2023.

Mutual funds are one of the best options to generate a regular income. Mutual funds offer a lot of flexibility. Through mutual funds you can get into each and every asset class apart from real estate- equity, debt, gold and even government bonds at a very low cost. “The systematic withdrawal plan (SWP) route works as well as a pension. You invest in a lump sum you set up a date, and that particular date, every month or at whatever frequency you want, the money will be credited to your account just like a pension,”

Indian markets have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming Samvat 2080. The key factor is general elections to happen next year. Most analysts hope it will drive up benchmark indices to new heights. “The bull case scenario is a flood of institutional money -- both domestic and foreign -- and a stable government triggering a big rally in the market taking the Nifty beyond 23,000 by next Samvat,” said V K Vijayakumar of Geojit Financial Services.

Retail investors continue to be bullish on equities, going by the data released by the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI). Retail investors have played a significant role in supporting markets, with inflows touching Rs 108,517 crore being pumped into equity oriented schemes in the first nine months of the year. Small cap funds continue to be the preferred investment option for investors.

The investment climate has toughened in the last few weeks, with Israel-Hamas conflict adding to tough geopolitical conditions. On the other hand, domestic investors are upbeat, with record mutual fund SIP accounts hitting an all-time high in September. Chintan Haria, head of investment strategy at ICICI Prudential AMC tells Business Insider India about the themes that hold potential for investors, instruments that offer stability in tough times and more.

Gaining popularity are arbitrage funds that come with very low risk. These funds tend to take advantage of price discrepancies between the cash and futures markets, offering investors an opportunity to generate profits even in turbulent times. ​​Business Insider delves deep into this product to explain the concept, benefits of investing in such funds, and the potential drawbacks investors should consider.

Mutual fund data for the month of September, released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), shows that equity fund inflows have slipped when compared to the previous month. ELSS funds saw a net outflow of ₹141 crore, as compared to an outflow of ₹27 crore in August. Inflows in mid-cap funds held strong with a net inflow at ₹2,001 crore.

All of us go to bed at night knowing that the men at our borders are there to protect us. But the lives of defence personnel are different, not only when it comes to their jobs, but also to their finances.First, they might be posted at extremely remote locations where it is very difficult to get financial advice or access to banking and investment products. Also, the demands of their career are such that it relegates financial planning low down in their to-do list.

Mutual funds carry varying levels of risk. These risks can be influenced by factors such as the types of investments held within the fund, prevailing market conditions, and the chosen strategy of the fund manager.It is crucial for investors to evaluate their risk tolerance and align it with the fund's risk level before investing. This helps ensure that the chosen mutual fund aligns with their financial goals and comfort level with potential fluctuations in returns.

August has been a watershed month for the mutual fund industry with total assets of the industry touching ₹47 lakh crore. Of this, ₹24 lakh crore is in equity, hybrid and solution oriented schemes. Pharma and infra funds were among the top performing category, while IT funds recovered and made a strong comeback. Smallcap funds stole the show with monthly inflows of ₹4,265 crore against ₹4,171 crore in July.

Gold savings schemes offered by jewellers allow customers to invest in gold through monthly instalments. They typically run for 11 months, with the 12th instalment being free. Customers make fixed monthly payments, and at the end of the scheme, they can purchase gold jewellery or items equivalent to the total amount saved. Others might offer discounts on making charges when purchasing jewellery.

Axis Mutual Fund conducted an investor survey to ascertain ‘Risk Comprehension’ amongst Indian investors. As high as 61% of the respondents were not aware of what risk-o-meter indicates. An equally large number – 66% respondents – said that they would like to understand more about the risk-o-meter and its importance in making informed decisions.

India's market regulator, Sebi, has empanelled 34 entities, including Ernst & Young LLP, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP and Grant Thornton Bharat LLP to conduct forensic investigation of mutual funds, their asset management companies (AMCs) and trustees. The entities are required to undertake acquisition, extraction and analysis of digital evidence from mobile, computers, tablets, hard drives and USB drives.

Mutual funds hold an inherent advantage as investments because they provide a diverse range of products tailored to investors' preferences. These include equity schemes and traditional debt options. For those with a more risk-tolerant approach, there are hybrid schemes, whereas index funds and ETFs offer more aggressive investment options. Nonetheless, it's important to note that all these investment options carry a degree of risk since they are influenced by the market, making them somewhat less predictable.

After witnessing staggering inflow in July, debt-oriented mutual fund schemes saw a withdrawal of Rs 25,872 crore last month as investors continue to adopt a cautious stance amid the current interest rate scenario in the US. Out of 16 debt categories, nine of them witnessed net outflows during the month under review, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed.

In August, there was a surge in net inflows into equity-oriented schemes, reaching a five-month peak at ₹20,245 crore. This marked a substantial increase from the ₹7,626 crore recorded in July, as reported by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).According to ICRA analytics, equity investments experienced inflows during August, partly due to a slight decline in the Nifty index. This dip served as a consolidation phase and created an attractive opportunity for value-oriented investors. Furthermore, there has been a growing trend of increased inflows from individual investors in this period.

​​Net inflows into equity oriented mutual funds for the month more than doubled to Rs 20,245.26 crore in the month of August against Rs 7625.95 crore recorded in the month of July. The debt funds category continued reported net outflows of Rs 25,872 crore during the month. The month has also seen record new SIP accounts being opened at 35 lakh.

Indian investors will have more choice when it comes to mutual funds with new fund houses setting up shop. Portfolio management firm, Old Bridge Capital Management (OBCM), has officially received the green light from India’s market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to launch its mutual fund activities under the name Old Bridge Mutual Fund.

Markets regulator Sebi is building an artificial intelligence tool to help detect misselling by mutual funds, its Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on Tuesday. She cited a recent incident of a 90-year-old being sold a product with a seven-year lock-in period to illustrate an instance of misselling, and said algorithms will help flag such cases.

Investors are betting big on systematic investment plans or SIP to generate long-term wealth with the monthly flow in the mutual fund industry through the route reaching an all-time high of Rs 15,245 crore in July. The record high SIP numbers came despite the equity mutual funds registering a 12 per cent month-on-month decline in inflow to Rs 7,626 crore in July, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) showed on Wednesday.

Capital markets regulator Sebi is engaged with the mutual fund industry to introduce 'MF Lite' regulations for passive funds, a move that will reduce the compliance burden and foster innovation. A passive fund is an investment vehicle that tracks a market index or a specific market segment. These funds include passive index funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), and Fund of Funds investing in ETFs.

The markets have been in a bull run from the start of this financial year. Since April, the Nity50, India’s benchmark index, has run up almost 15 percent. However, in the recent few weeks, volatility has arisen with the Nifty VIX, market’s volatility barometer, spiking at the end of July. Therefore, this begs the perennial question of which asset class will give best returns in such an environment.

Mirae Asset Mutual Fund on Thursday said it remains optimistic about a stable capital market outlook, aided by improved macroeconomic conditions. Ankit Jain, the fund manager at Mirae Asset AMC, said the 25-basis point rate hike by the Federal Reserve was in line with expectations. According to him, inflationary pressures are easing globally, and supply and demand imbalances are being rectified.