Is it good to hold mutual funds for the long term?
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What Happens When You Hold Mutual Funds Long-Term
Investing in mutual funds is one of the best ways to grow your wealth over time, but one of the most common questions among mutual fund investors is: How long should I hold mutual funds?
The answer depends on various factors like your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment strategy.
I will explain the benefits of holding mutual funds for the long term.
Benefits of Holding Mutual Funds for the Long Term:
Now, let us learn why holding mutual funds for the long term can be beneficial for investors:
Compounding Returns:
One of the primary benefits of holding mutual funds for a long period is to get the benefit of compounding returns.
Compounding allows your investment earnings to generate additional returns over time, as both your initial investment and the returns earned on it continue to grow.
By reinvesting dividends and capital gains, you can earn additional income over the long term.
Diversification:
Mutual funds offer investors access to a diversified portfolio of securities across various asset classes, sectors, and geographies.
By spreading your investments across multiple assets, mutual funds help mitigate the risk associated with individual stocks or bonds.
Holding mutual funds for the long term allows you to escape from short-term market fluctuations and benefit from the overall growth of the diversified portfolio, thus reducing the impact of volatility on your investment returns.
Cost-Effective Investment Strategy:
Investing in mutual funds typically involves lower costs compared to direct investments in individual stocks or bonds.
Mutual funds pool together the investments of multiple investors, allowing them to benefit from economies of scale in terms of transaction costs and management fees.
By holding mutual funds for the long term, you can minimize the impact of these costs on your investment returns, thus enhancing your overall profitability.
Tax Benefits:
Long-term capital gains from mutual funds are subject to favorable tax treatment.
In India, equity mutual funds held for more than one year qualify for long-term capital gains tax exemption, while debt mutual funds held for over three years are taxed at a lower rate under indexation.
By holding mutual funds for the long term, investors can optimize their tax liability and maximize their after-tax returns.
Can NRIs Hold Mutual Funds in India?
NRIs are permitted to invest in mutual funds in India, subject to certain regulations outlined by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the SEBI.
NRIs can invest in both equity and debt mutual funds through the designated NRE (Non-Resident External) or NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) accounts.
However, it is advisable to consult a financial advisor to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and tax implications associated with NRI investments in mutual funds.
What Should be your Mutual Fund Holding Period
Of course, you must hold your funds until it doesn’t attract an early redemption fee which is usually about 3 percent to 5 percent.
Furthermore, the minimum period to hold your funds to avoid a loss is at least one year. However, you can find an answer to your query with all-inclusive possibilities as mentioned below.
Fund Withdrawals & the Penalty on the Withdrawn:
Allocation of Mutual Funds in Class A, B, and C shares:
Class C shares are known to be ‘level-load’ and sometimes cost about 1 percent to purchase. They are expensive in annual maintenance as compared to Class A, or Class B shares.
Moreover, these mutual funds will charge you a fee of 1 percent when withdrawn in a year’s purchase.
Sometimes you may have to bear a burden of 3 percent to 5 percent on the investment value in Class A/Class B shares in the form of sales commission.
Companies that make huge investments keep the option of maintaining an investment in class A shares for at least one year. And, likewise, hold an investment in class B shares for six years. And, failing which, you are likely to lose from 3 percent to 5 percent against the early redemption fee.