What_are_debt_funds
TABLE OF CONTENT

Debt mutual funds came in the news in the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year following a key amendment in the Finance Bill 2023. As per this amendment, with effect from 1st April 1, profits made on debt mutual fund investments will be taxed as short-term capital gains if these funds invest no more than 35% in equities.

Basically, what this means is that debt mutual funds will now be taxed as per the income tax rates applicable for an individual’s income.

Analysts see the move aimed at high net-worth individuals (HNIs), who would use debt funds as tax-saving instruments.

So what are debt funds? In this article, we will explore that and also see how you can get the best out of debt funds following the new rules. But do keep in mind, talking to an authorised financial advisor always makes sense.

What is a debt fund?

A debt fund is a mutual fund that pools ed from various investors and collectively invested in in fixed income instruments, such as corporate and government bonds, corporate debt securities, and money market instruments etc. that offer capital appreciation.

Debt funds also have a low-cost structure and offer relatively steady returns and high liquidity; this is why they are commonly known as income funds. Plus, as stated earlier, they are reasonable safe and are ideal for individuals with a low-risk tolerance.

The interest rate and maturity date of debt mutual funds are predetermined, providing investors with knowledge of the maturity amount at the time of investment.

Debt fund features

Now let us look at the broad debt fund features, as listed below:

The risk involved in debt funds is low.

We mentioned this earlier: debt funds are low-risk investments as they are relatively unaffected by stock market volatility, and fluctuations in the interest rate are minimal and not as drastic as in stock markets. Additionally, debt funds invest in fixed-income securities, which allows investors to know both the maturity date and interest rate of their investments.

Duration of the debt funds

All debt funds have a specific duration, during which period the funds invested are blocked. This period varies – from a day for overnight funds to 10 years for gilt funds. During this period, the invested amounts accumulate interest. The principal and the accumulated interest are repaid to the investor at time of maturity.

Capital appreciation is low

If substantial appreciation in investment is the aim, debt funds may not be the best bet; capital appreciation is low here. But what investors can look forward to are a fixed source of income and returns in the form of interest payments. When investing in debt, the issuer company repays the borrowed loan amount, while the interest portion is generated through reinvestment of the maturity amount from the gains in revenue. The main aim of this type of investment is to provide a safe and stable return.

Credit quality is rated

Investors are known to check credit ratings assigned to various debt instruments / fixed-income securities such as commercial papers, debentures, bonds, or corporate deposits when investing in debt funds, as these funds invest in these debt instruments. The ratings are assigned by rating agencies such as ICRA, FITCH, CRISIL etc.

How do debt mutual funds work?

Being mutual funds, debt fund investments are managed by fund managers; it is they who are responsible for ensuring the fund’s quality through their investment strategy.

They may invest in debt securities with a high credit rating as they are less volatile, but may also take a calculated risk to maximize returns by investing a portion of the investment amounts in securities that are not rated as high but offer higher returns.

They may also invest in short-term securities when interest rates are expected to rise in the near-term and long-term securities when rates are expected to fall in the long run. This is done to hedge the portfolio against interest risk and to ensure a balanced portfolio with good returns.

Also read: 5 Key Parameters For Debt Fund Investment

Types of Debt Funds

Debt funds can be categorised based on their duration and investment avenues, as listed below:

Some of the debt fund investments are:

  1. Short-term funds
  2. Short-term debt mutual funds have a maturity period of one to three years. These are ideal for investors with typically a moderate to low-risk appetite, and who want better returns than what a fixed deposit would fetch over a short period. These debt mutual funds invest in debt market instruments and government securities, and give good returns when the interest rate is high.

  3. Ultra-short-term funds
  4. The ultra-short debt funds invest for short periods – of durations that are less than a year; typically, the maturity is in three months or six months. These funds invest in short-term securities and money markets.

  5. Liquid debt funds
  6. Liquid debt funds are those debt funds which have a maturity of 91 days. It is suitable for those who want to earn extra interest on money lying idle in their savings accounts; not only are the returns stable, they are also higher than that from the savings account. Also, debt funds get converted into cash easily since their maturity period is short. Liquid funds invest in CDs, treasury bills etc.

  7. Dynamic bond funds
  8. The maturity period of dynamic bond funds is between three to five years. Since the duration is longer, the risk element is also slightly more, which makes them more suitable for investors with moderate risk appetite. These funds invest in money market instruments and all class debts with long and short maturity. Debt fund managers keep changing the portfolio according to the fluctuations in the interest rate. Read more about bond funds here.

