Mutual funds have become an extremely popular choice of investment amongst Indians. There are a variety of reasons behind it such as consistent growth of the stock market (BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty 50), increased level of financial literacy, and the roll-out of India's first zero commission mutual fund investment platform - Kuvera which does not charge any brokerage fees or commission for investment, helping you create more wealth for your investment.
Most beginner investors start with investment instruments like fixed deposits, government securities, gold etc. Although mutual funds need a deeper understanding in comparison to fixed deposits, gold, and recurring deposits, they have become hugely popular with the masses because of the completely digital/paperless investment process associated with investment in mutual funds.
There are two ways of investing in mutual funds: One method is investing in a lump sum, and another involves a systematic investment plan. Lump-sum investment is self-explanatory. It is making a substantially large investment in a mutual fund at one go. This article will walk you through all you need to know about SIP and how using Kuvera's SIP calculator can help you make investment decisions.
A systematic investment plan or SIP is a tool or facility provided by various mutual funds to its investors. An investor must deposit or invest a certain amount periodically. It can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or as per the investor's convenience. Mutual funds issue units to the investors as and when investors transfer funds to the mutual fund, basis his/her SIP frequency.
SIP inculcates the habit of investment in a person. People often take time to analyse the funds they want to invest in. Investors consider specific parameters, such as investment purpose, expected returns, expected fluctuations in the market, and financial goals. For analysis like these, several tools are used. Some require proper training to use, while some are freely available and can be used by anyone such as Kuvera's SIP calculator. That's the main topic for our discussion here
Kuvera's SIP calculator is a free online tool that can assist investors in calculating the returns on their mutual fund SIP investments. The SIP return calculator can also guide investors on how much they should invest systematically every month / or at any other frequency, to achieve their financial target for the future. The calculator operates on the user's inputs. Simple inputs such as investment amount or target amount, the estimated rate of return, investment tenure, and step-up rate are required.
To put it simply, the SIP calculator can be quite useful in automating complex financial planning. All investors need to do is to enter a few parameters, and the mutual fund SIP calculator provides the results instantaneously. It helps an individual envision what their financial status would look like at regular intervals. Once an investor figures out the expected rate of annual return after consulting his financial advisor, or by looking at the historic performance of mutual funds the SIP calculator will give you the maturity value of your SIP investment based on the expected return percentage
Kuvera's SIP calculator is a tool that allows the investor to (a) calculate absolute returns on their investment in mutual funds through SIPs and (b) if one wants to know the amount one should SIP to reach. The best part is that it is free and convenient to use.
Please note that we focus on the word "approximate." This is because no one can predict market sentiments with 100% accuracy. Therefore, actual returns can vary from the projected returns calculated by the SIP calculator online. However, you get a good idea of your returns which could be used to make informed decisions. Also, the SIP calculator will not provide information related to expense ratio or exit load. Instead, this investment calculator will only paint a broad picture.
Kuvera's Mutual fund SIP calculators provide an incredible interface for insight, but at the same time, there is a solid calculation that goes behind the projected returns. These calculations are based on compounding concepts associated with the growth plan of mutual funds i.e., reinvestment of gains made by the mutual fund into the same scheme periodically. So sometimes, people refer to it as a SIP compound interest calculator.
For instance, the calculator will ask for specific values like the monthly investment amount, the expected rate of return, and duration. Then it finds out expected returns on SIP based on these values. The MF calculator also considers the monthly or weekly investment, that is, the frequency of deposits. The SIP calculator will compute the maturity amount as well as the wealth gained through mutual fund investments. One can also set a target amount that corresponds to their financial goal and then reverse compute the monthly amount to be invested for the specified duration and rate of development.
It facilitates comparing or matching the expected rate of return on SIP with predetermined financial goals. This way, given the interest rate, you can determine how much you need to invest in getting the desired SIP returns at the end of the duration.
Let's dig deeper into the math and understand the SIP return formula.
Kuvera's SIP calculator usually consists of three input boxes.
1. Monthly investment amount
2. Investment period
3. Expected annual returns
You get the drill! Just fill the boxes with correct values and get the expected answer. You can do it as often as you want and compare the maturity amount at different durations and rates of interest.
Let me illustrate this using an example:
Monthly investment amount - Enter the amount of your monthly SIP, say Rs 1000.
Investment period- Enter the number of years that the SIP will be active. For instance, 20 years
Expected returns - Assume a 13 percent return on investment in an equities mutual fund.
When you enter the aforementioned amount and press the submit button, the result is displayed instantly. The total value in the above illustration is Rs 11,45,519, out of which the estimated return is Rs 9,05,519. That means that by saving Rs 1,000 per month for 20 years and expecting a return of 13%, the investor can accumulate a corpus of Rs 11,45,519 Lakhs.
Consider a simple example to understand how a SIP calculator works:
Let's assume that you have just started earning and your friend recommends you to invest Rs.2,000 per month for the next 10 years. Given the market sentiments, the expected rate of return is around 10%. Before investing, you would want the idea of your maturity value at the end of the duration.
How will you find it? With Kuvera's SIP calculator, all you have to do is input these quantitative values and voila! You get the answer to your question.
