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Set up in 1993 with ICICI Bank and Prudential Plc as partners, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund is one of India's largest Asset Management Companies. It is one of the oldest and most profitable Mutual Funds. Most of AMC’s offerings are rated as "AAA mfs", indicating high confidence and reliability.  ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund is headquartered in Mumbai and provides a wide array of funds designed to fit every socioeconomic bracket. As of 31 March 2022, it manages assets worth over Rs. 4.6 Lakh Crore. Funds Category Riskometer Rating Launch AUM  (Rs Cr) Expense Ratio (%) 1Y Return (%) ICICI Prudential Corporate Bond Fund Corporate Bond Low to Moderate 4 2013-01-01 16440 0.30 5.40 ICICI Prudential All Seasons Bond Fund Dynamic Bond Moderate 5 2013-01-01 6264 0.62 6.19 ICICI Prudential Gilt Fund Gilt Low to Moderate 5 2013-01-01 2601 0.56 6.01 ICICI Prudential Savings Fund Low Duration Low to Moderate 2 2013-01-01 20658 0.40 4.72 ICICI Prudential Liquid Fund Liquid Moderate 2 2013-01-01 40973 0.20 5.08 ICICI Prudential Long-Term Bond Fund Long Duration Moderate -- 2013-01-01 588 1.48 3.98 ICICI Prudential Medium Term Bond Fund Medium Duration Moderately High 4 2013-01-01 6255 0.77 5.54 ICICI Prudential Long Term Equity Fund (Tax Saving) ELSS Very High 4 2013-01-01 10241 1.18 1.72 ICICI Prudential Focused Equity Fund Flexi Cap Very High 4 2013-01-01 3956 0.59 6.60 ICICI Prudential Technology Fund Sectoral Very High -- 2013-01-01 8794 0.89 -9.82 ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund Large Cap Very High 4 2013-01-01 35049 1.07 5.27 ICICI Prudential Nifty 50 Index Fund Large Cap Very High 3 2013-01-01 3927 0.17 3.90 ICICI Prudential Midcap Fund Mid Cap Very High 3 2013-01-01 3666 1.16 4.83 ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund Small Cap Very High 4 2013-01-01 4599 0.81 7.04 ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund Value Very High 4 2013-01-01 27515 1.22 11.95 ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund Aggressive Hybrid Very High 5 2013-01-01 21282 1.20 8.56 ICICI Prudential Regular Savings Fund Conservative Hybrid Moderately High 5 2013-01-01 3291 0.99 5.28 ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund Dynamic Asset Allocation Moderately High 4 2013-01-01 44634 0.91 7.50 ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund Multi-Asset Allocation Very High 4 2013-01-01 15770 1.15 13.34  1. ICICI Prudential Corporate Bond Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in quality corporate bonds rated AA+ or above in order to achieve the objective of regular income and short-term savings.  Who should invest?  Investors who have moderate experience in the debt market understands that corporate bond comes with a risk.  2. ICICI Prudential All Seasons Bond Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in bonds and money market instruments of different ratings and maturity with an aim to generate income while maintaining the optimum balance of yield, safety, and liquidity.   Who should invest?  An investor who recognizes investing in longer-duration debt securities could generate higher returns but comes with higher interest rate risk.  3. ICICI Prudential Gilt Fund  About the Fund  The fund seeks to generate income primarily through investment in Gilts of various maturities.  Who should invest?  Investors looking to invest in government securities across maturity.  4. ICICI Prudential Savings Fund  About the Fund  The fund seeks to generate income through investments in a range of debt and money market instruments while maintaining the optimum balance of yield, safety, and liquidity.  Who should invest?  Investors with a low tolerance for risk and looking to park money as a short-term saving may need to withdraw anytime.  5. ICICI Prudential Liquid Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in quality corporate bonds & money market instruments with low to medium duration. The securities include AA+ rated ensuring high safety and liquidity.  Who should invest?  Investors who are new to the debt market are looking for stability in growth, the safety of funds, and high accessibility.  6. ICICI Prudential Long-Term Bond Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests to generate income through investments in a range of debt and money market instruments while maintaining the optimum balance of yield, safety, and liquidity.  Who should invest?  Investors looking to take exposure in debt funds and remain invested for the long term with the objective of wealth creation by capital protection.  7. ICICI Prudential Medium Term Bond Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in high-quality debt securities, primarily AAA-rated corporate bonds & sovereign (government) bonds. The instruments primarily have a 1–3-year duration.  Who should invest?  Investors with a very low tolerance for risk and looking to park money for a very short period of time & may need to withdraw suddenly.  8. ICICI Prudential Long Term Equity Fund (Tax Saving)  About the Fund  The fund invests in equity and equity-related securities across sectors and market capitalization. The fund provides tax deductions up to Rs 1.5 lakh annually under Sec 80C of the Income Tax Act 1961.  Who should invest?  An investor with a relatively high-risk appetite and looking to get income tax benefits.  9. ICICI Prudential Focused Equity Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests over 95% in domestic equities of which more than 65% is in large-cap names with the remainder in mid and small-cap segments. The fund has a concentrated portfolio of not more than 30 stocks.  Who should invest?  Investors who have advanced knowledge of macro trends and prefer to take selective bets for higher returns compared to other Equity funds  10. ICICI Prudential Technology Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in equity and equity-related securities of the Information Technology sector and across market capitalization (company size).  Who should invest?  An investor who is looking to take sectoral bets and are looking to add companies of the IT sector to their portfolio. The investor should have the patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  11. ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in equity and equity-related securities of large companies which are undervalued and tend to offer healthy growth over the long term.  Who should invest?  An investor who is relatively new to the equity market and is happy with the market returns. The investor should have the patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  12. ICICI Prudential Nifty 50 Index Fund  About the Fund  The fund is an index fund that replicates the Nifty 50 TR Index by investing in the same stocks and the same proportion. The portfolio is rebalanced semi-annually to adjust for any stock additions or subtractions to the Index.  Who should invest?  An investor who is relatively new to the equity market and is happy with the market returns. The investor should have the patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  13. ICICI Prudential Midcap Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in mid-sized companies that have the potential to become really big. It looks for durable businesses with strong financial metrics. The mid-sized tends to offer higher growth potential than larger companies and thus comes with relatively higher risk than large-cap but lower risk than smaller-sized companies.  Who should invest?  An investor with a well-set core portfolio & looking to tactically allocate 10-15% of your overall portfolio to very high-risk opportunities. The investors should have patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  14. ICICI Prudential Smallcap Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in some of the smallest, fastest growing & innovative Indian companies. It considers companies with strong business models in high-growth sectors and efficient management teams focused on utilizing resources wisely to unlock high-growth potential.  