  9. Money market fund
  10. The maturity of the money market funds is one year. These funds are invested in various money market instruments. The risk involved is significantly lower, which appeals to risk-averse investors.

  11. Income funds
  12. The average maturity period of the income funds is five to six years. The investments of these funds are in debt securities with varying maturity periods of longer durations. Strategic investments are made depending on the interest rates offered. They are considered to be more stable than dynamic bond funds because most of the investments of these funds are in corporate bonds, debentures and government securities. Investors willing to take a slightly higher risk than other debt funds and looking for a longer tenure can consider investing here.

  13. Fixed maturity plans
  14. As the name suggests, these plans have fixed maturity periods and are also called close-ended debt funds. Unlike open-ended debt funds, investors cannot continuously subscribe to the units of this debt fund because of their fixed maturity periods. These investments have a lock-in period of 30 days to five years. This lock-in period is determined at the time of investment. The funds are invested in fixed-income securities like government and corporate bonds with a similar duration as that of the fixed maturity plan. The interest paid on these funds is determined beforehand and is not affected by market fluctuations. Although there is no guarantee of high returns, they are considered better than other fixed income earning instruments like fixed deposits.

  15. Gilt funds
  16. In India, gilt funds are debt funds that invest around 80% to 85% of the funds in government securities issued by the state and central governments. Since these securities are backed by the government, the funds are viewed as carrying low default risk and are rated high. On the flip side, the government may change the interest rate from time to time which exposes the funds to an interest rate risk. (You can find out more details about interest rate risk in the FAQs below). If you are looking for long-term investments with lower default rates, you can consider investing in gilt funds.

  17. Credit opportunity funds
  18. Credit opportunity funds invest in debt instruments with lower credit rating as they aim for maximizing returns. As a result, these funds carry a slightly higher credit risk. Lower rated instruments generally offer higher returns to compensate for the higher risk that investors will be taking. These debt funds are also categorised as accrual funds as these investments are held until maturity and undertake more credit risk instead of interest risk to get higher returns.

  19. Corporate bond fund
  20. These are funds invest 80% of their corpus in high-quality corporate bonds. The risk involved is on the lower side, and the returns are generally optimum, as the investments are only in high-quality corporate bonds that have high credibility.

  21. Floater fund
  22. A majority of the fund is invested in floating rate instruments. Here the risk factor is low, but the interest rate is also less.

  23. Banking and PSU funds
  24. These funds invest 80% of the investible corpus in debt securities of banks and public sector undertakings (PSUs).

  25. Overnight funds
  26. These invest in debt securities for a day. They are considered to be one of the safer types of debt investment, but they do carry a nominal amount of interest rates risk and credit risk.

  27. Medium duration funds
  28. The tenure of these investments is between three to four years. They invest in debt securities and money market instruments.

  29. Medium to long duration funds
  30. The tenure of these funds is between four to seven years. They too invest in debt securities and money market instruments.

  31. Long-duration funds
  32. The tenure of these funds is more than seven years. Like the previous two types of funds, these also invest in debt securities and money market instruments.

Benefits of debt fund investments

Debt funds' investments have several benefits attached to them; a few are listed below:

  • Safe investment:
  • Debt funds are suitable for investors who want to earn more than what is offered in fixed deposits but are unwilling to take the risk of investing in equities.

  • Stable returns:
  • Many investors are attracted to debt funds since the rate of interest offered, and the maturity amount is pre-determined. The cash flow is stable and not much affected by stock market fluctuations.

  • Liquidity:
  • Debt funds are highly liquid. The investor can withdraw their investments any time (on a working day) by selling their units. This comes in handy if there is the immediate need for cash. Plus, unlike a fixed deposit, there is no penalty for withdrawal before maturity.

  • Diversification:
  • These investments help diversify the investor's portfolio and offer stability. A person investing in equities can also invest in debt funds to balance the risk element.

  • Flexibility:
  • Investors can invest in debt funds according to their future requirements. This investment ranges can be from three months to 10 years. A good planned financial investment can help investors systematically reach their goals.

Taxation of debt mutual funds

Debt funds are only taxed at the time of redeeming them, unlike the interest earned from fixed deposits that are taxed every year. Earlier, the investors could avail tax benefits on their long-term capital gains (LTCG), including the indexation benefits, if the debt funds were held for more than three years. LTCG was taxed at a flat rate of 20% while short-term capital gains were taxed as per the income slab rates of the investor. Read more about how to calculate your tax liability in debt mutual funds with the indexation benefit here.

