How to invest in direct mutual funds online?
Investment in mutual funds can be done directly from mutual fund houses. However since these are direct mutual funds, you cannot invest through your regular broker. There is a different process to do this. Mr.Chetan Agarwal Raj (Retired) has requested me to detail the process on how to invest in direct mutual funds online.
What are Direct Mutual funds?
You might be aware that all mutual fund houses have been showing mutual fund schemes with added word “Direct”. Means these can be purchased directly by investors without going through mutual fund brokers or agents. Mutual fund brokers would get trial fees from mutual fund houses and mutual fund returns would get reduced to that extent. The trial fees would range between 0.25% to 2% per annum. To this extent, you can enhance your mutual fund returns per annum if you wish to invest in direct mutual funds online. Know the process before you invest in direct mutual funds.
Also read: Mutual funds Direct Plans Vs Regular Plans
How to invest in direct mutual funds online?
You should know few things before you start this process. You can purchase mutual funds or invest in mutual funds through SIP. Also you might be a first time investor or existing investor for a mutual fund house. These 4 parameters needs to be kept in mind as the process would differ.
a) Purchase of direct mutual funds online – First time investors
Step-1: Know in which mutual fund you want to invest.
Step-2: Visit the mutual fund house website (e.g. hdfcfund or iciciprufund.com)
Step-3: Choose the option “Invest online”
Step-4: Download the mutual fund investment application form
Step-5: Fill the personal and investment details
Step-6: Enclose cheque or DD for the amount you want to invest
Step-7: Enclosed KYC (Know your customer) acknowledgement document. If you have not submitted KYC document earlier, then
Download the KYC form
Enclose proof of identify, proof of address, PAN card and 2 passport photographs
Step-8: Send the all the relevant documents to mutual fund customer care address specified on application form.
Step-9: Mutual fund customer care would review and process your application form and would send you mutual fund receipt after allotment of mutual fund units. Now you have become the existing customer for the mutual fund house. After this, you would be able to invest in direct mutual funds online.
b) SIP of direct mutual funds online – First time investors
Step-1: Know in which mutual fund you want to invest.
Step-2: Visit the mutual fund house website (e.g. hdfcfund or iciciprufund.com)
Step-3: Choose the option “Invest online”
Step-4: Select the payment option (Auto debit-ECS/ standing instructions / post dated cheques
Step-5: Fill the online application form
Step-6: The filled-in application form would be emailed to your email address
Step-7: Print the form and sign the copy
Step-8: Send the relevant documents with payment details to mutual fund house customer care centre.
Step-9: Mutual fund customer care would review and process your application form and would send you mutual fund receipt after allotment of mutual fund units. Now you have become the existing customer for the mutual fund house all future transactions can be done online.
c) Purchase / SIP of direct mutual funds online – existing investors
Step-1: Know in which mutual fund you want to invest.
Step-2: Visit the mutual fund house website (e.g. HDFCfund or ICICIPrufund.com)
Step-3: Choose the option “Invest online”
Step-4: Select the mutual fund option “Purchase” or “SIP”
Step-5: Select the payment options: Auto Debit-ECS / Standing instructions / DD / Cheque
Step-6: Select “Existing customer”
Step-7: Fill in the application form. The main field’s description / jargons are given later in this article.
Step-8: Enter your payment details
Step-9: Review and submit your application.
Step-10: Mutual fund customer care would review and process your application form and would send you mutual fund receipt after allotment of mutual fund units.
Also read: How mutual fund returns are taxed?
Important point to remember while filling the application form
1) Folio number: If you are existing customer for the mutual fund house, you need to enter the existing mutual fund folio no. The folio number would be available on the mutual fund statement sent to you earlier.
2) Broker: You should enter only “DIRECT”. In such case your investment would be in direct plans. If you enter “Broker”, it would take you to regular mutual fund plans. You need to be little careful while filling the field.
3) Broker Code and Sub broker code: Both fields should be “DIRECT”
4) Scheme type: The options available are Equity funds, Debt funds, balanced/hybrid funds, ETF’s etc., Choose appropriate scheme type.
5) Scheme option: Dividend re-invst (Growth option) or dividend payment (Dividend option). If you want to grow your money and do not want any payment interim, choose Dividend re-investment option.
7) Scheme Name: Choose the scheme name which you want to invest.
8) Payment details: Fill in appropriate payment details. If you are investing through SIP, you need to be little careful while filling the application form.
When you select the mutual fund scheme for SIP, it would indicate the minimum application form. Means this is the minimum amount you need to invest per month. You cannot invest less than this and your application would get rejected if you fill less than this.
Enter the bank name, bank address, bank MICR code, account number details correctly so that your ECS/Standing instructions would go as per this.
SIP period needs to be selected “from date” to “To date”. This is the period of SIP you want to invest. Generally mutual fund schemes needs to be invested for minimum of 6 months period if you go for smaller amounts.
The process detailed above, are taken from some of the mutual fund house websites. However there might be small change in this process across other mutual funds companies.
