41-Year-Old Investing in Flexicap Funds: Need Advice?

Sir i am 41 years old. Time horizon is 20 years. Investing 2000 rupees each in four flexicap funds- parag parikh, hdfc, franklin templeton, canara robeco. And one elss- SBI long term equity. Do i need to add or remove some funds to have the right mix of value, growth, momentum style of investing and to reduce overlap. I am in the beginning phase of my investment and can make changes. If required, kindly suggest the changes i need to make.

Ans: Hello;

If ELSS is required for availing 80 C benefit then it's okay. But then you may limit the the monthly sip into this scheme at 12.5 K per month(1.5 L pa)

Split 50 K equally for monthly sip between a
Flexicap(PPFAS flexicap) and a Large and Midcap fund(Kotak Emerging Opportunities Fund).

Allocate 20 K to HDFC Mid-Cap opportunities fund.

Allocate balance 17.5 K into Nippon India Small cap fund.

For a 20 year horizon this is my suggestion.

Happy Investing!!

You may follow us on X at @mars_invest for updates.

*Investments in mutual funds are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme related documents carefully before investing.

Ans: You have a good selection of mutual funds in your portfolio, Sir. Your current portfolio includes funds from different styles, such as flexicap and hybrid funds. This provides a decent mix of growth, value, and diversified investment strategies. However, there are a few aspects you should consider to improve the overall alignment with your long-term goals.

Let’s go through your current funds and evaluate their strengths and areas where changes might be beneficial.

Flexicap Funds in Your Portfolio
You have multiple flexicap funds in your portfolio:

Parag Parikh Flexicap
HDFC Flexicap
Canara Robeco Flexicap
Franklin India Flexicap
Flexicap funds are versatile as they invest across large, mid, and small-cap companies. This gives you flexibility to capture opportunities across the market, making them an attractive choice. However, having too many flexicap funds can lead to overlap, meaning you might be investing in the same stocks repeatedly, reducing overall diversification.

Points to Consider:
Portfolio Overlap: Since all these flexicap funds invest across market caps, there’s a risk of them holding many common stocks. This dilutes the benefits of diversification.
Fund Styles: Each fund house follows a different style—some focus more on large caps while others tilt towards mid or small caps. But, having too many funds in the same category could lead to inefficiency.
SBI Long Term Equity Fund (ELSS)
This fund falls under the Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) category, which offers tax benefits. It's a solid choice if you're looking to save tax under Section 80C, but keep in mind that ELSS funds have a three-year lock-in period.

Points to Consider:
Lock-in Period: Your SBI Long Term Equity Fund comes with a lock-in of three years, but that can be a good thing as it forces you to stay invested.
Growth Focus: The primary focus of this fund is growth, with a tendency to invest in companies with higher growth potential.
ICICI Prudential Equity & Debt Fund
The hybrid nature of this fund provides a balanced approach by investing in both equities and debt instruments. This fund is less volatile than pure equity funds and offers a cushion during market downturns. It also provides you with some stability, which is essential as you grow closer to retirement.

Points to Consider:
Balanced Approach: This hybrid fund adds stability to your portfolio with its debt exposure, which is crucial, especially in volatile markets.
LTCG Taxation: Be mindful that when you sell this fund, the taxation will follow the LTCG rules for debt funds, which is different from pure equity mutual funds.
Assessing the Mix of Investment Styles
Now, let's analyse the mix of investment styles in your portfolio—growth, value, and momentum. Here's how your current funds line up:

Growth: Parag Parikh Flexicap and Franklin India Flexicap have a strong growth focus. Growth funds invest in companies expected to grow at an above-average rate compared to other companies. This brings higher returns but can be riskier.

Value: HDFC Flexicap and Canara Robeco Flexicap have a more balanced approach with some value-oriented strategies. Value funds focus on undervalued stocks, aiming to capitalise when the market recognises their true potential. This approach is less volatile.

Momentum: Currently, your portfolio lacks a specific momentum-oriented fund. Momentum funds focus on stocks that have performed well recently and are likely to continue doing so in the short term.

Points to Consider:
Balanced Style: You already have a good mix of growth and value funds. Adding a momentum fund could diversify your investment styles further, making your portfolio more dynamic.

Avoid Overlap: While flexicap funds are flexible, too many similar funds could lead to over-diversification. This may reduce your portfolio’s efficiency in terms of returns.

The Importance of Adding a Value Fund
If you want to enhance your portfolio’s exposure to different styles, you could consider adding a fund focused entirely on value investing. Value funds are often overlooked, but they play an essential role during market corrections or periods of economic downturn. They seek to invest in companies that are undervalued, offering long-term potential once the market realises their true worth.

Points to Consider:
Balancing Risk: Value funds are less volatile and provide stability during downturns. They can serve as a cushion for your portfolio, balancing out the riskier growth-oriented investments.