Who should invest?  An investor with a well-set core portfolio & looking to tactically allocate 10-15% of your overall portfolio to very high-risk opportunities. The investors should have patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  15. ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund  About the Fund  The fund seeks to generate returns through a combination of dividend income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in a well-diversified portfolio of a value stock.  Who should invest?  An investor who is relatively new to the equity market and is happy with the market returns. The investor should have the patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  16. ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund  About the Fund  The fund is an open-ended hybrid scheme investing predominantly in equity and equity-related instruments. The fund’s aim is to generate long-term capital appreciation and current income from a portfolio that is invested in equity and equity-related securities as well as in fixed-income securities.  Who should invest?  Suitable for investors who are seeking long-term wealth creation  17. ICICI Prudential Regular Savings Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in a mix of debt & equity instruments. The debt component accounts for 75% of allocation and aims to reduce the impact of market fluctuations. The balance is invested in equity which tends to provide higher returns. The debt portion is generally invested in highly rated debt instruments with different maturity profiles and the equity portion is well diversified across sectors and sizes.  Who should invest  Investors looking to generate a steady potential income & are not chasing high returns.  18. ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund  About the Fund  The fund is an open-ended dynamic asset allocation fund and aims to provide capital appreciation/income by investing in equity and equity-related instruments including derivatives and debt and money market instruments.   The fund responds to changing market conditions & adjusts the equity-debt balance dynamically. As the market starts rising & stock valuations turn frothy, it reduces equity exposure & when markets fall, it looks to increase equity exposure  Who should invest?  Suitable for investors who are seeking long-term capital appreciation and or regular income. The fund is ideal for investors looking to generate a steady potential income & are okay not chasing high returns.  19. ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund  About the Fund  The fund invests in Equity, Debt and Exchange Traded Commodity Derivatives/units of Gold ETFs/units of REITs & InvITs/Preference shares.  The fund seeks to generate capital appreciation for investors by investing predominantly in equity and equity-related instruments and income by investing across other asset classes.  Who should invest?  Suitable for investors who are seeking long-term wealth creation.  Consult an expert advisor to get the right plan TALK TO AN EXPERT

Parents often need a well-defined and well-thought plan for their child's future. Everything should be well planned, from education to marriage and risk coverage. While every parent starts worrying early on, it is a good sign, worrying alone will not help. So, what will help? Acting on it will help.   Following are some rules that will help you secure your child's future considering your budget, risk, and other factors you want to secure for your child   1. Use the power of compounding in equity to reach your goal Should you wish you generate a corpus for your child's education 15 years from now, you should not rely on FD but switch to equity-dominated mutual funds which offer higher growth rates in the range of 12-15% (conservative rate). The table below shows how you can generate a corpus of Rs 1 crore by investing in different instruments.  Product Debt Fund Balanced Funds Equity Funds CAGR Yield (%) 8% 12% 15% Monthly SIP Rs 29,431 Rs 21,011 Rs 16,224  The key here is to focus on equities and adopt a systematic investment planning (SIP) approach.  2. Start early The most significant rule is to start as early as possible. In the ideal case, an individual should start saving right after the child is born so that time can work in their favor. See below how starting early helps you reach a Rs 1 crore corpus:  SIP Tenure 18 years 15 years 12 years 8 years Yield 15% 15% 15% 15% SIP required Rs 10,179 Rs 16,224 Rs 26,617 Rs 56,237  As we can see from the table above, the earlier you start better you earn, and the key is to make time work for investment.  3. Add insurance to the child's plan The SIP idea is good if you start early and invest through equity. By doing this, you are likely to accumulate enough corpus, but given life is unpredictable and you do not know what may happen tomorrow, it is good to add an insurance plan to your child's portfolio so that their education plan is not impacted.   4. Factor Inflation while planning National Sample Survey Office conducted research and stated that the cost of any professional degree/course nearly doubles in six years. An individual while planning should also take into account this inflation rate while planning for children's corpus. We believe the high inflation rate should never daunt an individual if time is on your side, as a higher time horizon provides a compounding benefit.  5. Protect goals When sacrosanct goals such as children's education, children's marriage, etc., are concerned, it makes sense to ensure you have these goals covered separately in addition to the term plan you may choose to purchase for your child. Ideally, it would be best if you took up a different term plan that safeguards essential goals in your child's life, such as education.  6. Opt for a premium waiver plan In the event of the unfortunate demise of the parent or guardian of the child, insurance providers tend to waive the premium. Thus, it makes sense to opt for a premium waiver plan while planning any insurance for children.   7. Save Aggressively If you start an early investment for your child, it makes sense to invest in high-risk, high-return funds that have the potential to outperform other asset classes handsomely, albeit at the cost of higher risk. We believe investors should avoid fixed-return savings schemes if their investment horizon exceeds ten years. The thumb rule says that for Child Education - Small & Midcap Funds Sahi Hai!   8. Always have a partial withdrawal plan in your portfolio An emergency can knock door anytime. It is better individuals are well prepared for the same. There should be a provision for partial withdrawal from the child plan, or some funds should be liquid enough for such situations. It helps to avoid any unwanted financial disturbance due to an emergency.  9. Always appoint a nominee Death comes uninvited and is the inevitable truth of life. Hence it is essential to choose a nominee on whom you can rely. This person shall get the claim amount until your child becomes an adult.  10. Review the plan at regular intervals Investors tend to start a plan and leave it on auto mode. However, you must track your investments and review the performance of your investments at regular intervals. Some of the questions you can ask while reviewing investment include – has education cost gone up? Is your investment accumulation on track to achieve the goal, etc.?  It is undoubtedly true that all parents wish the best for their children. Typically, as soon as a baby is born, they start planning for their future. At the center of these investments lies the thought of providing world-class education and benefits to children. Should you have any queries concerning planning for your children, feel free to write to us, and we shall be glad to assist.  Consult an expert advisor to get the right plan TALK TO AN EXPERT