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Suresh
How to invest in direct mutual funds online
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sir if i purchase online d plane and after any time i want to watch my money progress than i able to see or not ?
sir,
i hv 5 mutual fund plans regular but i want to change those to direct plan,please let u know the procedure
Hi Suman, You cannot change regular plans to direct. If you wish, you can cancel regular plans and invest in direct plans in mutual funds
Dear Suresh,
Do brokers get commission every year or for 1st Year for mutual fund via SIP. How Can one convert mutual fund taken through broker into direct.
MF brokers would get 0.2% to 1.5% commission per year on the amount you invest through them. You cannot convert regular plans to direct. You need to close and buy through direct plans.
Hi Suresh,
I have selected following Funds towards my investment span of 8-15 years. I have tried to balance my allocation through 5K SIP/month in each funds. Please comment if I am chosing the right one…thanks.
Birla Sun Life Top 100 Fund
ICICI Predential Focused Bluechip Equity Fund
Franklin High Growth Cos.
Birla Sun Life MNC Fund
ICICI Predential Value Discovery Fund
Can Robeko Emerging Equities Fund
HDFC Mid-Cap Opp. Fund
HDFC Balanced Fund
As i have invested through some broker in SIP, Should broker has to give me any receipt. As i have ask him. he said you got statement in your mail and I am getting statement through mail in my name, address & folio number. But at time of withdrawal, do you think detail given in statement is enough to withdraw.
Amar, If the MF units are in your name, it is nothing to do with broker. Generally brokers would get trial fees when they enroll you to mutual fund scheme. The relationship ends there. They would automatically gets such fees from mutual fund scheme and there would not be any transaction between you and broker.
Hi Suresh,Recently i have slelcted a MF and started with SIP by tracking the past perfomance..since New direct plan have arrived in Market …..and the Inception date is very different from the origianl MF and the new Direct Plan IS NOT RATED should we worried about rating…..like is this newly called direct plan is same as the old or any difference in course.The Nav is little higher in direct plan.
Prashant, Since there would not be any distributor fees, the NAV would be higher. However the investment portfolio would be same compared to regular plans. You need not worry on this.
Hi Suresh,
Thanks for your information.
I have just started requesting SIP thru ICICIDIRECT.COM. portal. It has not asked much details.
Can we go on placing the SIP orders thru these stock trading portals.
Kindly advice.
Thanks
C.Sridhar
Yes Sridhar. You can request thru ICICIDirect any time and you can also cancel them. It is easy to operate. I trade thru ICICI Direct. BTW, how is our blog. What suggestions do you think can be made in our blog so that people like you would get excited. If you fee our articles are good, please share with your friends on Facebook.
Dear Suresh
I am an NRI working abroad for last 5 years. Recently, I have opened
4-in-1 HDFC account for future investment. As per my income, I am
interested to invest approx. INR 60,000 for monthly investment in various
market segments for more than 5 years. I am conservative investor
with expected return of 12-15 %. I am a field professional with less
time to devote in tracking market fluctuations. My preference is to
invest in ETF Gold (25 K) and mutual funds(33 K) through SIP. Can you please advise
me the followings:
1. What should be my investment portfolio to maximize my investment?
2. If I have to invest in ETF gold, Which Indian companies to lock for
coming 12 months through DIYSIP? How to track their market
performance?
3. Based on my limited undertsanding, I have done some research and found these products for investment. I would like to seek your advice, whether these schemes are appropriate?
S. No
Name of the Scheme
Crisil Rating
(as on 14 June 2013)
1 year return
Min Investment
My planned allocation (INR)
SBI Magnum Income fund(G)
1
14.9 %
2000
5500
SBI Blue Chip (G)
2
20.2%
5000
5500
UTI Opportunity Fund (G)
1
11.3%
5000
5500
UTI India Lifestyle Fund (G)
1
14.7%
5000
5500
ICICI Pru Balance Fund
1
15.4%
5000
5500
Tata Balance Fund
2
14.7 %
5000
5500
My planned SIP
33000
Since you are conservative investor, you should invest in low risk investment options like debt mutual funds, balanced mutual funds or bank FD or post office schemes. Gold ETF’s would track underlying gold as asset. Hence most of the gold ETF’s would perform in line with gold rates. You can invest in SBI gold ETF as it has low management fees, it such ETF’s would give higher returns compared to ETF’s which charge high mngt/admin fees. You should revise your portfolio. UTI Opp fund and ICICI Balanced fund and Tata balance funds are good You can refer this article where I recommended top-mutual funds. https://myinvestmentideas.com/2012/12/top-10-mutual-funds-for-sip-to-invest-in-2013/
Hi Suresh,
I have started investing in the below two schemes by sip mode
SBI magnum tax gain regular (g) Rs2500
SBI fmcg regular (g) Rs 1000
please the above two schmes are good or not ?
Murali, What is your objective? You have chosen one tax saving option and another is high risk option. Unless you are clear about it, do not invest.
Wonderful..simple but so useful!
Dear suresh,
Many tks for detailed info. Kindly advise if there is any way i can invest in direct plan mutual funds under one roof. Since i need to do a SIP for 6-7 funds, going to each AMC is very tiresome. Online also requires few procedures. Karvy and CAMS do not cover all AMC. Is any such service availble in direct
option.