Solution Oriented Mutual Funds

What are Solution Oriented Mutual Funds?

Solution Oriented Fund is a recently introduced category of mutual funds by SEBI. It has created an easy path for the financial planning of complex long term objectives which may or may not need alteration in the strategy with respect to time. The schemes under this category have been operating long before the formation of the category. These funds were previously categorised under equity or balanced schemes. However, the separate category allows fund managers to follow unique strategies and deliver eccentric outputs. The fund manager of a solution-oriented fund is free to furbish the portfolio with equity or debt tools and can also change the strategy for investors of different age groups. Some of the solution oriented mutual funds also provide tax deductions. Majority of the schemes under this category have lock-in period as the investment objective is of long term.

Types of Solution Oriented Funds

Based on the investment objective, SEBI has divided solution oriented funds into two sub-categories:

1.Retirement Funds

Financial independence in the post-retirement era is one of the most looked out objectives for millions of investors. To cater the retirement planning goals, various AMCs in India have mechanised plans for this specific purpose in a convenient, reliable and innovative manner. Every retirement fund follows a different strategy to enhance the financial strength of retirees.

Retirement mutual funds aim to provide financial assistance to the retirees by gathering the capital during the earning age of the investor. These funds follow an aggressive style of investment by selecting high-risk stocks in the portfolio when the investor is in the young and earning stage. As retirement is mostly more than 15 years away from such investors, high-risk stocks add significant value to the investment allowing more capital to be built for retirement planning.

As the investor approaches the retirement age, the corpus is generally shifted to a moderate or conservative plan of the same scheme which has a less risky portfolio. When the age of retirement is reached, the investor would’ve gained enough funds through the aggressive plan and hence a defensive portfolio can conserve the gathered amount and add regular incomes through debt securities. In simple words, the risk in the portfolio of retirement planning fund keeps reducing as the garnered amount through high-risk tools increases. These funds allow redemption either as a lumpsum or through periodic withdrawals which act as a pension to maintain the financial stability of the investor in the post-retirement era. These funds have a lock-in period of 5 years and charge exit load if redemption is made before retiring or reaching 60 years of age.

2.Children’s Funds

The children’s fund aims for the financial assistance of the young ones until their education is completed. Education in India is getting expensive day by day and for a common man, it can be a tough task to pay gigantic fees for the education of children. This can embark sudden financial imbalances on parents while some children with potential to learn are barred from studying further and achieving their dreams due to the financial situation. Proper planning and necessary steps taken at the right time can help in avoiding these kind of inconveniences.

Mutual fund AMCs in India have structured mutual funds which specifically aim for the financial planning of children’s education and other financial needs of the young ones. These funds follow a unique strategy to gather the corpus at a slow and steady pace when the child is young and the expenses are low. Later on, when the child comes at the age of attaining expensive education or any other financial assistance, the invested capital can be used. These funds may or may not use different plans with different portfolio structure to achieve their objective. The investment must be started before or right after the birth of the child to plan better tomorrow of your young ones.

Most of the children’s mutual fund has 2 different plans out of which one is equity oriented and the other is debt oriented. If the child is young or is about to be born, the equity-oriented plan can be chosen which can deliver higher returns in the long term. The debt oriented plans are for those children who are about to complete their primary schooling. The investment between both the plans can be switched depending on the age of the child.

Top Performing Solution Oriented Funds

Who Should Invest in Solution Oriented Funds?

Solution oriented mutual funds are mechanised to fulfil a specific goal. The portfolio of these funds is designed in such a way that the investor need not invest in any other scheme for that particular objective. These funds can simplify financial planning for specific goals. For long term goals, equity-oriented schemes must be chosen as these funds can be volatile for short term investments. Those who plan to invest in solution oriented mutual funds for short term goals must choose the debt oriented funds. The investment tenure in solution-oriented funds must be long enough to allow the investments to amplify. Suitable investors must start investing as early as possible for a satisfactory outcome. The risk associated is lower if the investment tenure is longer but the outcomes of solution oriented funds are subject to market risk and high returns are not guaranteed. However, if the funds are chosen according to the suitability and the investments are started at the right time, the chances of gaining better returns increases.

When To Start Investing in Solution Oriented Funds?

Investments in the solution-oriented fund must be started as early as possible. Know about right time to invest in the different types of solution-oriented funds:-

1.For Retirement Planning

Most of the youngsters do not give enough importance to retirement planning until they come closer to retirement. For a convenient and financially independent lifestyle of retirees, the investments must be large enough and must be started as soon as an individual starts earning. The long tenure will provide more gains on the SIP investments. For a serene post-retirement era, the ideal age to start investing is 30. Investments started before that can yield even better returns.

2.For Children’s Planning

You are responsible for the financial assistance of your children until they come to age when they start earning for themselves. With the rising expense in the education system, it is essential to plan strategically for the financial needs of the infants. To plan for the financial assistance for college fee, one must start planning as soon as the child is born. For the expenses of the school, one must be well prepared before the birth of the child as the school fees are constantly increasing at a rapid pace.

“Fail To Plan is a Plan to Fail”

Every smart citizen must be prepared for the financial burden which will be incurred in the future. If planning of the future expenses is done in the right manner, the financial imbalances can be avoided. By investing in mutual funds for the long term goals like retirement planning and children’s education, the investor can enjoy a better tomorrow by paying less. Connect with our team of experts to plan for your future financial goals in a most optimum manner.

FAQ on Solution Oriented Funds

• How to invest in solution oriented mutual funds?

  Investment in any of the solution-oriented mutual fund can be started after completing the profile and KYC verification at MySIPonline.
  
  

• What is the lock-in period of solution-oriented funds?

  Every solution oriented fund has a different lock-in period however, most of the best solution oriented funds have a lock-in period of 5 years.
  
  

• Can I invest in solution oriented funds for wealth creation?

  Solution oriented mutual funds are designed to achieve a specific goal. These funds mostly have a lock-in period of 5 years and charge exit load for long term. Choosing a different scheme which serves the objective of wealth creation can be a wise choice.
  
  

• Can I save tax by investing in solution oriented mutual funds?

  Some of the solution-oriented mutual funds also allow tax benefits. These funds invest in equities and have a lock-in period of 5 years. Under section 80C, taxable income can be reduced by up to Rs 1,50,000.
  
  

• I am planning for early retirement. Will the retirement mutual fund plans help?

  For early retirement, these funds can be helpful if the investment is started at a young age. However, an exit load will be applicable if the redemption is done before the age of 60.
  
  

• How to select the best retirement mutual fund?

  To choose the best retirement fund for oneself, the investor must seek for a fund which can provide enough returns to meet the financial requirements without crossing the limit of the risk appetite of the investor. The funds can be compared on the basis of volatility, consistency, fund manager, portfolio structure, risk to reward ratio, etc.
  
  

• What is the minimum age limit to start investing in retirement mutual funds?

  The investment in retirement funds can be started from the age of 18.
  
  

• What is the average rate of return for solution-oriented mutual funds?

  The returns of mutual funds depend entirely upon market conditions and nothing can be guaranteed. However, for a long term investment, investors can expect annualised returns 12-15% from an equity oriented fund and 8-12% from a debt-oriented fund. The returns can be higher or lower depending on the market conditions.