Updated on: Jul 4th, 2022
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4 min read
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What are Best Mutual Funds?
A mutual fund is formed when an asset management company (AMC) pools investments from various individual and institutional investors to purchase securities.
The AMCs have fund managers to manage investments from investors. In short, mutual funds club investments from various investors to invest their money in bonds, stocks, and other similar avenues.
Mutual fund investors are assigned with fund units corresponding to their quantum of investment. Investors are allowed to purchase or redeem fund units at the current net asset value (NAV).
The NAV of mutual funds varies daily as per their underlying fund assets. Mutual funds are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and hence, they can be considered as a safe investment haven. A significant advantage of investing in mutual funds is that investors can diversify their portfolio at a relatively lower investment amount.
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Best SIP Plans 2022 – Top SIP Mutual Funds to Invest
Invest in Best SIP Plans through ClearTax. Get higher returns than any other tax saving schemes. Know about top Systematic Investment Plans / SIP Mutual Funds 2022 in India.
Considering to invest in Mutual Funds? It is important that you understand the types of mutual funds and their features
Invest in Best mutual funds or learn about how you should start investing in mutual funds & Save upto Rs.1.5 lakh in a financial year
Best SIP Plans 2022 – Top SIP Mutual Funds to Invest
SIP allows investors to invest a fixed sum regularly. The frequency of SIP can be monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually. Invest in SIPs through ClearTax and enjoy the highest returns among all tax-saving investments.
Best Equity Mutual Funds 2022
Equity mutual funds invest majorly in equity-linked instruments such as stocks. Click here to check the top 10 equity mutual funds.
Best Small Cap Mutual Funds 2022
Small-cap mutual funds are those that invest in shares of companies having smaller market capitalisation and listed under the 250th rank of the under the benchmark.
Best Large Cap Mutual Funds 2022
Large-cap mutual funds invest in shares of companies with large market capitalisation. Large-cap companies are very little affected by the market fluctuations as these are well established.
Best Multi Cap Funds 2022
Multi-cap funds are diversified mutual funds. They invest in stocks of small, mid, and large-cap market capitalisation.
Best Tax Saving Mutual Funds 2022
Tax-saving funds or ELSS, are equity-oriented mutual funds allowing investors to save taxes up to Rs 46,800 a year under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Best Mid Cap Mutual Funds 2022
Mid-cap mutual funds invest in stocks of companies having a market capitalisation in the range of Rs 500 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
Best Liquid Funds 2022
Liquid funds are an ideal option to invest your savings parked in a regular savings bank account. Liquid funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term debt instruments such as treasury bills that generate fixed income.
Best Debt Mutual Funds 2022
Most investors are in search of the schemes that generate good returns with moderate risk. Click here to check out the best debt funds.
Best Short Term Mutual Funds 2022
The maturity period of the short-term mutual funds vary between 15 days and 91 days. Historically, these funds have offered returns of up to 9%.
Best Income Funds 2022
Income funds mainly invest in high dividend generating shares, government bonds and securities, debentures, and corporate bonds that offer either interest payments or dividends.
Best Balanced Mutual funds 2022
The balanced/hybrid mutual funds invest in both equity and debt instruments. Investing is balanced.
Investors want to end up with the best mutual funds which gives high returns. The entire selection process has to be guided by three basic pointers i.e. your life goals, risk profile and investment horizon.
Investment Objective
Any investment should be made after considering one’s personal life goals. Once you have assessed your needs, match it with your fund’s objectives. Each mutual fund has an investment objective which may or may not match your goal. To arrive at a meaningful decision, select funds which conform to your overall financial plan and risk appetite. A long-term objective cannot be funded with a short-term scheme. Similarly, a risk-averse investor should not invest in a highly risky fund. You can get all the details about the scheme, including its objective, strategy and asset allocation in the key information document and scheme information document.
Fund History
You may begin the shortlisting process by looking at the fund history. A mutual fund should have a long track record for being considered for investment. It shows the strength of the fund during tough times. A recently launched fund may or may not perform well during bear runs; it is yet to be explored. On the contrary, a fund with a good track record of consistent performance indicates the accuracy of its investment strategies.
A fund which has a history of say at least 5 years may seem eligible for shortlisting. At this point, you need to consider keeping your investment horizon in perspective. If you have a longer horizon, you may look at 7 or 10 year returns.
Financial Ratios
Risk and return go hand in hand. Returns are the increase in the value of the initial investment as a result of investing in a security like a stock or bond. Risk is the uncertainty concerning the actual returns not falling in line with the expectations. Before finalizing a mutual fund, you need to examine its risk-return potential.
This can be easily done with the help of financial ratios. Sharpe Ratio and Alpha come handy to indicate the relevant information. Sharpe Ratio shows the extra return that the fund has generated for every additional unit of risk taken. A fund having a higher Sharpe Ratio is better than the fund having a lower Sharpe Ratio. Similarly, Alpha tells you how much extra return has the fund manager generated as compared to the benchmark. The higher the alpha, the superior would be the fund.
Expense Ratio
Expense ratio is an essential parameter that needs to be analysed while selecting a mutual fund scheme. It is an annual fee, expressed in percentage, that the fund house charges for managing your money. The extent of expense ratio charged affects the fund’s returns. Thus, a higher expense ratio translates into lower returns for the investor. So, you may choose a fund which has a lower expense ratio as compared to peer funds in the category.
Performance of Fund manager
Fund manager plays a crucial role in the performance of a fund. Even though the entire investment is process oriented, still fund manager is the one who has to take care of the ultimate responsibility and keep the show going on smoothly. It is important to know the track record of the fund manager. You may check performance of the fund during market rally and slump. A fund which has given consistent returns and contained losses during the bear runs shows robust fund management. The fund’s alpha reflects how much extra returns did the portfolio generate due to fund manager’s efforts.
Two primary ways of investing in mutual funds are through Systematic Investment Plan and one-time lump sum investment. Investors can opt for making a one-time lump sum payment if they have a considerable corpus to invest in. While SIPs are a recurring investment over a period of time. Investors can invest in SIPs on a monthly, quarterly, or an annual basis. Investing in SIPs is advisable for the first time mutual fund investors.
SIP Investment | One-time Investment |
---|---|
Periodic investments over a fixed tenure. | One-time investment in a tenure (lump sum). |
Cost of investment is low due to the benefit of rupee cost averaging. | Since the investment is made in one shot, the cost would be higher. |
Advisable for investors looking to stay invested for a short-term. | Advisable for investors looking to stay invested for a long-term. |
Investing in Mutual Funds is made paperless and hassle-free at ClearTax.
Using the following steps, you can start your investment journey:
ClearTax Invest was launched with the idea to help individuals with smart investing strategies..
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At ClearTax, you can invest by browsing through only the best funds in India. Investing with us is a simple process. Don’t worry about the security, Cleartax works on bank grade security. If you need assistance, avail ClearTax 24×7 services.
Mutual Fund Calculator
The Mutual Fund Calculator will give you the investment value at maturity by calculating fund returns according to your investment horizon. You can adjust the variables of the calculator like SIP/lump sum, amount of investment, frequency of SIP, expected rate of return and duration of SIP.
Use mutual fund calculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Best mutual funds in India for 2022 provide hassle-free investment options through ClearTax, offering expert-picked funds. Understand types of mutual funds and factors to consider when selecting the best funds, such as investment objectives, fund history, financial ratios, expense ratio, and performance of the fund manager. Utilize SIP or lump sum investments to achieve financial goals with guidance from ClearTax.