It is possible to classify Mutual Funds broadly into three categories – Equity, Debt and Hybrid. Each category has its own pros and cons. Investors can consider investing based on their risk appetite, financial goals and investment time frame. You may come across articles that claim debt funds to be the safest, hybrid fund For being safer than equity, and for being more volatile than either of the equity funds. Don’t get fooled by such claims. The amount of volatility in a mutual fund can vary based on a number of factors including market sentiment and sometimes one of these categories can be more volatile than the other. All Mutual Funds carry some degree of investment risk and therefore, investors should consult their financial advisor to make investment decisions based on their risk tolerance.
debt mutual funds
Debt fund is a mutual fund that invests in fixed income securities and other debt related instruments. Out of its total assets, a debt fund can invest at least 65% to 80% in bonds, corporate securities, treasury bills, commercial papers, etc. The investment objective of debt funds is to offer regular income while protecting the investor’s capital.
Equity Mutual Fund
An equity scheme is an open-ended mutual fund that invests majority of its investible corpus in shares. Equity Funds can be further classified on the basis of Market Cap, Sectoral/Thematic and Tax Saving. These funds are known to have a high risk-return tradeoff and can offer huge capital appreciation in the long run.
Hybrid Mutual Fund
Hybrid Fund is a mutual fund scheme that spreads its assets across equity and debt. Also known as balanced funds, the fund managers of hybrid funds allocate assets to both equity and debt instruments depending on the investment objective and allocation strategy. Hybrid Funds can be further classified as Equity Oriented and Debt Oriented. Equity oriented hybrid funds invest mainly in equity while debt-oriented hybrid funds invest mainly in debt and debt related instruments.
Key Differences Between Hybrid, Equity and Debt Funds
parameters |
hybrid fund |
equity fund |
debt fund |
allocation | Equity and Fixed Income Instruments | Stocks and other equity related instruments | Invests in money market instruments, commercial papers, certificates of deposits, corporate securities, government bonds, etc. |
return on investment |
Returns are subject to the performance of the underlying securities | Returns are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk | Returns are subject to market related risks |
risk profile |
Hybrid funds can take a low to very high risk profile depending on the asset allocation | Debt funds carry low to medium high risk profile | All equity mutual funds have a very high risk profile |
Liquidity |
It depends on whether you invest in Equity Oriented Hybrid Fund or Debt Oriented Hybrid Fund | Debt funds with short term average portfolio maturity have high liquidity, as opposed to debt funds with long average portfolio maturity | All equity funds (except ELSS) provide high liquidity |
investment horizon |
Ideal for investors with an investment horizon of three to five years | Generally considered by investors for short term investments (though not limited to) | Ideal for investors with an investment horizon of five years or more |
tax benefit |
Hybrid fund investments do not provide any tax benefits | There is no tax exemption in debt funds | ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme) is a mutual fund that comes with tax benefits where the investor can invest up to Rs 1.5 lakh in each financial year and can claim tax exemption on the amount invested. |
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