Intermediate

Retirement planning is one of the ignored facets of financial planning since the millennial population does not believe in saving for the future but instead lives in the present. In contrast, it becomes crucial to have a healthy financial corpus to take care of the life post-retirement in the absence of any formal social security scheme in India. The post-retirement life is often considered the second innings when one can fulfil their pending aspirations.

It is often said that investing is an art. One often thinks that the job of prudent financial planning is over by making regular savings. However, it is easier said than done since it is not only about saving but also saving and investing money in the right pockets. Markets today provide a wide range of investment options to investors across different asset classes. Still, one tends to go overweight in a single asset class, thereby creating a skewed investment portfolio.

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to hike the repo rate by 50 bps to 4.90%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 4.65% from 4.15% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate to 5.15% from 4.65%. The MPC maintained its “withdrawal of accommodation” stance while dropping the phrase “staying accommodative”, signaling a shift towards “neutrality”. The Governor reiterated that further monetary measures will be needed suggesting further rate actions to move towards a positive real rate in near term.

In the current market construct, there are some questions often on top of mind for fixed income investors:

Since the last RBI policy meet, global growth-inflation dynamics have changed drastically with increased risks of a synchronized global slowdown due to tight financial conditions & weak consumer sentiment. The US economy registered two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Global commodity prices have fallen meaningfully with Bloomberg commodity & agriculture spot index dropping by 11.3% & 18%, respectively in INR terms since June 8th, the last RBI policy (Source: Bloomberg).

As a productive investing channel, mutual funds have recently gained a lot of appeal. They have emerged as a preferred investment option amongst retail investors because of the convenience of investing and professional fund management. One may choose from different types of mutual funds in India that are broadly classified into five major categories. The investment goal will determine the best type of mutual fund to pick for your needs.

Continue reading below to learn more about various Mutual Fund types and their examples.

Mutual funds have made a niche space amid a vast universe of financial products. This write-up discusses mutual fund meaning and types to help investors make an informed investment decision.