However, as mentioned in the beginning, the Finance Bill 2023 has ensured that the LTCG benefits are no longer available for investments in debt mutual funds. The benefit has also been revoked for other long-term investments made in gold funds, international equity mutual funds, and some hybrid mutual funds. (Do note that long-term investments made before March 31, 2023, can still enjoy the tax benefits).

Henceforth, all capital gains from investments in debt funds made after 1st April 01, 2023 will be taxed as per the investor's income slab rate. However, TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) is not deducted from these investments.

Who are debt funds best suited for?

Risk-averse investors who want stable returns can consider debt funds. It has been seen that when such investors do invest in these funds, they usually do so for a short to medium timeframe.

At the same time, these funds are also ideal for those wanting higher returns than savings accounts or fixed deposits; debt funds can ensure additional incomes and also safeguard their future.

That apart, investors wanting to diversify their portfolio can also look at debt funds.

However, it is not only experienced investors that debt funds are suitable for; novice investors, who would want to safeguard their capital and also earn from their investments, can look towards debt funds.

Also Read: What Are Short/Medium-Term Debt Mutual Funds?

How to Invest in Debt Funds?

There are many ways by which an investor can invest in debt funds. You can choose the option most convenient to you and follow the steps mentioned below to start your investment journey in debt funds today.

  1. Mutual fund investment platform
  2. Debt funds can be bought online through the mutual fund investment platform. The process involved is quick, peerless and without any hassles. All the mutual fund investments of the investor can be made here. The investor needs to create an account.

    Once the account is created, the following steps need to be followed to invest in debt securities:

    1. Open the account.
    2. Choose from the various plans available.
    3. After this, choose the type of payment. This can be lumpsum or SIP (Systematic Investment Plan).
    4. The amount has to be decided by the investor and entered.
    5. KYC (Know Your Customer) needs to be done. PAN, ID proof, address proof, and Aadhaar number must be provided.
    6. Bank details, like the account number, bank name and branch, bank IFSC and account holder's name, must be entered.
    7. Lastly, transfer the amount that is required for the debt fund investment.

  3. Through demat account
  4. Investing in debt mutual funds can be done through a demat accounts. If the investor wants to invest independently but doesn’t have a demat account, he or she needs to open a demat account.

    To invest, log in to the demat account and choose the debt mutual fund which meets your requirements. Click on it and make the required payment.

  5. Through asset management company (AMC)
  6. Investing in debt funds can be done directly by approaching an AMC, either online or offline.

    For investing online, follow these steps:

    1. Open an account with an AMC. This can be done by visiting their website.
    2. Personal details need to be provided like name, age, profession, residential address, contact number etc.
    3. Enter bank details asked for (account number, bank name and branch, bank IFSC, and account holder's name).
    4. KYC needs to be done, so provide the relevant details (PAN, ID proof, address proof, and Aadhaar number).
    5. Once all this is done, transfer the amount needed for the debt fund investment.
    For investing offline, visit the local office with all the necessary documents. Submit the duly filled investment application form, the documents required for KYC, and a cancelled bank cheque. Make the payment either by cheque, UPI, net banking, or card.

  7. Through a mutual fund agent
  8. The process involved is simple: call the mutual fund agent or distributor, hand over all the required documents along with a cancelled cheque and the duly filled-in investment application form, and the agent does the rest.

    However, this way of investing can be time-consuming and costlier.

Also Read: What is a Demat Account?

In Summary

Debt mutual funds can help you diversify your portfolio and help you enjoy the benefits of stable returns with low risk.

However, it is advisable to conduct your own research and assess the risks, the credit rating of the debt instruments that the fund invests in, the expected returns, the tenure of the fund, and the tax on the returns. Also, pay close attention to the fees charged.

Make your Money work hard for you
Invest Now

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions


  • What is the difference between debt funds and fixed deposits ?

    The difference between debt funds and fixed deposits are as follows:

    • The returns and the risk involved are higher in debt funds than in fixed deposits.
    • Investments in debt funds can be withdrawn at any time, whereas fixed deposit withdrawal will fetch a penalty if withdrawn before maturity.
    • Fixed deposits and debt funds are taxed differently. TDS is not deducted in debt funds, whereas it is deducted in fixed deposits.
    • A lump sum is invested in a fixed deposit, whereas an investor can invest in a debt fund using SIP or lump sum.
    Read more about debt funds vs fixed deposits here.
  • What is the difference between debt funds and equity funds ?

