Mutual funds are a type of investment vehicle that pool money from many investors to purchase a diverse portfolio of securities. A mutual fund can have stocks and bonds as well as other assets in its portfolio. Professional fund managers manage the mutual fund. They use the pooled funds to purchase securities and make investment decisions for the fund’s investors.
Every mutual fund has a particular investment objective. The portfolio of the fund is designed to meet that objective. The mutual fund’s gains or losses are shared by investors proportionately to their investment. Mutual funds can betrade in the stock market. They have a Net Asset Valu (NAV), which is calculated daily. You can choose to invest in a mutual fund that is either Equity, Debt or Hybrid, as well as thematic funds.
A mutual fund allows individuals to have diversified exposure to many securities. This is an alternative to investing in individual stocks. A smallcase is a stock basket that is focused on one theme, sector, or idea. A fintech startup called Smallcase introduced it in 2015. A Smallcase was created to allow investors direct access to pre-made portfolios instead of mutual funds.
A small case is a carefully curated set of stocks and other securities, which are assembled by a financial advisor. A small case investment is a curated collection of stocks or securities that are selected based on a specific theme, strategy, or a focus on one sector or geographical region. These small cases are usually intended for individual investors and can be purchased and sold through platforms such as Kotak Securities.
How it works?
A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools the money of multiple investors to purchase a diverse portfolio of securities. Professional fund managers manage mutual funds. They can be purchased and sold on stock markets. A net asset value (NAV), which is calculated daily, is also available.
Mutual funds and small cases are passive investments. This means they are not actively managed, and their portfolios of securities are not constantly adjusted. Small cases tend to be more focused on one strategy or theme, while mutual funds are typically more broad in their investment mandate.
To invest in smallcases, you must open a brokerage account. Smallcase Technologies has partnered up with experienced broking firms like Kotak Securities. Because smallcase investing involves owning stocks in different companies, you will need a trading account and a Demat account. After the transaction is completed, money is deducted from the investor’s trading accounts and stocks are credited into their Demat accounts. These stocks do not have a fixed lock-in period and can be sold or held as they need to be.
Mutual Fund vs Smallcase
Mutual funds are often compared to smallcase portfolios. Although they are very similar in the way they minimize risk by diversification, smallcase portfolios offer many benefits.
1. No Lock-in period
There are no lock-in periods on smallcases, as mentioned in the article. Smallcases are not subject to the restrictions of mutual funds that prevent investors from exiting their investments after a specific period. Investors can easily liquidate their investments anytime they want.
2. Investment cost
Mutual funds investing can charge 1.5-2 percent annual fees for the amount invested as an expense ratio. The transaction fee charged by smallcases is 0.2%. Small case investments are much cheaper than mutual funds because they don’t have hidden fees.
3. Transparency, control
The stocks in a mutual fund portfolio are made public at a specific time. Smallcase investors, on the other hand can view and manage their investments right away after they have invested. Smallcase investors do not need to rely on fund managers to make their investment decisions, as with mutual funds.
4. Shares are not units, but ownership
Investors can own the stocks in their portfolio through smallcase investments. Mutual funds investors don’t own any shares in the companies they invest in; they just hold units of the portfolio.
Takeaway
Asset allocation structures can be as effective as an investor’s knowledge of their goals when it comes to investments. Smallcases and mutual funds can be excellent tools for increasing wealth. Discreet investors should make use of these tools to their advantage. While mutual funds can provide diversification, Small cases offer simple and easily packaged investments that can return high over time. You can start your investment from online trading app of Kotak Securities which can be a great step to make your financial portfolio.
