Your managed funds Information
In the one-year period ending September 23, 2008, you should credit yourself as a good fund manager if you have not lost any money, let alone got some returns. Which coveted mutual funds in India also managed to perform the same feat? Among the mutual fund investment arena in India, debt funds for sure.
Equity mutual funds as an investment? None of you would even hazard a guess. This is understandable considering that during this period, the benchmark index Sensex lost about 20 per cent of its value. But a category of equity funds braved this storm: arbitrage funds.
Only 10 equity funds managed to stay afloat in the one-year period ending 23, September 2008. And within this pack, the first seven positions in the list were taken by arbitrage funds. The rest went to pharma funds. Topping this list is UTI Spread Fund (Growth) with gave a return close to 9 per cent. It was followed by JM Arbitrage Advantage Fund (Growth), which also rose more than 8 per cent.
The other arbitrage funds in the list are ICICI Prudential Blended Plan - Option A (Growth); Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund – Growth; SBI Arbitrage Opportunities Fund – Growth; HDFC Arbitrage Fund - Plan B (Institutional) – Growth; and HDFC Arbitrage Fund - Plan A (Regular) – Growth.
This category of equity funds try to provide capital appreciation through arbitrage opportunities between the cash and derivative market. Arbitrage funds primarily invest in equity and equity-related securities, and derivatives. The rest is parked in debt securities.
How did these funds manage to sail smoothly in the rough weather? Well, the modus operandi of these funds provided a safety net. Arbitrage funds prey on pricing gap between the cash and future market. For example, a stock X is trading at Rs 100 in the cash segment and Rs 102 in the futures market.
The fund manager enters into a futures contract to sell the stock at Rs 102 and buys at Rs 100 in the cash segment.
Meanwhile, irrespective of the market movement till the futures settlement day or until he squares off the position, the fund manger makes a profit of Rs 2 on a stock. Similarly, the fund manager can also make profit even if the futures are trading at a discount to the spot prices. These funds offer a low-risk way of benefiting from the equity markets. As the risk profile is relatively low, the returns are moderate.
On top of that, arbitrage funds offer the tax advantage as that of equity funds. As arbitrage funds invest mostly in equity or equity-related instruments, they are treated as equity funds. So they attract lower short-term capital gain tax of 10 per cent and are completely tax-free after one year. Though the top-performing debt funds during this period offered higher returns than arbitrage funds, the debt funds don’t offer that tax advantage. For long-term capital gains, debt funds are taxed at 10 per cent without indexetion or 20 per cent with indexation, whichever is lower, plus 10 per cent and 3 per cent cess. This translates to 11.33 per cent without indexation, or 22.66 per cent with indexation. And for short term capital gains, debt funds are taxed at 33.39 per cent vs 10 per cent for equity funds.
Article author: N Profit
How often do you find yourself saying: "I wish I knew how to learn more about structured settlement mutual funds"
Well, this article about structured settlement mutual funds was written with you in mind. Enjoy.
Among the options open to you if you've received a structured settlement from a lawsuit or arbitration is what's known as structured settlement mutual funds. You should take some time before you choose an investment vehicle for your settlement money and learn the pros and cons of the mutual fund option.
Always keeping your long-term financial security in mind, structured settlement mutual funds offer advantages and disadvantages when compared to other investing options.
When you are awarded a structured settlement, an insurance company sets up an annuity in order to pay you small portions of the money at regular intervals. The safest option is to keep the money"in house" and get a guaranteed scheduled payment that will never change. The downside to going this super-safe route is that your money will not grow (much, if at all).
With structured settlement mutual funds, however, the money is invested in one or more mutual funds. Mutual funds are groups of individual equities (stocks), the make-up of which is closely managed in an effort to maximize returns. The individual stocks in any mutual fund can change regularly.
This introduces an element of risk - sometimes significant risk. So, if you have your structured settlement money in a structured settlement mutual funds set-up, you have the potential for higher rates of return, but you also incur more risk that you'll lose some of your money.