    The difference between debt funds and equity funds is as follows:

    • Debt funds invest in debt securities like corporate bonds, government bonds, and treasury bills. On the other hand, equity funds invest in the equity /shares of companies that are listed on the stock exchange.
    • Debt funds have a lower risk and lower returns than equity funds.
    • The returns and interest rates are already known to the investor in debt funds. Equity funds rely entirely on the stock markets for the returns, which are not pre-determined.
    Read more about debt vs equity funds here.
  • What sort of risks are involved in debt funds ?

    There are three types of risks involved with debt funds. These are:

    • Interest rate risk - The bond price and the interest rate are negatively co-related; if the interest rate increases, the bond price decreases and vice versa. Plus, the longer the duration of the debt funds, the bigger is the exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, which increases the risk.
    • Credit risk - In debt funds, an investor lends money to the company. Chances of repayment depend a lot on the credibility of the borrower. The risk is in the borrower's repayment capability, which is known as credit risk.
    • Liquidity risk - If the debt securities held by an investor are not in demand and there aren’t any buyers, then if the idea is to sell it before the maturity of the units, this may have to be done at a loss.
    Every debt mutual fund needs to have a Potential Risk Class Matrix, also referred to as the PRC matrix. SEBI has mandated this. Read more about the PRC Matrix here.
  • How much return can debt funds give ?

    Debt funds offer better returns than fixed deposits but lower returns than equity investments. In 2022, some of the best debt funds yielded 10% to 25% returns. At the same time, long duration debt funds and gilt funds gave only around 3% returns per annum. Therefore, investors must choose their investments wisely, considering all factors like duration and risk involved.
  • What things need to be considered before investing in debt funds ?

    Before investing in debt funds, an investor needs to know a few things, which are:

    • The risk to be taken.
    • The duration of investment; an ideal tenure for investing in debt funds would be three months to a year.
    • The goals to be achieved.
    • The expense ratio; this is the fee levied by the mutual fund companies, which can end up increasing the cost of the debt fund investment.

  • What are accrual debt funds ?

    Accrual debt funds are investments with a short-term to medium-term maturity period. These funds invest in debt instruments carrying a lower credit rating. Instruments with a lower credit rate offer higher returns because they carry credit risk (risk of default). Typically, these investments are held till maturity.
  • What are infrastructure debt funds ?

    Infrastructure debt funds invest only in projects related to infrastructure. Institutional investors (offshore and domestic) are allowed to invest in them. They are sponsored by NBFCs and commercial banks in India, which issues units and bonds for infrastructure projects.
  • What is credit-risk debt funds ?

    Credit-risk debt funds are debt mutual funds that invest in low-rated securities to earn high returns. Debt fund managers take a calculated risk by investing in such securities just to maximize returns .
  • What are the types of debt funds ?

    Debt securities include corporate bonds, government securities, and money market instruments. The debt funds are categorized based on the maturity period of the investment and the kind of security. Some of the most prominent types of debt securities available in the market are liquid funds, ultra-short funds, money market funds, corporate bond funds, short-duration funds, overnight funds, low-duration funds, medium-duration funds, corporate bond funds, gilt funds, dynamic funds.

 

DISCLAIMER

The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.

MORE RELATED ARTICLES

Mutual Funds - Definition, Benefits & How They Work?

Key Ratios to Analyse Mutual Fund’s Performance

KYC Process For Mutual Funds

How to Sell Mutual Funds to Clients?

Monthly SIP vs Weekly SIP – Which One Should Consider?

How To Invest In An Alternative Investment Fund In India?

Best SIP Plan For Students To Invest

When Do Mutual Funds Update The NAV?

Organizational Structure of Mutual Funds in India

Who is a mutual fund broker?

For Expert Advice on the Right Money Solutions, leave your details below...

For Expert Advice on the Right Money Solutions, leave your details below...

Enter OTP
Resend OTP 02:00

I agree to the Terms & Conditions

*All fields are mandatory.

Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions for use of www.adityabirlacapital.com

About Aditya Birla Capital

Aditya Birla Capital (‘the Brand’) is the single brand for financial services business of Aditya Birla Group. The trade logo “Aditya Birla Capital” and the URL www.adityabirlacapital.com is owned by Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited (trade mark owner) and the same is used herein under the License by Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL) and its subsidiary companies (collectively hereinafter referred to as “ABC Companies”).  Aditya Birla Capital Limited is the holding company of all financial services businesses.  

www.adityabirlacapital.com (“the Website”) is maintained and run by Aditya Birla Financial Shared Services Limited (having its registered office at 18th Floor, One India bulls Centre, Tower 1, Jupiter Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road, Mumbai- 400013). The information available on www.adityabirlacapital.com relates either to ABCL and/ or ABC Companies under all associated web pages/ sites which are linked to www.adityabirlacapital.com (“hereinafter referred as the Website”).

