Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2014

What is an ETF?

What is an ETF? Think of an exchange-traded fund as a mutual fund that trades like a stock. Just like an index fund, an ETF represents a basket of stocks that reflect an index such as the Nifty. An ETF, however, isn't a mutual  fund; it trades just like any other company on a stock exchange. Unlike a mutual fund that has its net-asset value (NAV) calculated at the end of each trading day, an ETF's price changes throughout the day, fluctuating with supply and demand. It is important to remember that while ETFs attempt to replicate the return on indexes, there is no guarantee that they will do so exactly. By owning an ETF, you get the diversification of an index fund plus the flexibility of a stock. Because, ETFs trade like stocks, you can short sell them, buy them on margin and purchase as little as one share. Another advantage is that the expense ratios of most ETFs are lower than that of  the average mutual fund. When buying and selling ETFs, you pay your broker the same c...

Mutual Fund Type Part-2

What are the different investment plans that Mutual Funds offer? The term 'investment plans' generally refers to the services that the funds provide to investors offering different ways to invest or reinvest. The different investment plans are an important consideration in the investment decision, because they determine the flexibility available to the investor. Some of the Investment plans offered by mutual funds in India are: Growth Plan and Dividend Plan A growth plan is a plan under a scheme wherein the returns from investments are reinvested and very few income distributions, if any, are made. The investor thus only realizes capital appreciation on the investment. Under the dividend plan, income is distributed from time to time. This plan is ideal to those investors requiring regular income. Dividend Reinvestment Plan Dividend plans of schemes carry an additional option for reinvestment of income distribution. This is referred to as the dividend reinvestme...