In most structured settlements, the annuity that is set up is guaranteed. You are assured of getting the same amount, month in and month out, until the settlement money runs out. It's a good option for those seeking to avoid any risk.
As you've read until now, structured settlement mutual funds is a subject that needs knowledge and effort to work around. And the information in this article was gathered from several resources.
There are some more gems of wisdom in what follows - keep reading.
Structured settlement mutual funds are not guaranteed. The upside is the potential for earning more if the mutual fund's value increases. It's like getting a raise, but it isn't a sure thing.
From a tax standpoint, income you receive from a fixed annuity is tax-free (in most cases). However, structured settlement mutual funds are subject to capital gains taxes and the possibility of some income taxation. Keep in mind that if your mutual fund loses money, the losses can be written off of your tax bill (under most circumstances), so it's not all bad if things don't go well.
Choosing a standard structured settlement fixed annuity means you are locked into a set payment amount and schedule. If your needs change down the road, this may cause you some financial hardships. With structured settlement mutual funds, you are allowed to move money around (within certain strict limits) from fund to fund. This will allow you to adapt to changes more readily.
As should be clear by now, this is not an easy decision. There are many pros and cons, whether you choose structured settlement mutual funds, the fixed annuity option, or any other alternative. This is one reason why it's a smart move to enlist the services of a competent lawyer who specializes in this area of the law. It's also wise to educate yourself as thoroughly as possible before making the final decision.
The day will come when you can use something you read here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about structured settlement mutual funds.
Ken Austin is the webmaster at Structured Settlement Tips
and Structured Settlements and Annuities.
Article Source:
ezinearticles.comYou can be on your way to doubling your money in 3 years by trading Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) rather than individual stocks.
DIVERSIFICATION
The most important reason is the diversification that Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) provide. With an individual stock you are exposed to the possibility that one of your stocks could get hit by bad news and plummet in price. It takes a long time to recover from one of these massive hits.
PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT
Skilled Mutual Funds managers spend every day determining which stocks to buy and sell. These managers companies have teams that examine quarterly and annual reports, interview Company executives; visit factories and review market share trends to get know the companies on a comprehensive basis, and avoid buying stocks when they are over-bought from a technical standpoint. There is no way an individual investor can compete with this level of sophistication.
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
Mutual Funds are able to take advantage of their buying and selling size to reduce transaction costs. This means a savings for the individual mutual fund investors enabling the individual investor to diversify without paying numerous commission charges involved in buying 15 to 20 individual stocks needed for diversification.
DIVISIBILITY
If someone only has $500 or $1,000 to invest, it is often insufficient to purchase an individual stock, especially after deducting commissions. Investors can buy mutual funds or add to their existing mutual fund holdings with a very small investment to keep their money working for them. With mutual funds, investors can hold fractional amounts as well.
GETTING STARTED
I invest my own money in every one of my Mutual Fund and Exchange Traded Funds trading systems. I subscribe to several advisory services to keep my universe of possible investments up to date. I utilize four different pieces of technical analysis software to determine which funds to buy, when to buy, and when it is time to sell.
I employ a strict stop loss and profit-protect methodology to keep my losses small and let my profits run. My approach is biased to the conservative side. I want to constantly upgrade my various mutual fund holdings so that I am holding the best mutual funds available.
Whenever I plan to buy or sell one of my holdings, I send my subscribers an email telling them exactly what I am doing, why I am doing it, and when I am plan to make the trades. I do the work so you don't have to. And, importantly, it will take you less than 30 minutes per month to make the trades with your on-line broker. You too can join me and my fellow investors and double your money in the next 3 years.
Gerry Wollert has been trading stocks for over 40 years and mutual funds for over 25 years. He now manages his personal investments with his
Mutual Fund Trading Systems and focuses exclusively on No Load Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds. You can learn more about his
trading systems at:
www.reboundtrading.comArticle author: Fabiola Groshan
