What are Direct Mutual Funds

24 February 2023
3 min read
What are Direct Mutual Funds
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Every Mutual Fund Scheme provides Direct and Regular Plans. In a Direct Plan, there is no distributor to help with the transaction; instead, an investor must invest directly with the AMC.

In a Regular Plan, the investor invests via a middleman, such as a distributor, broker, or banker, who receives payment from the AMC in the form of a distribution fee added to the plan's cost.

Further, whether to purchase Direct Funds or Regular Funds confounds many individuals, and like with every other inquiry, we often respond, "It depends."

In this blog, let us try to comprehend what Direct Funds are and their benefits and drawbacks.

What is a Direct Mutual Fund?

With a Direct Mutual Fund, you can purchase mutual funds straight from the AMC or fund company, cutting out the intermediary distributor. In addition, by investing in Direct Mutual Funds, you avoid paying significant fees.

Direct Funds do not involve paying distributor commissions. Hence their expense ratio is lower, as the fund house directly sells them.

Advantages of Direct Mutual Funds

The following are the principal benefits of investing in Direct Funds-

  • Relatively Low Expense Ratio

Direct Funds have lower fee ratios than ordinary funds since there is no intermediary between investors and fund firms. The agents get a commission from the AMCs in regular money, which they recoup through their expense ratio.

Although the expenditure ratio between Regular and Direct Funds could appear to differ only slightly over time, the difference might increase considerably.

  • Greater NAV

A Mutual Fund's Net Asset Value (NAV) is determined by dividing the value of all assets in its portfolio by the number of outstanding units. NAV stands for Net Asset Value.

A Mutual Fund's holdings might include cash instruments, debt securities like bonds and treasury bills, and equity shares of various firms. The NAV of Direct Funds would be more significant than that of conventional funds since investors in Direct Funds are not subject to brokerage fees.

  • Higher Returns

Direct Funds would have a lower expense ratio than ordinary funds because no brokerage or fee is involved.

Even if the regular and direct fund returns do not seem to differ much, they do when you invest with a long-term time horizon.

Disadvantages of Direct Mutual Funds

The following are the principal drawbacks of investing in Direct Funds:

  • Selecting Schemes is Tough

In India, several AMCs provide a variety of Mutual Funds plans. Choosing one strategy out of all the appropriate schemes is difficult. Direct Investors sometimes choose methods based only on historical performance without considering other aspects.

  • Making Decisions

Regular monitoring of the investment portfolio is necessary, and appropriate adjustments must be made based on the market's state and the investor's financial goals.

Direct Investors, however, might make poor choices at various points over the investment duration. Therefore, such decisions may ultimately influence the process of wealth development.

  • Investor Prejudice

Direct Investors frequently acquire certain biases, which may impact the investment portfolio.

For instance, without learning the fundamentals, investors focus on funds in the same category or funds they become fond of. Therefore, a little investing choice may overlook asset allocation and other fundamentals, resulting in costly errors over time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, not everyone should use Direct Mutual Funds. In a similar vein, not all investors should choose Regular Funds.

The cost ratio is the sole distinction between a Direct Fund and a Regular Fund, and their investment philosophy and portfolio are the same. The advantages of Regular Funds, however, outweigh those of Direct ones.

Therefore, it is up to the investor to make an informed decision.

Happy Investing!

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