Mutual funds are one of the most popular investment methods that be beneficial for both beginners and experts alike. They are designed to make investing easy. Instead of you picking a number of securities to invest in and keeping the portfolio valid, an experienced fund manager does this for you in a mutual fund. Every mutual fund will have a portfolio according to its theme, and you can choose a fund according to your likes.
Now, there are two ways you can invest in a mutual fund – as a lump sum or as monthly investments. The goals of these two methods are usually varied.
Lump sum vs SIP
The first method is where you can invest a corpus of money you already have one ago. According to the fund you choose, this can either keep your investment safe without much risk or appreciate your capital for the longer term. But since you are investing a big amount of money, you need to keep a keen eye on the market conditions during the tenure of the investment, and you would also need to invest at a suitable time.
But a lot of people may not be able to afford this. Some people may even have apprehension about putting a lot of money into a market-linked investment option in one go. Systematic investment plans can prove to be a possible solution here.
Systematic investment plans
SIPs are a scheme in which you can invest in the mutual fund of your choice through monthly instalments. This can ensure that the investment stays affordable for you, and this enables you to make a considerable corpus over a longer period of time. Remembering a few things while you choose an SIP plan can help you get the maximum returns. Read on to find out what those factors are.
Invest according to your goals
Every investment should have a goal according to which you can design your investment plan. A lack of a plan often leads to a lack of strategy.
For instance, if you are investing in building a retirement fund, you would know how much time you have to build the corpus. You can study and find out how much you need to raise as well. Plus, you can select the level of risk according to the tenure as well. This information can help you formulate a plan and invest accordingly.
Try to beat the inflation
Inflation refers to the increase in living expenses. It causes your money to lose value. If we take a simple example, the amount of money that can buy you ten mangoes today may only be able to buy you 8 in the next year. If your investment is not beating the inflation, you might suffer a net loss. For this, you can choose a fund that has the return potential to beat inflation.
Set up autopay
While this may sound trivial to some, setting up autopay can drastically increase your chances of making your investment successful. Autopay ensures that money is debited from your account and invested in the fund automatically every month. This can ensure your investment stays healthy even when if you fail to remember it.
Make sure you diversify
Mutual funds are an investment option that ensures at least a minimum diversification. This is because mutual funds invest in more than one type of security. But you can increase the quantum of diversification by investing in multiple mutual funds.
Following the above pointers can help you maximise your SIP’s return potential. Make sure you also choose a fund according to your investment horizon for the best results.
