When considering investment opportunities, the first challenge that almost every investor faces is a plethora of options. From stocks, bonds, shares, money market securities, to the right combination of two or more of these, however, every option presents its own set of challenges and benefits.
So why should investors consider mutual funds over others to achieve their investment goals?
Mutual funds allow investors to pool in their money for a diversified selection of securities, managed by a professional fund manager. It offers an array of innovative products like fund of funds, exchange-traded funds, Fixed Maturity Plans, Sectoral Funds and many more.
Whether the objective is financial gains or convenience, mutual funds offer many benefits to its investors:
1. Beat Inflation
Mutual funds help investors generate better inflation-adjusted returns, without spending a lot of time and energy on it. While most people consider letting their savings grow in a bank, they don’t consider that inflation may be nibbling away its value.
Mutual funds provide an ideal investment option to place your savings for a long-term inflation adjusted growth, therefore the purchasing power of your hard earned money does not plummet over the years.
2. Expert Managers
Backed by a dedicated research team, investors are provided with the services of an experienced fund manager who handles the financial decisions based on the performance and prospects available in the market to achieve the objectives of the mutual fund scheme.
3. Convenience
Mutual funds are an ideal investment option when you are looking at convenience and timesaving opportunity. With low investment amount alternatives, the ability to buy or sell them on any business day and a multitude of choices based on an individual’s goal and investment need, investors are free to pursue their course of life while their investments earn for them.
4. Low Cost
Probably the biggest advantage for any investor is the low cost of investment that mutual funds offer, as compared to investing directly in capital markets. Most stock options require significant capital, which may not be possible for young investors who are just starting out.
Mutual funds, on the other hand, are relatively less expensive. The benefit of scale in brokerage and fees translates to lower costs for investors.
5. Diversification
‘Do not put all your eggs in one basket’, mutual funds help mitigate risks to a large extent by distributing your investment across a diverse range of assets. Mutual funds offer a great investment opportunity to investors who have a limited investment capital.
6. Liquidity
Investors have the advantage of getting their money back promptly, in case of open-ended schemes based on the Net Asset Value (NAV) at that time. In case your investment is close-ended, it can be traded in the stock exchange, as offered by some schemes.
7. Higher Return Potential
Based on medium or long-term investment, mutual funds have the potential to generate a higher return, as you can invest on a diverse range of sectors and industries.
8. Safety &Transparency
Fund managers provide regular information about the current value of the investment, along with their strategy and outlook, to give a clear picture of how your investments are doing.
Every mutual fund is regulated, you can be assured that your investments are managed in a disciplined and regulated manner and are in safe hands.
Every form of investment involves risk. However, skilful management, selection of fundamentally sound securities and diversification can help reduce the risk, while increasing the chances of higher returns over time.
Reference: The Times Of India