There is a strong need for budgeting myths to bust because these prevent individuals from making viable decisions about their hard-earned money. Misconceptions are obstacles that stop you from creating realistic budgeting plans.  Once the myths are busted, it becomes easy to take the next step and create a plan to help reach goals and achieve financial stability. 10 common budgeting myths 1. Budgeting is time-consuming The first thought that strikes you whenever you think of making a budgeting plan is that it is time-consuming, and you only have a little time to waste.   Let go of this misconception. Instead, consider it a golden opportunity to take a fresh look at your expenses and savings. The initial framework of the budgeting plan will take time, no doubt, but adjusting it based on your priorities and plugging in the required numbers will be considerably fast and easy.  2. It is a difficult process Another budgeting myth that needs to bust is that it is a complex process. Everything looks complicated initially, but it is comparatively smooth sailing once you set your mind to the task and find the right tools.   3. The process is boring How can you consider budgeting boring when it is the key to keeping you solvent and debt-free? Bust this budgeting myth and be proactive in creating a financial plan that will push you to arrange your finances systematically. 4. I can do a budget in my head There is no need to make a proper plan as I can do it easily in my head - this is one of the most common budgeting myths to bust. Only brilliant minds can do so, and even they will fumble at one time or another. Hence, take the standard route and create a plan for concrete decision-making.   5. I keep track; hence no need for budgeting Tracking your expenses is not budgeting because you are only looking at one aspect, “expenses,” and ignoring the all-important one, “savings.” The budgeting plan is about the upcoming month and how you will divide your income for future necessities, wants, and savings. The budgeting process will seem much more manageable if you keep track of your spending. 6. The budgeting process is very restrictive Budgeting will be as restrictive as you want it to be. There is no need to make the budget restrictive because you can easily include things you enjoy, like a Saturday movie or a take-out once a week, or any impromptu expense by setting aside a sum within your budgeting plan.  7. No need for a budget as there are so many unexpected expenses When there are too many unexpected expenses, there is a serious need for a budgeting plan. Once an individual starts making a budgeting plan, he will realize that unexpected expenses are part of life and need to be handled effectively within a limited budget like other expenses. Set aside an amount monthly if these are regular features and cut down on your wants to make up for it.  8. Budgeting means no more spending on me-time Not budgeting stops you from spending on me-time as it gives you a set amount that you can use wisely and regularly. Needs are essential, but so are wants that must be taken care of to break the monotony of daily routine. Hence budgets often set aside a sum that individuals can use for recreational purposes or shopping or weekend treats as they want.  9. It is impossible to stick to a budget It is a myth that you cannot live on a budget. If it were a fact, then experts would never have recommended a budgeting plan as a necessity. If you make a restrictive budget or plan for the sake of it without putting in your full efforts, then the plan will never be adequate. Hence make reasonable plans with careful considerations to make a success of it. 10. I am quite well-off, so there's no need for a budgeting plan The misconception that I have enough money, so there is no need to make a budgeting plan, needs to be busted. When you have too much money, the need for careful planning and handling of your spending and savings becomes greater. It does not matter whether you are earning in thousands or crores; a budgeting plan is necessary as it directs your actions.  Conclusion Learning the truth will set you free, as several budgeting myths will bust automatically. A realistic look at your earnings, spending, and savings will lead to better managing your finances and creating achievable goals.  Take the help of budgeting apps or financial advisors like the experts at Edufund to create a personalized budget Consult an expert advisor to get the right plan TALK TO AN EXPERT

ABSLAMC is primarily the investment manager of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, a registered trust under the Indian Trusts Act, of 1882. ABSLAMC is one of the leading asset managers in India, servicing around 8.1 million investor folios with a pan India presence across 280 plus locations and a total AUM of over Rs. 2,926 billion.  Let us talk about the flagship product – Aditya Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund  Aditya Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund  Investment objective The objective of the scheme is long-term growth of capital, through a portfolio with a target allocation of 100% equity by aiming at being as diversified across various industries and/ or sectors as its chosen benchmark index, NIFTY 100 TRI.  Portfolio composition  The portfolio holds the major exposure in Giant-cap stocks at 66%. The major sectoral exposure is to Finance which is at around 25%. The top 5 sectors hold around 67% of the overall portfolio. Note: The pie chart on the left shows the market cap composition of the equity portfolio and the bar graph on the left shows the sectoral composition of the overall equity portfolio. Top 5 holdings Aditya Birla Sun Life Frontline Equity Fund Name Sector Weightage % ICICI Bank Ltd. Financial Services 9.40 Infosys Ltd. Information Technology 7.55 HDFC Bank Ltd. Financial Services 7.38 Reliance Industries Conglomerate 5.58 Axis Bank Ltd. Financial Services 4.45 Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: Morningstar  Performance over 21 years  If you had invested Rs. 10,000 at the inception of the fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 3.52 lakhs Note: Performance of the fund since launch; Inception date - 30th Aug 2002. Source: Morningstar  The fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of 21 years by generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 19.12%.  Fund manager  Mahesh Patil: Mr. Patil is a B.E (Electrical), an MMS in Finance, and a Chartered Financial Accountant from ICFAI Hyderabad. Prior to joining Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC, he worked with Reliance Infocom Ltd., Motilal Oswal Securities, and Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services Ltd.  Who should invest?  Investors who are seeking: -  To generate long-term capital appreciation along with steady portfolio growth.  Investments in a mix of large-cap and mid-cap stocks.  Why Invest?  The fund offers exposure to mid-cap for good opportunities for wealth creation.  At the same time, it offers large caps as diversification and steady portfolio growth.  Horizon  One should look at investing for a minimum of 5 years or more.  Investment through a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) may help in tackling the volatility of the broader equity market.  Conclusion  This is the oldest fund with a proven track record of 21 years and has delivered 19.12% CAGR consistently which is better than most equity funds. Thus, it is best for investors looking for a diversified portfolio with exposure to large and mid-cap for wealth creation as well as steady growth.  DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only. 