All of the ABC Companies have their own separate legal identities and webpages (details about which are embedded in their respective web pages/sites) but in this Website they may sometimes use "Group", "we" or "us" when we refer to ABC Companies in general or where no useful purpose is served by identifying any particular ABCL Affiliate.

Terms and Conditions and Acceptance

Please read these Terms and Conditions (“Terms of Use”) carefully. Your Acceptance of the Terms of Use contained herein constitutes the Agreement for the Purpose as defined hereunder. The Acceptance of Terms of Use will be between You and Aditya Birla Financial Shared Services Limited (hereinafter referred as “Facilities Provider”) which is facilitating provision of the services, other than those which are otherwise specifically provided by each of the ABC Companies on their respective web pages / sites to you.

By accessing and using this Website you have confirmed that you have read, understood and bound yourself by these Terms of Use. These Terms of Use shall apply to the access and use of the Website and all associated web pages/ sites which are linked with www.adityabirlacapital.com (“Website”). You will be subject to the rules, guidelines, policies, terms, and conditions applicable to any facilities that are provided by this Website and all associated web pages/ sites and they shall be deemed to be incorporated into these Terms of Use and shall be considered as part and parcel of these Terms of Use.

In terms of the information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended from time to time), this document is an electronic record.  By accessing the Website and availing for facilities on the Website, the users (hereinafter referred to as "you", or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, the legal disclaimer (‘Legal Disclaimer’) and the Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”), as posted on the Website.

This Agreement describes the terms governing the usage of the facilities provided to you on the Website. Clicking "I Agree" to "Terms & Conditions", shall be considered as your electronic acceptance of this Agreement under Information Technology Act 2000. Your continued usage of the facilities from time to time would also constitute acceptance of the Terms of Use including any updation or modification thereof and you would be bound by this Agreement until this Agreement is terminated as per provisions defined herein.

Your electronic consent, accepting these Terms of Use, represents that you have the capacity to be bound by it, or if you are acting on behalf of any person, that you have the authority to bind such person.

You also acknowledge and agree that, unless specifically provided otherwise, these Terms of Use only apply to this Website and facilities provided on this Website. All of the ABC Companies may have their own individual web pages/sites which are owned by the respective ABC Companies and the facilities offered by the respective ABC Companies will be governed in accordance with the terms and conditions posted of those web pages/websites which you would be bound while availing the facilities/services of the said respective ABC Companies through their respective web pages / sites or otherwise in any other mode as the case may be.

Changes to the Terms of Use

You agree that these Terms of Use may be subject to change/modification for such reason as it may deem fit and proper, including but not limited to comply with changes in law or regulation, correct inaccuracies, omissions, errors or ambiguities, reflect changes in the process flow, scope and nature of the services, company reorganisation, market practice or customer requirements. Upon any change, the updated Terms of Use will be updated on the Website or any other means. Your continued use of the facilities on this Website constitutes acceptance of the changes and an Agreement to be bound by Terms of Use, as amended. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Use at any time, by clicking the Terms & Conditions link on the Website. No fee of whatsoever nature is to be charged for the use of this Website.

If you do not agree with any of these Terms of Use, you may not use this Website.

Authorisation to Facilities Provider

Whenever consent has been obtained/provided by you in any mode under these Terms and Conditions, for availing information/services related to ABC Companies, You agree and authorize the Facilities Provider to share/transfer/transmit your personal information with its ABC Companies and other third parties, in so far as required for offering of facilities through this Website and for analytical / marketing purposes /report generations and/or to offer connected facilities on the Website and may also include transfer/sharing/transmitting  of sensitive personal data or information only if it is deemed necessary for the performance of facilities and to provide you with various value added and ancillary facilities/services and information, to aid you in managing your money needs in the manner agreed under these Terms and Conditions and the privacy policy.  You agree to receive e-mails/SMS/phone calls and such other mode as permitted under law from the Facilities Provider or ABC Companies or its third-party service providers regarding the facilities updates, information/promotional offer and/or new product announcements and such other related information.

You also agree and authorize ABC Companies / its third-party service providers to contact you at the contact information provided for service related communication relating to your product or facilities offered even if your number is in National Do Not Call Registry.

