Why are all my mutual funds losing money?
Lack of Knowledge
The Impact of Market Cycles
Markets move in cycles and so does Mutual Fund performance. A fund that excels in a bull market may not perform as well in a bear market. If you're chasing a fund based on its performance in a specific market phase, you might be entering at the wrong time.
Because of the year-end many investors started booking profits and cutting back on fresh purchases to balance their book of accounts. So, demand reduced. Secondly, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) started coming down hard on non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), which were a major source of stock market funds.
However, if you have noticed significantly poor performance over the last two or more years, it may be time to cut your losses and move on. To help your decision, compare the fund's performance to a suitable benchmark or to similar funds. Exceptionally poor comparative performance should be a signal to sell the fund.
However, during a market crash, stock prices come down. This, in turn, pulls down the performance of mutual funds holding these stocks. Companies, too, face a tough time with their operations taking a hit, and it takes time for stocks to recover. Performance improves only when stocks recover lost ground.
Mutual Fund assets grew 35% in fiscal 2024, recording the highest gain since fiscal 2021 when the industry grew 41%, said a report by Association of Mutual Funds India.
It is generally recommended to exit a poorly performing mutual fund if it has consistently underperformed its benchmark over a sustained period of time, typically 1-2 years. Investors should also consider the reasons for the poor performance and evaluate if those issues are likely to persist in the future.
There is no guarantee you will not lose money in mutual funds. The profit and loss in mutual funds depend on the performance of stock and financial market. There is no guarantee you will not lose money in mutual funds. In fact, in certain extreme circ*mstances you could end up losing all your investments.
You can lose money investing in mutual funds or ETFs. , so don't be dazzled by last year's high returns. But past performance can help you assess a fund's volatility over time.
For a mutual fund to lose its value and become zero means that all the holdings in the portfolio must become zero or worthless. The probability of all the assets becoming zero is extremely low. It is quite possible that your investments are giving negative returns.
When should you stop mutual funds?
When it comes to equity, it is very important that, especially when you are thinking about long-term goals, you want to exit as soon as you have 2-3 years left approaching your goal and there are just 2-3 years to get there. That is number one.
A far better strategy is to build a diversified mutual fund portfolio. A properly constructed portfolio, including a mix of both stock and bonds funds, provides an opportunity to participate in stock market growth and cushions your portfolio when the stock market is in decline.
In the category of market-linked securities, mutual funds are a relatively safe investment. There are risks involved but those can be ascertained by conducting proper due diligence.
Choose Bond Funds
Bonds are traditionally considered one of the safer investment vehicles because they provide returns of principal and guaranteed interest payments each year. When it comes to protecting your mutual fund investment from economic unrest, government-issued bonds are even safer than corporate bonds.
No, you shouldn't sell your mutual funds before a recession. Even if you're uncomfortable with the market price decline, overreacting and selling mutual funds at a loss when there is a market drop or recession isn't a sound strategy. It's best to set aside cash for use during recessions and before a market downturn.
(You must convert the rate of return to the monthly figure through dividing by 12). You also have n = 10 years or 120 months. FV = Rs 1,84,170. So, the future value of a SIP investment of Rs 1,000 per month for 10 years at an estimated rate of return of 8% is Rs 1,84,170.
Quant Mid Cap Fund offered 35.05% in five years on SIP investments. Bank of India Small Cap Fund offered 35.01% SIP returns. Quant Flexi Cap Fund, Quant Active Fund, and Quant ELSS Tax Saver Fund - a flexi cap, multi cap, and an ELSS fund from Quant Mutual Fund, offered 33.49%, 30.58%, and 34.05% respectively.
Mutual Fund: Buyer is the mutual fund itself and the seller is the company who sell the corresponding units in current Net Asset Value (NAV). The amount gets credited in the account within three to four working days.
What is the 8-4-3 rule of compounding? In the 8-4-3 strategy, the average return of a particular investment amount for 8 years is 12 per cent/annum, while after that time period, it will take only half of that horizon, i.e., 4 years (total 12 years), to get a return of 12 per cent.
Mutual funds provide convenient diversification and professional management through a single investment, but can have high fees, tax inefficiency, and market risk like the underlying securities.
Which mutual funds to avoid?
Credit risk mutual funds
These funds invest in low-credit quality debt instruments. As a result, the risk of investing in these funds is high. The fund manager invests in the debt tools expecting their credit score to improve. This can have a significant impact on the performance of the fund.
You might need some help from your broker or financial advisor if this is the case; they'll be able to help you assess what went wrong and whether there's anything you could have done differently in order to avoid losing money on your investment.
Typically, the rule of thumb is to remain invested for four to five years for better equity fund returns and two to three years for debt funds. For long-term mutual fund investments, it is advisable to refrain from unnecessary withdrawals to allow your funds to grow steadily.
Given how high the risk is with these mutual funds, it is best to limit yourself to a limited number of small cap mutual funds. Also, avoid putting in a great percentage of your total mutual fund investment in small cap mutual funds. Debt Funds: Ideally 1, but 2 is also good.
Disadvantages include high fees, tax inefficiency, poor trade execution, and the potential for management abuses.
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