Long-Term Growth: A value fund’s slow but steady performance can help you achieve stable growth in your portfolio over the years.

Diversification of Market Capitalisation
You currently have exposure to large, mid, and small-cap companies through your flexicap funds. However, it might be helpful to examine how much of your portfolio is concentrated in large-cap stocks versus mid and small caps. Large caps provide stability, while mid and small caps offer higher growth potential but with increased risk.

Points to Consider:
Large Cap Stability: Ensure that a reasonable portion of your portfolio is in large-cap stocks. This will provide your portfolio with stability and reduce overall risk.

Mid and Small Cap Growth: Mid and small caps offer higher growth but can be volatile. Make sure you’re comfortable with the risk that comes with these investments.

Disadvantages of Index Funds in Your Portfolio
You’ve wisely avoided index funds, which tend to underperform compared to actively managed funds, especially in the Indian market. Index funds simply track the market, offering no opportunity for active stock selection. In contrast, actively managed funds allow fund managers to pick stocks that have the potential to outperform, especially in volatile markets.

Points to Consider:
No Active Management: Index funds offer no opportunity for active management, which can limit your returns in the long run.

Outperformance Potential: Actively managed funds have the potential to outperform the market, especially during downturns. The fund manager’s expertise becomes a crucial advantage.

Disadvantages of Direct Funds
Direct mutual funds may seem appealing due to their lower expense ratios, but investing through a regular plan with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) has significant benefits.

A CFP will help you manage your portfolio more effectively by offering timely advice, rebalancing your investments, and ensuring you’re aligned with your goals. Direct funds lack this guidance, leaving you on your own to make important financial decisions.

Points to Consider:
No Professional Guidance: Direct funds offer no advisory support. You may miss out on crucial market insights that a CFP can provide.

Portfolio Mismanagement: Without professional advice, you could overexpose yourself to risk or miss opportunities to rebalance your portfolio.

Taxation Aspects of Your Portfolio
The new mutual fund taxation rules can impact your returns:

LTCG on Equity Funds: Long-term capital gains above Rs 1.25 lakh are taxed at 12.5%.

STCG on Equity Funds: Short-term capital gains are taxed at 20%.

Debt Funds: Both long-term and short-term capital gains are taxed as per your income tax slab. This is important to keep in mind when selling any debt portion of your hybrid fund.

Points to Consider:
Tax Efficiency: Hybrid and debt funds can impact your tax liability, so plan accordingly when making withdrawals.

Equity Taxation: Your equity mutual funds will give you tax-free gains up to Rs 1.25 lakh, making them more tax-efficient in the long run.

Finally
Your portfolio has a strong foundation, but it could benefit from further optimisation. By reducing overlap in flexicap funds and adding a value-focused fund, you can diversify your investment styles more effectively. Consider adding a momentum fund to enhance your portfolio’s dynamism.

It’s also wise to keep an eye on the allocation between large, mid, and small caps. While your hybrid fund provides stability, ensure that your overall exposure to equities aligns with your risk appetite as you approach retirement.

Lastly, avoid the temptation of index and direct funds. They may seem cost-efficient, but they lack the advantages of active management and professional guidance, which can make a big difference in long-term wealth creation.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment

Ans: You are investing Rs 2000 each in five different equity mutual funds: Parag Parikh Flexicap, HDFC Flexicap, Franklin India Flexicap, Canara Robeco Flexicap, and SBI Long Term Equity Fund. All of these are primarily flexicap funds except the SBI Long Term Equity Fund, which is an ELSS (Equity Linked Savings Scheme). Having flexicap funds in your portfolio provides diversification as they invest across market capitalizations.

The portfolio’s tilt toward flexicap funds is generally good for the long term, especially for a 20-year investment horizon. However, there may be some overlap in the holdings, given that all the flexicap funds invest in the same market segments. Let’s assess it from three perspectives:

Portfolio Overlap
Style Mix (Value, Growth, Momentum)
Diversification through Multicap Funds
Let’s break it down to see how you can refine your portfolio.

Portfolio Overlap Evaluation
Investing in multiple flexicap funds can sometimes lead to unnecessary overlap. While flexicap funds have flexibility across large, mid, and small-cap stocks, fund managers in different funds may hold similar top stocks. This overlap can lead to a situation where your funds are not providing true diversification, despite the number of schemes.

Top Holdings Overlap: Many flexicap funds tend to hold the same top large-cap stocks. This reduces the diversification effect.
Sector Exposure: You might end up being overexposed to certain sectors like banking, IT, or FMCG, which could lead to sector concentration risks.
Reduced Efficiency: Having multiple flexicap funds means paying expense ratios for all of them, despite many of them investing in similar stocks.
To address this, reducing the number of flexicap funds might be wise. You could consider keeping only 1-2 flexicap funds with a strong track record. This would reduce overlap and make your portfolio more efficient.