What are debt funds? What are the best debt funds to invest in? Debt Mutual funds invest in fixed-income securities such as Corporate Bonds, Government Securities, money market instruments, etc. These funds are also known as income funds or bond funds.   The difference between the purchase price and the selling price of the securities adds to the NAV of the fund. If the fund bought security for Rs 1000 and had to sell it in extreme market conditions at Rs 900 by making a loss, it would result in the depreciation of the NAV.  Debt funds earn through capital appreciation and Interest Income from the fixed income securities. Consider that a debt fund receives 10% annual interest divided by 365 and added to the NAV daily.   A debt fund's NAV depends on its portfolio's interest rate and credit rating. If the credit rating of one of the securities that a fund is invested into goes down (due to default), the NAV of the fund also depreciates.   The interest rate regime also affects the NAV of the fund. For example, if a fund ABC holds a security that offers 8% interest. If the RBI announces a decrease in the interest rates, then any new security would adhere to these new regulations and offer a lower interest rate.   This would drive up the demand for pre-existing securities, which were offering a higher rate (similar to our security which offered a rate of 8%). Consequently, the price of these bonds/securities would increase, hence leading to an increase in the NAV of the fund.  In the following, we aim to provide 2 top performing funds in each debt fund category and also provide insights on which category would be ideal for you. These are not recommendations and you are suggested to consult your investment advisor before investing. You can also book a free call on the EduFund app with one of our advisors.  1. Liquid and money market funds These funds invest in money market securities with a maturity lower than 91 days. They are considered an excellent alternative to savings accounts and fixed deposits as they offer higher returns and are tax-friendly (compared to traditional instruments). They have a reasonable level of safety of the invested principal coupled with liquidity. They typically do not have exit loads.  Investor: Suppose you have surplus cash or a sudden influx of money – sale of real estate property, bonus, etc., instead of parking it in a savings account and earning a meager 4% return. In that case, you could consider Liquid funds as an alternative. These are also suitable for risk-averse investors and investors looking for stable returns and liquidity.  Funds: Fund Category 1Y Returns AUM UTI Liquid Cash Fund Liquid 5.13% Rs 23,211.80 Cr Aditya Birla Sun Life Liquid Fund Liquid 5.16% Rs 39,952.77 Cr Tata Money Market Fund Money Market 5.25% Rs 8,617.75 Cr Nippon India Money Market Fund Money Market 5.28% Rs 10,238.33 Cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023. All are Direct Plan and Growth option  Source: EduFund Research 2. Gilt funds Gilt funds invest in Government securities of State and Central governments with different bond tenures (or varying maturities) such as 1-year, 3-year, ten-year, etc. Government bonds are considered risk-free and have a zero probability of default (Credit risk is zero). However, these funds are subject to interest rate risk, i.e., the portfolio's worth appreciates or depreciates depending on the interest rate regime in the economy.  Investor: These are suitable for a risk-averse investor. They are beneficial in a falling interest rate environment as these funds would have underlying securities carrying a high coupon.  Funds:  Fund Category 5Y Returns AUM DSP Government Securities Fund Gilt 8.41% Rs 416 Cr ICICI Prudential Gilt Fund Gilt 8.12% Rs 2,601 Cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023. All are Direct Plans and  Growth option  Source: EduFund Research  3. Short-term funds  Funds that invest in securities that have a maturity of 1-3 years with high liquidity. The fund invests in corporate bonds, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and government securities with medium and long-term maturities. They are prone to a lower interest rate risk when compared to medium and long-term funds. This aids the funds to sail through adverse market conditions.  Investor: They are ideal for risk-averse investors who aim to receive higher post-tax interest or returns (when compared to FDs) when the investment horizon is more significant than one year.  Funds:  Fund Category 3Y Returns AUM UTI Short-term Income Fund Short-term 8.02% Rs 2,245.56 Cr ICICI Prudential Short-term Fund Short-term 7.05% Rs 15,527.68 Cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023. All are Direct Plans and Growth option  Source: EduFund Research  4. Medium-term funds  Funds that invest in securities that have a medium-term maturity of 3-4 years. SEBI mandates that these funds invest in securities with a Macaulay duration of 3-4 years. They earn higher post-tax returns when compared to a 5-year bank FD. One can also opt for Monthly income plans if they wish to receive a periodic income from their investments.  Investor: They are ideal for risk-averse investors who aim to receive higher post-tax interest or returns (when compared to FDs). They are also ideal for the diversification of risk. They are lesser volatile when compared to equity funds and are also lesser prone to interest rate risk when compared to long-term funds. Fund:  Fund Category 3Y Returns AUM ICICI Prudential Medium Term Bond Fund Medium Term 7.24% Rs 6255.30 Cr SBI Magnum Medium Duration Fund Medium Term 6.87% Rs 7145.68 Cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023; All are Direct Plans and Growth option  Source: EduFund Research 5. Dynamic bond funds Funds are actively managed or employ a dynamic investment/asset allocation strategy by reducing the average portfolio duration (or maturity) in increasing interest rate environments and increasing the duration in a falling interest rate regime. These funds allow the investor to earn from the interest rate fluctuations.  Investor: They are suitable for investors who want to stay invested longer without worrying about the interest rate movements affecting their wealth creation.   Fund: Fund Category 5Y Returns AUM ICICI Prudential All Seasons Bond Fund Dynamic Bond 8.14% Rs 6264.50 cr SBI Dynamic Bond Fund Dynamic Bond 6.24% Rs 2350.78 cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023 Source: EduFund Research 6. Credit risk funds  These funds allocate 65% of their total assets for purchasing lower-rated securities (lower than AA- credit rating) and offer higher returns to their investors. The credit risk is higher for these funds. The interest rate risk is comparatively lower as these funds invest in securities with low maturities. The funds also gain from capital appreciation if the underlying security is upgraded to a higher credit rating.  Investors: These are only suitable for investors willing to take a higher risk. This is due to the lower credit securities as a part of the portfolio which have a higher probability of default.  Fund: Fund Category 3Y Returns AUM ICICI Prudential Credit Risk Fund Credit Risk 7.60% Rs 7866.00 Cr DSP Credit Risk Fund Credit Risk 6.37% Rs 234.03 Cr Note: AUM as on December 31, 2022, Returns as on January 25, 2023 Source: EduFund Research  Debt funds add great value and diversification to your portfolio. Want to create a powerful financial plan to meet all your goals? Then connect with our experts today!   Consult an expert advisor to get the right plan TALK TO AN EXPERT

One of the largest AMCs in India, DSP has been helping investors make sound investment decisions responsibly and unemotionally for over 25 years. DSP is backed by the DSP Group, an almost 160-year-old Indian financial giant. The family behind DSP has been very influential in the growth and professionalization of capital markets and the money management business in India over the last one-and-a-half centuries  Let us talk about the flagship product – DSP Equity Savings Fund.  DSP Equity Savings Fund  Investment objective The investment objective of the Scheme is to generate income through investments in fixed-income securities and using arbitrage and other derivative Strategies. The Scheme also intends to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing a portion of the Scheme's assets in equity and equity-related instruments.  Investment process   DSP Equity Savings Fund invests in equity, arbitrage as well as debt instruments to aim to deliver relatively more predictable return outcomes. The equity portion provides the 'boost', the debt portion tries to 'shield' the portfolio from corrections & arbitrage helps take advantage of tactical profit-booking opportunities.  Portfolio composition  The portfolio's major exposure of more than 65% in large-cap followed by 10% in mid-cap. The top 5 sectors hold nearly 31% of the portfolio, with major exposure to the Banks and Power. Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. The bar graph shows the top 5 sector weightage of the fund’s portfolio. Source: dspim.com  Top 5 Holdings  Name Sector Weightage % Housing Development & Finance Corporation Ltd. Finance Institution 5.59 ICICI Bank Ltd. Bank 3.89 Axis Bank Ltd. Bank 3.40 Powergrid Infrastructure Investment Trust Investment Trust 3.03 India Grid Trust Investment Trust 2.60 Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: dspim.com  Performance over 6 years If you would have invested 10,000 at the inception of the fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 16,682. This fund has outperformed the benchmark in all time horizons. Note: Performance of the fund since launch. Inception date – March 28th, 2016. Source: Morningstar  The DSP Equity Savings Fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of more than 6 years by generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 7.86%  Invest Now Fund managers  Abhishek Singh - Total work experience of 14 years. He joined DSP Investment Managers in January 2021 as Assistant Vice President in the Equity Team Abhishek has worked with Kotak Mahindra Group and Edelweiss in the past.  Kedar Karnik – Total work experience of 17 years. Kedar joined DSP Investment Managers from Axis Asset Management.  Jay Kothari - Vice President & Product Strategist -Jay has been with DSP Investment Managers since May 2005, and has been with the Investment function since January 2011. Jay joined the firm as a member of the Sales team (Banking) in May 2005.  Who should invest in DSP Equity Savings Fund?  Investors  Who value smooth equity investment journeys with relatively more predictable outcomes.  Accept that equity investing means exposure to risk and recognize market falls as good opportunities to invest even more.  Why invest in DSP Equity Savings Fund?  This is a relatively lower-risk equity-oriented investment strategy compared to diversified or thematic equity funds.  Offers potentially better risk-adjusted returns compared to debt investments.  Time horizon  One should look at investing and holding the investment for more than 1-3 years.  Investment through Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) may help in tackling the volatility of the broader equity market.  Conclusion  DSP Equity Savings Fund offers the potential to earn relatively better risk-adjusted returns compared to other debt instruments. It aims to deliver smoother, less fluctuating investment journeys. One can invest in this using a Systematic Withdrawal plan (SWP) as this fund has debt exposure to help your portfolio with a regular income.  DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only.

