Mutual fund investments have become a popular
method of safekeeping and growing your funds for future financial
goals. However, a few schemes come handy during the need to save money,
grow money and provide security to the funds, such as equity and debt fund.
Both being most-chosen by newcomers who wish
to grow their money in various ways, equity fund and debt mutual funds have
gained their place as two trustworthy schemes in the recent market.
Now, what is the equity fund? Well, unlike
debt fund which invests in government-oriented securities and bonds, equity
funds opt for company stocks and shares. Such a mutual fund scheme believes in
thorough market research of company portfolios, scanning the market for
fluctuations and provides their investors with stocks that perfectly suit their
needs.
Equity funds, unlike debt funds, plays with
the idea of risk factors, as their investors believe in studying the market,
understanding the risk formats to gain the most profitable returns out of the
investment.
A scheme so diverse provides long-term and
profitable returns, with benefits such as tax deduction from income (ELSS
scheme), diversified investment options through various sectors and even a
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP).
Not to forget, you can always choose from a
plethora of options under market capitalization such as:
- Large Caps: Stocks from dominating markets with stable
activities and low-risk factors.
- Mid Caps: Although there are more risk-factors in
mid-cap stocks, the potential growth is much more than large-cap here.
- Small Caps: small or micro-cap schemes have the
potential for growth in the market as from new companies, hence there is a
large risk-factor involved.
Debt mutual funds invest mostly in
non-convertible debentures, government bonds and securities in the market. Such
units provide a fixed-income benefit to the public who wishes for lumpsum and
steady return from the investment. Such funds have lower-risk rates and more
secure.
Equity funds work with company stocks and shares of various caps after scanning the market and understanding potential
returns. Investors of equity funds wish for profitable earnings and growth in
their capital. Such funds can be volatile due to fluctuations, recessions and
currency value changes in the market.
For debt fund schemes, the taxation on
short-term investment depends upon the market while for long term (more than 3
years) is 20% Whereas, short-term equity funds fall under a
15% tax rate while long term ( more than 1 year) remains tax-free.
Hence, if you have a
high-risk appetite and desire profitable returns for money growth, opt for
Equity funds.