How to select an equity mutual fund in 30 minutes!

Published on / By M. Pattabiraman Twitter: @pattufreefincal / 2 Comments
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Published: March 3, 2018 at 12:06 pm

Last Updated on October 21, 2021 at 7:46 am

Here is a video description of how to select an equity mutual fund in under 30 minutes using the freefincal mutual fund screener and if necessary with a rolling returns calculator.  Before heading to the video, it is important to recognise that this is a simple, (some might call) crude way to shortlist funds and pick one from them. It is more important to pick a fund fast and start investing rather than suffer from analysis paralysis.

How to use the mutual fund screener

Step-by-step

Step 1: Download the Mutual Fund Screener Version 6.0 (Windows, Mac, and Google sheets)

Step 2: Instructions to log into Value Research

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  1. Open blank excel
  2. Select Data in the menu
  3. Click get external data and then from web
  4. Excel will open an internet browser-like window (basically a box where you enter an url)  and there will be annoying script error messages. Dismiss them.
  5. Then Go to VR online in that window and go to  the main page. There will be annoying messages. Dismiss them.
  6. Click on login. If you are not able to do so. Stop the page from downloading and then click login
  7. Login with your email (preferable) and click on remember me.
  8. Now you can exit the browser window and start using the screener. It should work fine now.

Step 3: As an additional step you can check for performance consistenty of the funds in your short-list using the  Mutual Fund SIP and Lump Sum Rolling Returns Calculators.

Step 4: Learn How to review a mutual fund portfolio. Withouth this, fund selection is useless!

It always important to remember that Selecting the right equity mutual fund scheme is not possible!

Note: In addition to these steps, once you have selected 1/2 funds, do spend some time reading about the investment style of the fund from the AMC website.

More details about the sheet can be found here: Mutual Fund Screener Version 6.0

Re-Assemble: money management basics for young earners

Re-assemble is a series focussing on the basics of money management for young earners.

Step 1: Listing your goals dreams and nightmares

Step 2: Lay the Foundations to Get Rich creating an emergency fund

Step 3: How to buy Term Life Insurance

Step 4: How to choose a suitable health insurance policy

* Apollo Munich Optima Restore Benefit vs Max Bupa Re-fill Benefit 

* Star Health Comprehensive Insurance vs Religare Care Comprehensive Insurance

* Building a health insurance comparison chart + Cigna TTK vs Royal Sundaram Health Policies

*  How to buy a Super Top-up Health Insurance policy

* How I selected a health insurance policy

* Why we all need a corpus for medical expenses and how to build it

Step 5: How to select a credit card for maximum benefit

Step 6: How to track monthly expenses and manage them efficiently

Step 7:  How to close your loans and live debt-free

Step 8:  How to buy a personal accident insurance policy

Step 9: Are you ready to let go and let your money grow?

Step 10: Investment planning case study 1: How to create an investment plan

Step 11: Case study 2: Retirement planning for 27-year old Amar

Step 12: Three Key Factors that decide how we achieve our financial goals

Step 13: How to start investing in equity?

Step 14: What should be my first mutual fund?

Step 15: How to select an equity mutual fund in 30 minutes! (this post)