One of the largest AMCs in India, DSP has been helping investors make sound investment decisions responsibly and unemotionally for over 25 years. DSP is backed by the DSP Group, an almost 160-year-old Indian financial giant. The family behind DSP has been very influential in the growth and professionalization of capital markets and the money management business in India over the last one and a half centuries.  Let us talk about the flagship product – DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund About DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund  Investment objective The primary investment objective of DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund is to seek to generate capital appreciation, from a portfolio that is substantially constituted of equity securities and equity-related securities of corporates, which could benefit from structural changes brought about by continuing liberalization in economic policies by the Government and/or from continuing investments in infrastructure, both by the public and private sector.  Investment process   The DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund seeks to reduce concentration risk by owning a higher number of good quality stocks and following an approach to own a basket of stocks in industrial products, building materials, and construction. It identifies and invests in those stocks which have visibility for the next 3-5 years and have lower cyclicality, and a higher ability to grow even in low industrial growth.   Portfolio composition  The equity exposure is similar throughout the market caps, the highest being in the small cap at 37%, followed by the large-cap at 32%. The sectoral major exposure is to Construction and Industrial Products. The top 5 sectors hold nearly 60% of the portfolio. Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. The bar graph shows the top 5 sector weightage of the fund’s portfolio. Source: dspim.com  Top 5 holdings for DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund  Name Sector Weightage % Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Conglomerate 4.27 Siemens Ltd. Conglomerate 3.60 Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd. Power Transmission 3.25 Rhi Magnesita India Limited Refractory Manufacturers 3.16 Power Grid Corporation of India Limited Power Transmission  Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: dspim.com  Performance over 18 years for DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund  If you would have invested 10,000 at the inception of the fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 1.63 lakhs. This fund has outperformed the benchmark in all time horizons. Note: Performance of the fund since launch; Inception Date – Jun 11, 2004. Source: Morningstar The DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of 18 years by generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 16.23%.  Fund managers  Rohit Singhania - He joined DSP Investment Managers in September 2005, as Portfolio Analyst for the firm's Portfolio Management Services (PMS) division.   Charanjit Singh - Total work experience of 16 years. He joined DSP Investment Managers in September 2018 as Assistant Vice President of the Equity Team.   Jay Kothari - Vice President & Product Strategist -Jay has been with DSP Investment Managers since May 2005, and has been with the Investment function since January 2011. Jay joined the firm in May 2005.   Who should invest in DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund?  Are an experienced investor with a well-set core portfolio & know what you're doing.  Investors who have the patience and sectoral understanding to 'extract value' from changing sector cycles.  Why invest in DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund?  This fund offers the potential to grow your wealth & 'earn big' returns if this theme does well (a high-risk, high-return strategy).  Can help you beat the impact of rising prices over the long term.  Time Horizon  One should look at investing for a minimum of 10 years or more.  Investment through Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) may help in tackling the volatility of the broader equity market.  Conclusion  DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund considers businesses in this space with higher growth potential available at reasonable valuations, as compared with peers or with its own valuation history. It is one of the oldest funds of DSP with 17+ years of track record. It is a good thematic fund that is directly related to the development of an economy due to infrastructural development.  DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only. 

One of the largest AMCs in India, DSP has been helping investors make sound investment decisions responsibly and unemotionally for over 25 years. DSP is backed by the DSP Group, an almost 160-year-old Indian financial giant. The family behind DSP has been very influential in the growth and professionalization of capital markets and the money management business in India over the last one-and-a-half centuries  Let us talk about the flagship product – DSP Focus Fund.  About DSP Focus Fund  Investment objective The primary investment objective of the Scheme is to generate long-term capital growth from a portfolio of equity and equity-related securities including equity derivatives. The portfolio will consist of multi-cap companies by market capitalization. The Scheme will hold equity and equity-related securities including equity derivatives, of up to 30 companies. The Scheme may also invest in debt and money market securities, for defensive considerations and/or for managing liquidity requirements.  Investment process   DSP Focus Fund invests in a focused portfolio of up to 30 stocks of large, mid, or small-sized companies. Its portfolio construction is based on macro factors, with a focus on companies with higher growth prospects and attractive valuations.  Portfolio composition  The portfolio's major exposure of more than 59% in large-cap followed by 10% in mid-cap. The top 5 sectors hold nearly 57% of the portfolio, with major exposure to the IT-Software and Finance. Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. The bar graph shows the top 5 sector weightage of the fund’s portfolio. Source: dspim.com Top 5 holdings for DSP Focus Fund  Name Sector Weightage % ICICI Bank Ltd. Bank 9.87 Bajaj Finance Ltd. Finance 7.77 Infosys Ltd. Information Technology 6.22 Cipla Ltd. Pharmaceuticals 5.52 Eicher Motors Ltd. Automotive 4.75 Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: dspim.com  Performance over 12 years  If you would have invested 10,000 at the inception of fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 31,775. This fund has outperformed the benchmark in all time horizons. Note: Performance of the fund since launch. Inception date – June 10th 2010. Source: Morningstar  The fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of more than 12 years with generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 12.25%  Fund managers  Vinit Sambre - He is the Head of Equities at DSP Investment Managers (DSPIM). Vinit joined DSPIM in July 2007, as Portfolio Analyst for the firm's Portfolio Management Services (PMS) division.  Jay Kothari - Vice President & Product Strategist -Jay has been with DSP Investment Managers since May 2005, and has been with the Investment function since January 2011. Jay joined the firm as a member of the Sales team (Banking) in May 2005.  Who should invest in DSP Focus Fund?  Investors  Who accept that equity investing means exposure to risk and have the patience & mental resilience to remain invested for a decade or more.  Who value 'concentration' and can digest higher risk.  Why to invest in DSP Focus Fund?  Offers the potential to grow your wealth by investing in a relatively concentrated portfolio of quality companies with strong growth prospects available at good valuations.  Can help you beat the impact of rising prices over the long-term.  Time horizon  One should look at investing and holding the investment for more than 10 years.  Investment through Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) may help in tackling the volatility of broader equity market.  Conclusion  DSP Focus Fund offers a focused or rather a concentrated portfolio across large, mid and small cap companies. With focus, the risk is always higher. However, there is more research as the number of funds are lower compared to other categories of mutual funds, therefore, only stocks that are fundamentally strong and have a strong business are invested in. This fund may experience high short-term fluctuations; hence it is good for long-term investment purpose.  DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only. 