Balancing Value, Growth, and Momentum
Achieving the right mix between value, growth, and momentum is essential for a well-rounded portfolio. Here's how your current funds stand:

Flexicap Funds: These funds generally provide a mix of value and growth. They are not focused on one particular style.
ELSS Fund (SBI Long Term Equity Fund): This is a tax-saving fund that also follows a flexicap strategy. It typically has a long-term growth orientation.
Currently, your portfolio seems to be growth-oriented, as flexicap funds often lean toward growth stocks that have strong future potential. However, to add more balance:

Value Funds: You might consider adding a value-oriented fund to your portfolio to add the "value" component, as value funds invest in stocks that are undervalued but have strong fundamentals. This will help your portfolio balance out during market downturns.
Momentum Funds: If you are interested in momentum, you might explore funds that focus on stocks with high relative strength or price momentum. This can add a different dimension to your portfolio during bull markets.
Right now, you do not have a dedicated value or momentum fund. Adding a fund with a value focus or momentum strategy could enhance diversification.

Flexicap vs Multicap – Should You Add Multicap?
While flexicap funds offer flexibility across market capitalizations, multicap funds come with a mandate to invest in all three market caps – large, mid, and small, in a more structured way. This means multicap funds offer a more consistent allocation across market segments.

Advantages of Multicap Funds: Multicap funds maintain a more balanced allocation across large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks. This could give you more exposure to small- and mid-cap companies, which could generate higher returns in the long term.

Recommendation: Given that you are in the early phase of your investment and have a long horizon, adding one multicap fund to your portfolio could provide better diversification across market capitalizations. This can also reduce your portfolio’s dependence on large caps, which dominate most flexicap funds.

However, be cautious not to over-diversify. A portfolio of 4-5 funds is usually sufficient for most investors. Adding a multicap fund means you might want to reduce the number of flexicap funds.

ELSS and Tax Saving Fund Consideration
SBI Long Term Equity Fund, being an ELSS, serves a dual purpose. It helps you save taxes under Section 80C while offering equity exposure. However, ELSS funds also have a 3-year lock-in period.

If Tax Saving is Needed: If your goal is to continue saving taxes, you can retain this ELSS fund. However, if you have other tax-saving options and don’t need this, you may consider replacing it with a more suitable growth or value-oriented equity fund that doesn’t have a lock-in.

Should You Add or Remove Funds?
Considering your current investment and objectives, here are my suggestions:

Reduce the Number of Flexicap Funds: You can streamline your flexicap exposure by reducing the number of funds. Choose 1-2 funds that you believe are consistent performers with strong management.

Add a Multicap Fund: A multicap fund will diversify your portfolio further by ensuring exposure across all market caps. This will complement your flexicap exposure.

Consider Adding a Value Fund: To balance the growth focus of your portfolio, you could introduce a value-oriented fund. This would provide stability during market downturns when growth stocks may underperform.

Review ELSS Based on Tax Needs: If you no longer need tax-saving benefits, consider whether an ELSS is necessary. You could replace it with a more growth or value-focused fund.

Advantages of Actively Managed Funds Over Index Funds
It’s worth noting that actively managed funds, especially flexicap and multicap funds, offer several advantages over index funds:

Active Stock Selection: Actively managed funds can pick stocks based on future growth potential and valuations. Index funds simply mirror the index, regardless of stock performance.

Downside Protection: Active funds have the flexibility to shift allocations during market corrections. Index funds do not offer this flexibility.

Outperformance Potential: In the long term, actively managed funds with skilled managers can outperform their benchmark index. Index funds can only match the market, not beat it.

This is why actively managed funds in your portfolio, especially with a certified financial planner’s guidance, could offer better returns over time.

Disadvantages of Direct Funds and Benefits of Regular Funds
You may hear about direct funds as a lower-cost option. However, regular funds that you invest in through a Certified Financial Planner have distinct advantages:

Expert Guidance: Investing through a Certified Financial Planner ensures that your portfolio is monitored regularly, adjusted for market conditions, and optimized for your long-term goals.

Lesser Hassle: With direct funds, you are responsible for all decisions, including rebalancing, fund selection, and ongoing reviews. With regular funds through an expert, this burden is lifted.

Final Insights
At this stage, you are on the right track by focusing on equity mutual funds with a long-term horizon. Your portfolio can benefit from small adjustments:

Reduce the number of flexicap funds to avoid overlap.
Add a multicap fund to ensure consistent exposure across all market caps.
Consider adding a value fund to balance your portfolio with a value-growth mix.
Review the need for ELSS based on your tax-saving requirements.
Continue with regular funds for expert guidance and better decision-making.
By making these changes, your portfolio will be more diversified, aligned with your risk tolerance, and set for long-term growth.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in
https://www.youtube.com/@HolisticInvestment