Here, you will have invested Rs.2,40,000. So by the calculation, your maturity value will be approximately Rs.4,13,104, considering that the rate of return remains 10% throughout 10 years.
You can also set the future financial goal in the box given and find out how much you need to invest and at what frequency. In this case, you will be required to answer a few other qualitative questions, as we mentioned. This will give you a better answer incorporating essential life aspects.
You can also use Kuvera's goal planning tool to create a financial goal for yourself and understand how to plan your investments. You'll discover that Kuvera, unlike other calculators, considers qualitative variables, such as your dependence on your parents, marital status, goals, and purpose of investment, inflation, and impact of the long-term capital gain tax. These variables affect your spending patterns; thus, your savings and investments are affected too. It's vital to think about them in detail before investing. Kuvera's goal planner takes these into account to set your monthly investment goals and recommend a plan.
A mutual fund SIP calculator offers the following advantages:
To identify the right mutual fund scheme
We are all aware that mutual funds are subject to market risks. No one can provide a definitive answer on expected returns. This calculator enables you to overcome these obstacles and make an informed decision. By entering your investment values into various SIP calculators, you may determine your risk-return ratio. Consequently, you can select the mutual fund scheme that suits your risk profile.
Financial planning
By utilising the Kuvera SIP Calculator, you are likely to be well-informed about the expected returns and maturity value of your monthly investments. If you want to make a large investment in the future, you can estimate your holding position and make smarter planning decisions.
Ease of use
This computer-operated calculator saves you a substantial amount of time and effort when calculating expected returns. However, you may visit this calculator, input your values, and obtain the result from anywhere in the world with only one click.
Compounding benefit
SIP is computed using compound interest. While a small number of people can calculate this manually, it is a difficult undertaking for the majority of us, especially for long-term investments. This is no longer a concern thanks to this calculator. These calculators include the compounding function and provide quick, precise results.
Kuvera is a zero commission online investment platform which allows investors to start SIP within seconds. It is important to note that Kuvera offers only direct plans of mutual funds which are free from any kind of brokerage charges or commission charges. Please see below how you can commence SIP in the mutual fund of your choice on Kuvera:
Step 1: Download the Kuvera app or visit our website and sign up.
Step 2: Complete your KYC with PAN, Aadhaar, and In-person verification through video. It is mandatory to complete KYC compliance under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the Rules framed there under, read with the SEBI Master Circular on Anti Money Laundering (AML) Standards/ Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) /Obligations of Securities Market Intermediaries.
Step 3: Select the 'Invest' option from "Home"
Step 4: Select 'Mutual Funds', and see the categories listed, or check All Mutual Funds
Step 5: You will be directed to a list of all mutual funds available in Kuvera. By clicking on every mutual fund scheme, you can check its risk profile, net asset value, and past performance. In this section, we have included the performances of its counterparts to help you compare. To be sure, check the exit load and lock-in periods of the mutual fund. This will help you decide if you are ready for a commitment of the mentioned years.
Step 6: Select the MF scheme you want to invest in, and tap on SIP investment. Enter the amount on the next screen and tap on "Buy now", or "Add to cart".
Step 7: Under the payment option, you will find, 'Mandate'. You can select that.
Step 8: You will be redirected to your bank account. Complete all the formalities and approve the process with your authorised signature.
Step 9: The first instalment will be deducted immediately, and the next instalment will be deducted based on the SIP date (Please note that the next instalments are deducted after around 30 days).
Step 10: The next step is to approve a mandate for the deduction of SIPs. The mandate is approved by the bank for the next instalments of SIPs, and it normally takes 3-4 days for approval. The amount of money will be deducted only based on the instructions you provide in your SIP. For example, if you have registered for Rs 30,000 through SIP, only that much will be deducted. If your daily SIPs exceed 1 lakh, you can choose to set up the SIPs for a different date.
There is no fee associated with using the SIP facility, it is completely free of charge.
There are different types of SIPs, as follows:
Perpetual SIP- when you don't want to fix the duration of your investment, it goes on for a perpetual period or until you decide to opt out after fulfilling your financial expectations
Flexible SIP- this gives you the flexibility to invest at regular intervals but with different SIP amounts. This type of SIP is budget-friendly. If you have low cash, you invest a smaller amount than the previous month, while you can invest a sizable amount when you have ample money.
Top-up SIP- this facility allows you to top up your regular SIP at a predetermined interval.
Trigger SIP This facility allows investors to redeem funds from a particular mutual fund upon the occurrence of certain trigger events. Thereafter, the amount is deployed in another scheme of the same mutual fund house.
SIP facility is available with almost all of the mutual funds with the notable exception being close-ended mutual funds.
It is impossible to time the market and choose an appropriate time to make the lumpsum investment, therefore in the long run it is better to choose SIP over lumpsum investment.
No! SIP is not a mutual fund. A systematic investment plan is a disciplined strategy to be employed while investing in mutual funds. It is an investment option to invest periodically in any fund or scheme of your choice.
Yes! You can pause or renew your SIP. You can also edit your SIP on Kuvera.
Yes! You can increase or decrease the amount invested in SIP at your own convenience.
There is no upper limit. However, most mutual funds typically have a minimum threshold of INR 100 per month.