An average parent spends roughly 60-70 Lakhs for raising a child in his initial 20-22 years since birth. This is one of the considerable expenses you, as a parent, will encounter before your retirement. Besides retirement, a significant financing event is raising a child with a good education.   The cost of this expense - food, clothing, electronics, education, etc. has been on the rise, and average inflation across categories is 6-15% per year.   Let us see how the share of expenses changes as a child grows from an infant to an adult.  Category 0-4 years 5-8 years 9-12 years 13-16 years 17-21 years Total Education 20% 44% 48% 52% 74% 59% Healthcare 16% 7% 6% 6% 2% 5% Food 12% 7% 7% 6% 2% 5% Clothing 15% 10% 9% 8% 2% 6% Others 37% 32% 30% 28% 20% 25% Amount Spent Rs 5-7 Lakhs Rs 6-8 Lakhs Rs 8-10 Lakhs Rs 10-12 Lakhs Rs 34-36 Lakhs Rs 66-68 Lakhs Source: EduFund Research Team As you can see in the table above, an infant needs attention, good healthy food, and medical care in the initial years. Thus, the expenses are on the higher side. As the child grows, the expenses of clothing and education start to come in, whereas health care starts to taper down. Gradually the clothing expenses also start getting optimized as the usability of clothing increases with age. As the child enters high school (or the secondary class, which is class 8 onwards) and then moves to college for professional courses and higher education, the expenses start to skyrocket.   While these expenses are alarming, what is more, alarming is the under-preparedness for such inevitable life expenses. Also, it is implicit to note that the expenses will only go north with inflation in categories rising. One should accept that inflation is real and not imaginary.   So, how should you tackle these expenses?  Well, the only answer is Saving by Investing. When we say saving by investing, it is crucial that you have a Systematic, Disciplined, and Rationalized approach to investing. How to plan?   An individual must plan all the bigger child's expenses, as shown in the table above. But you can only do justice with some goals simultaneously, given other expenses that an individual will have at the start of the career. Thus, to tackle this, one must take a rational approach in prioritizing the expenses and categorizing them into short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.   Short-term goals – In this, you have goals that need high capital protection and may arise anytime during one year. For example - some emergency corpus for child's medical care.  Medium-term goals – For the medium term, you have all goals that have over three years to achieve. For example - when planning for school fees of an infant, a parent has a medium-term plan for play school fees and fees for a K-12 school.  Long-term goals where you have time by your side, and you could take high risks. This will be school fees for standard 8-12 (assuming you are planning when the child is an infant, undergrad college fees, and post-grad fees. How do you plan for these goals?  Once you categorize the expenses as per priority and time horizon, have a dedicated plan for each of these baskets.  How could you achieve it?  Let us see the example of the emergency corpus of Rs 1 Lakh for the child's medical treatment.   Emergency funds for a child should have a feature of high safety and high liquidity. Thus, you must invest your savings in a safer fund with high liquidity to achieve this goal. Debt funds are the best option for such short-term goals as they are significantly less volatile. Let us now see the example of medium-term and long-term goals.  For medium to long-term goals, using a goal-based approach for your child's education helps you stay ahead of the curve. Let us see the example of higher education.   Apart from fees, there are expenses like accommodation, food, clothes, transport, etc. The fees portion only consists of almost 40-50% of the total expenses during the course duration, and the balance is spent on other items.  Cost of higher education. Source: EduFund Research Team  Once you have the total cost of education (in current value), find out the expense that you will incur in the future. For example – if your child is just born, you have a good 18 years when the child will be ready for college. Note: Inflation considered at 10% on today’s cost of Rs 25 Lakhs Source: EduFund Research  How can you achieve it?  So, for your child’s education, you need to accumulate Rs 1 cr after 18 years. To achieve this goal, you should consider doing a Step-up SIP with a yearly step-up of 5% (in-line with your yearly salary increment).  Compounding benefits will help you accumulate corpus even with a smaller monthly contribution.   For a longer horizon, such as higher education cost, the ideal way to invest is to start with high-risk funds, utilize the maximum period to accumulate wealth, and eventually move to the capital protection and capital preservation phase as you reach the goal.   Stages to goal-based investing  Accumulation Phase: During this phase, the risk appetite is high; thus, you have high equity allocation, and that too in mid/small space, sectoral, or thematic.  Capital Protection Phase: In this phase, the capital/wealth shifts from high risk to average by including debt. You also move from risky equity to stable and large equity names.  Capital Preservation Phase: At this stage, the wealth accumulated needs to be preserved so that you can pay for your goals. In this phase, debt occupies the whole portfolio Investment period  Phase Investment Period RiskCAGR Wealth Creation01- 10 YearsHigh 14 -16% 11 - 13 YearsAbove AverageCapital Protection 14 – 15 Years Average11-13% Capital Preservation17th Year Below Average 8-10% 18th Year Low Source: EduFund Research Team  Source: EduFund Research  With the above goal-based approach, a nominal SIP of Rs 11,729 with a 5% yearly Step-up could help you reach your goal. The entire journey takes care of rebalancing, capital growth, protection, and preservation by moving from high-risk equity to hybrid to low-risk debt fund as the time comes closer to the event date.   Conclusion  Define your short-term and long-term goals, and start saving & investing as early as possible. The strategy for both types of goals will be different. But having goal-based investing will make your life easier. 

