“Dividends are unethical. They give you the impression that you are getting something extra from the fund. However, you are not. The dividend is just your returns being given back to you.”  – Parag Parikh, in the first unitholder meet held in Chennai and Mumbai, Nov 2014. Sources: this author, who attended the Chennai meet…

The Ulcer Index is a measure of downside risk in actively managed mutual funds. It is a simple way to find out how stressful it is to hold a fund compared to a benchmark.  Investors can make the analysis shown using the tools in the freefincal investor circle (details below). Context: The standard deviation (volatility)…

I was recently asked what tools and platforms you use for investing. I never stopped to think about it before. So, I did it in the hope that it may be of some interest to the reader. As older readers would know, I invest in NPS (mandatory), PPF (just enough to keep it alive and…

Specialized Investment Funds (SIFs) and information about them are popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. Thankfully, they are not a retail product, as the minimum investment is Rs. 10 lakhs (that many investors with Crores of net worth consider themselves “retail” and “middle class” is another matter!). SIFs are supposed to fill the “gap”…

We discuss the performance consistency of actively managed mid cap funds by comparing them with the Nifty Midcap 150 index. The freefincal active equity mutual fund screener, published monthly, uses the Midcap 150 to compare small cap funds. It also uses Midcap 150 Quality 50. We do not include the factor indices in this study…

We discuss the different ways in which you can use the Freefincal Equity Mutual Fund Screener. The screener has two pages – a rolling returns sheet and a trailing returns sheet.  The Sep 2025 edition is the latest screener at the time of writing. At all times, the top link in this archive is the…

Many investors display strong emotions whenever a mutual fund or MF asset management company gets into trouble (bond defaults, redemption pressure, front running, etc.). One group blames the AMC, the regulator, and finfluencers and goes into “I want my money back mode” Another group attacks those who are critical of the AMC under pressure and…

In this article, we discuss a reader’s question, “How should I benchmark my equity MF returns?”This is an important step for those investing in active mutual funds as it often reminds them that beating a benchmark index is not easy. See: Why are you recommending index funds when your portfolio has beaten the market? However, it…

Everyone associated with a mutual fund says, “the best way to build wealth is via SIP in an equity mutual fund over the long term”. However, where is the proof that a long-term equity mutual fund SIP would work? In this article, we analyse 40+ years of the Sensex and 110 years of the S&P…

Whenever I share my investment portfolio in annual audits or other articles, readers ask about my investment strategy. See, for example, “17 Years of Mutual Fund Investing: My Journey and Lessons Learned.” “How did you select the funds you hold?”, “How do you decide when to exit a fund?” and so on. Others are angry…

A reader asks, “I have a sum of Rs. 10 lakhs to invest for the long term. How should I invest this in equity mutual funds?” Please ask yourself these questions first. 1: Will this amount be associated with a single goal or multiple goals? If it is the latter, for each goal what is…

A SIP, SWP or STP is an investment mode, not an instrument. Many still ask, “Which SIP can I invest in?”. You do not invest in a SIP. You invest via a SIP. We explain why SIP, SWP or STPs are not necessary to invest in mutual funds. 1 A SIP is an automated way…

I was recently asked in an interview, “What is the most common mistake made by new mutual fund investors?” The short answer is not understanding the nature of the stock market. Even experienced mutual fund investors are also guilty of this. Many mutual fund investors expect excellent performance every year. So when they see a fund…