Contrary to the usual belief that parents of the girl child are more worried about keeping their future safe, parents of boys are equally concerned about their boy’s future. They would also like to find the best investment plan for a boy child to make their future secure and rewarding.  Education inflation is high at 11% - 12%, and it is impossible to finance your children’s education without solid backing.  A strong financial corpus will come in handy when the boy child wants to pursue higher education either in India or an overseas university. The accrued amount can also be used for setting up a business if he is interested.  It is not easy to find the best investment plan for a boy child as there are too many options available in the market. This will create confusion and can also lead to indecision or wrong choices.  In this blog, we will list some of the best child investment plans for your boy child to give more clarity. Best investment plans for a boy child 1. Aditya Birla Sun Life Vision Star Child Plan Birla Sun Life Insurance has introduced the Aditya Birla Sun Life Vision Star Child Plan as a money-back plan with a terminal and reversionary bonus. It is a child education plan where you will start receiving predetermined payouts after the 5th premium-paying term is over. In case the life insured dies during the policy term, the nominee becomes eligible for the predetermined death benefit.   2. Bajaj Allianz Young Child Assurance Plan Bajaj Allianz Young Child Assurance Plan is one of the best investment plans for boy children as it has a clause of Accidental Permanent Total Disability Benefit.  It is a traditional child plan that offers insurance protection and savings to save for a boy child’s milestones in growing years.  The child plan from Bajaj Allianz has term options of 10, 15, and 20 years with a choice of quarterly, monthly, half-yearly, and yearly premium payments.  3. HDFC SL YoungStar Super Premium Child Plan As the name suggests, HDFC SL YoungStar Super Premium Child Plan is a child investment plan from HDFC with life insurance coverage and flexible twin benefit payment options, namely the Save-n-Gain Benefit Option and Save Benefit Option.  The unit-linked life insurance plan can be customized to suit the boy child’s future needs with four types of funds: Blue Chip Fund, Income Fund, Balanced Fund, and Opportunities Fund.  In case of the death of the policyholder, the future premiums are paid by the company, and the sum assured is paid on maturity to the beneficiary as per the terms of the plan.  4. ICICI Pru Smart Kid’s Regular Plan ICICI Pru Smart Kid’s Regular Plan is an endowment premium plan with education benefits from ICICI Bank and Prudential Private Limited Company. The additional twin benefits of choosing this plan are income benefit rider and disability benefit rider.  The traditional child plan offers two maturity benefit options. In the first option, the benefit is received at predefined educational milestones or installments of 2, 5, and 7 years, and in the second option, a part of the assured sum is paid every year in the last five years of the insurance policy.  5. Kotak HeadStart Child Assure Plan Kotak Head Start Child Assure Plan from Kotak Mahindra is one of the best investment plans for boy children with dual benefits of wealth creation and protection.  The unit-linked child education plan offers the policyholder the option of half-yearly and yearly premiums. It also allows you to partially withdraw a predetermined sum after every five years.  6. LIC New Children’s Money Back Plan LIC New Children’s Money Back Plan from LIC Corporation is both an insurance and investment plan that will secure the financial needs of the child when he turns 25 years old.  It is a participating non-linked money-back plan that makes it eligible for a bonus based on the performance of LIC. This plan can be bought by parents or grandparents of a child aged between 0 – 12 years only.  An interesting fact about the child plan is that the risk cover is on the life of the child during the policy term and not the policyholder.  Conclusion The world has become a challenging place where a high inflation rate has led to higher expenses and little savings. This is the time to be aware of your surroundings and put greater focus on savings. Find the best investment plan for a boy child so that, as parents, you can create a financial corpus that would be a blessing for the boy child in later years.  Take the help of the experts on the Edufund App to create a personalized financial plan for your boy that will secure his future to a great extent. Consult an expert advisor to get the right plan TALK TO AN EXPERT

ICICI is a leading Asset Management Company (AMC) in the country focused on bridging the gap between savings and investments and creating long-term for investors through a range of simple and relevant investment solutions.   Let us talk about the flagship product – ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund About ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund   Investment objective To generate long-term capital appreciation through investments made primarily in equity & equity-related securities forming part of the FMCG sector. However, there is no assurance or guarantee that the investment objective of the Scheme would be achieved.  Investment process   The ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund invests prominently in FMCG stocks as FMCG is purchased frequently and in regular intervals and the FMCG market in India is large given that it has the 2nd largest population in the world. It chooses stocks that have very high growth potential. The Scheme may invest in derivatives such as Futures & Options for the purpose of hedging and portfolio balancing.  Portfolio composition  The portfolio holds the major exposure in large-cap stocks at 74% and sectorally major exposure is to Diversified FMCG which accounts for almost 38% of the portfolio. The top 5 sectors hold nearly 76% of the portfolio. Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: ICICI Pru AMC  Top 5 holdings for ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund   Name Sector Weightage % ITC Ltd. Indian Hotel Chain 20.29 Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Consumer Goods Company 18.17 Nestle India Ltd. Food & Beverage Company 6.69 Britannia Industries Ltd. Food Industry 5.65 Dabur India Ltd. Consumer goods company 5.41 Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: ICICI Pru AMC  Performance over 23 years for ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund   If you would have invested Rs. 10000 lakhs at the inception of the fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 3.73 lakhs.  Note: Performance of the fund since launch; Inception Date – Jul 09, 1998, till Dec 09, 2022. Source: Morningstar.  The fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of 23 years by generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 16.59%.  INVEST NOW Fund manager  Priyanka Khandelwal – Comes with a total experience of 11 years. She has been with ICICI Prudential since October 2014. She joined ICICI Pru in Strategic Planning and Analysis.  Who should invest?  Investors looking for  Long-term wealth creation.  An equity fund that primarily invests in a select group of companies in the FMCG sector.  Why invest?  ICICI is a renowned name in the finance industry with a proven track record  FMCG is a booming sector in India and all over the world as the demand for the FMCG sector never goes down.  Horizon  One should look at investing for a minimum of 7 years or more  A systematic investment Plan (SIP) is an ideal way to take exposure as it helps tackle market volatility  Conclusion  The ICICI Prudential FMCG Fund has delivered consistent returns over 23 years with a proven track record and has delivered 16.59% CAGR consistently. Thus, suitable for investors who want sectoral exposure in their portfolio and FMCG is a better-performing theme compared to others. DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only. 

ICICI is a leading Asset Management Company (AMC) in the country focused on bridging the gap between savings and investments and creating long-term for investors through a range of simple and relevant investment solutions.   Let us talk about the flagship product – ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Fund  ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Fund  Investment objective To generate capital appreciation and income distribution to unit holders by investing predominantly in equity/equity-related securities of the companies belonging to the infrastructure theme. However, there can be no assurance or guarantee that the investment objective of the Scheme will be achieved  Investment process   The scheme seeks to optimize the risk-adjusted return by a mix of top-down macro and bottom-up micro research to pick up stocks providing long-term potential. The fund manager would adopt a counter-cyclical approach to investing by remaining underweight in those sectors to which the larger market holds an elevated exposure.  Portfolio composition  The portfolio holds the major exposure in large-cap stocks at 61% and sectorally major exposure is to construction which accounts for almost 19% of the portfolio. The top 5 sectors hold nearly 60% of the portfolio. Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: ICICI Pru AMC  Top 5 Holdings for ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Fund Name Sector Weightage % NTPC Ltd. Energy Conglomerate 9.22 Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Indian Conglomerate 8.74 Bharti Airtel Ltd. Telecom Services 6.78 Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Indian oil & Gas Company 5.57 HDFC Bank Ltd. Bank 5.21 Note: Data as of 31st Dec 2022. Source: ICICI Pru AMC  Performance over 17 years for ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Fund  If you had invested Rs. 10,000 lakhs at the inception of the fund, it would be now valued at Rs. 1 lakh. Note: Performance of the fund since launch; Inception Date – August 31, 2005. Source: Morningstar  The fund has given consistent returns and has outperformed the benchmark over the period of 17 years by generating a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of 14.24%.  Fund manager  Ihab Dalwai: Mr. Dalwai is a Chartered Accountant. He has been associated with ICICI Prudential AMC since April 2011.  Who should invest?  Investors looking for  Long-term wealth creation.  An open-ended equity scheme aims for growth by primarily investing in companies belonging to infrastructure and allied sectors.  Why invest?  ICICI is a renowned name in the finance industry with a proven track record  Diversified exposure across market cap thereby offers less concentration risk in terms of market capitalization.  Horizon  One should look at investing for a minimum of 5 years or more  A systematic investment Plan (SIP) is an ideal way to take exposure as it helps tackle market volatility  Conclusion  The ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Fund has delivered consistent returns over 17 years with a proven track record and has delivered a 14.24% CAGR consistently. Thus, suitable for investors who want sectoral exposure in their portfolio with diversification across market caps to optimize the overall portfolio volatility.  DisclaimerThis is not recommendation advice. All information in this blog is for educational purposes only. 

Inflation has been a buzzword globally since Covid19 pandemic was over. Almost every country has been witnessing high inflation, and some are seeing skyrocketing inflation in a few decades.   The rise in the price of cars, electronics, food, and fuel only reminds us how household goods and consumption items are becoming costlier. While discussing the fuel price has been all the rage, there are some items where inflation has been hovering around for quite some time and that too consistently.   This is nothing but Education. Unfortunately, this area needs to be spoken about more, as people are aloof about how it is not only making a hole in your pocket but also denting your aspiration.  Education inflation is the silent killer and is for real. But why is it so critical?  Because it can demolish the dreams of a brighter future when taken lightly. Here's an example that proves this powerful statement - Despite the pandemic, IITs increased their fees in 2021-22 from INR 90K to INR 200K. This is over 100%.   So, a financially unprepared parent will face the heat of the situation with their child for admission!   Why is education inflation scary?  Below is the list of different segments and inflation over the last ten years. Source: MOSPI, EduFund Research  The data highlights the reality that the rise in education costs has surpassed all other necessities and consumables in the last decade. This rise is partial because the government is looking to reduce funding grants. Additionally, there has been growth in living standards and services offered by the Educational Institutes and thus the premium.   In addition to headline educational expenses, many hidden costs hurt a parent. For instance, exam registration fees saw an approximate 6.7% hike last year. Additionally, transportation and student accommodation costs contribute significantly to the overall increase in education costs. And finally, food costs are another major contributor that needs to be highlighted while planning for higher Education.   Increasing tuition fees in India   College tuition fees in India have seen an enormous rise over the years. Here is some data on total course fees for specific courses that help paint a clearer picture of how fast the tuition fees have risen over the years.  Source: EduFund Research  The figures are staggering, and one of the main reasons students drop out of college midway. According to recent data, approximately 39% of students aged 20-24 drop out of college to help their family increase their household income. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there is a need for proper education planning in India, as many parents need to be aware of the rising tuition fee and how to tackle it.   Education costs abroad on the rise  If you want to send your child abroad, the cost will be higher, and you must be prepared to shell out much more to pay.  But why?  Because, in addition to inflation or price hike, currency depreciation also hurts you.  So, even if the college abroad doesn't increase the fees, you will pay higher Indian Rupee terms because of the depreciating Rupee. And, if the colleges increase fees (which they have done every year), the cost increases further in Indian Rupees. Cost of Education in Indian Rupee when fees don't increase      Jan-22 Jan-23 Change (%) Fees USD 79,540 79,540 0% USD | INR Rs 74.51 82.74 11% Fees Rs Lakhs 59.3 65.8 11% Note: The Fees are considered for Princeton University (Undergraduate Admission). The Fees is for 2022-23 and include - Tuition: $57,410, Housing: $10,960, Food: $7,670, and Estimated Miscellaneous Expenses: $3,500.Source: https://admission.princeton.edu/   Fees in the United States increased to nearly 5x from what it was in 1985. The scenario is similar for destinations like the UK, Canada, and Australia.   Despite the pandemic, some universities abroad announced increasing the tuition fee for this academic year (2022-2023). The University of Pennsylvania announced a 2.9% increase in tuition fees, while Arizona State University announced that tuition fees would increase by 5% for international students. The international students at all three campuses of the University of Illinois are likely to see a 1.5 to 2.5% hike in their tuition fees.  How are you planning for your life's most considerable expense before retirement?  Unfortunately, the depth of the issue only hits you once you are close to paying for your child's college, which is one or two years before. And suddenly, you are left with only two choices- compromising on the quality of Education or opting for loans with a high-interest rate which eventually increases your overall cost of Education (after including the interest component on loan). Both decisions will have a significant impact on your child's future.   But you can avoid it. How?  You can avoid financial stress by saving early for your child's college. The sooner you begin investing in your child's education expenses, the more time you give your savings to grow. Here is an example of how you could create an education fund for your child by investing early:   Unit 5 yrs. 10 yrs. 15 yrs. SIP Rs/month 10,000 10,000 10,000 Annual Returns % Per Annum 15 15 15 Total Outflow Rs 6,00,000 12,00,000 18,00,000 Accumulated Amount Rs 8,96,817 27,86,573 67,68,631 Note: The returns here are hypothetical and do not guarantee performance. Source: EduFund Research Find the right investment tool that suits your educational goal and start investing to achieve the goal. If you are overwhelmed with the available options, seek a financial expert to help you with your education investments.