You have the option to withdraw the said consent in the manner specified under these Terms of Use. Please also read the Privacy Policy for more information and details as provided on the Website. The Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Changes will be effective upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy on the Website.

One ID at Aditya Birla Capital

You can create a unique ID on the Website for managing and transacting all financial and non financial transactions with ABC Companies. One ID enables you to have a single login ID for viewing and transacting all your product and service needs across ABC Companies. One ABC ID can be created by you on the Website or any of the webpage of ABC Companies (Account.ABC.com sign up page.) by using your e-mail Id and login credentials as registered with the respective ABC Companies while availing the products / services and completing the authentication procedure in the manner specified at the time of creation of One ID.

Once you have created ONE ID you can link and view all your financial products held with ABC Companies on single web page through verification / authentication procedure as applicable to your account/financial products held with the respective ABC Companies.  

You may choose not to create One ID in which case you will not be able to display all your products across ABC Companies on one page. In circumstances like duplicate email id/phone number you may not be able to create the One ID. In such circumstances you must contact the ABCL Affiliate with whom you have held the product/availed the services to enable update the email id/phone number.

 In case you forget the username or password, you can reset the same using the forgot username and password link available on the Website and completing the authentication procedure specified on the Website.    

MoneyForLife Planner

To help you for your money needs you can avail the facility of MoneyForLife Planner (‘MoneyForLife Planner/ Planner’). MoneyForLife Planner facility is powered by Aditya Birla Money Limited, a subsidiary of ABCL. MoneyForLife Planner provides an indicative assessment of your money needs based on the factors like income, age, family members and their future, your future money requirements and current lifestyle status as per details filled in by you on the online questionnaire. The Planner provides an indicative view about the generic investment opportunities available in the manner indicated by you. The results provided by the Planner are generic in nature and do not necessarily reflect the actual investment profile that you may hold and it is not necessary for you to act on it. The Planner provides a generic indication of your money needs to enable you to prioritize your investment needs which are rule based. Therefore, the search results displayed by the Planner cannot be construed to be entirely accurate / comprehensive.

No fee or consideration or economic benefit either directly or indirectly is associated for availing the assessment through MoneyForLife Planner and therefore it is not to be considered as an investment advice or financial planning and / or investment advisory services.

You agree and understand that use of MoneyForLife Planner does not assure attainment of your investment objectives and there is no assurance that the money objectives will be achieved, as the same is subject to performance of the securities, the forces affecting the securities market and your risk profile. You are advised to consult an investment advisor in case you would like to undertake financial planning and / or investment advice for meeting your investment requirements.

You also agree that risks associated with any investment would be entirely yours and you would not hold ABCL and/or ABC Companies or any of its employees liable for any losses that may arise on account of any investments under taken basis the use of MoneyForLife Planner.

All investment decisions shall be taken by you in your sole discretion. You are advised to read the respective offer documents carefully for more details on risk factors, terms and conditions before making any investment decision in any scheme or products or securities or loan product. All investments in any product / fund / securities etc. will be on the basis, subject to and as per the terms and conditions of the specific product’s / fund’s / security’s offer document, key information memorandum, risk disclosure document, product or sales brochure or any other related documents which are offered by the respective issuer of such product/securities. You can use execution platform/services with any third party as deem fit and proper, and there is no compulsion to use the execution services through this Website.

Not an Investment Advisor, Planner, Broker or Tax Advisor

The facilities on the Website are not intended to provide any legal, tax or financial or securities related advice. You agree and understand that the Website is not and shall never be construed as a financial planner, financial intermediary, investment advisor, broker or tax advisor. The facilities are intended only to assist you in your money needs and decision-making and is broad and general in scope. Your personal financial situation is unique, and any information and advice obtained through the facilities may not be appropriate for your situation. Accordingly, before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy, you should consider obtaining additional information and advice from your advisor or other financial advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances. For more details, please also refer to the Legal Disclaimers provided on the Website.

Financial Solutions

We may provide you with various money solutions and options which are generally available basis your investment profile or those which are generally held by persons of similar investment profile. You authorize us to use/disseminate the information to provide the Financial Solutions however it is not necessarily for you to act on it. It only serves an indicative use of information which you may execute in the manner agreed by you.

Password Protection

You shall not be entitled to avail the facilities without the use of a user name and password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and Account, and you shall not allow anyone else to use your password at any time. You are fully responsible for all activities that occur using your password or Account. You are requested to please notify www.adityabirlacapital.com immediately of any unauthorized use or access of your password or Account, or any other breach of security. The Website will not be liable for any loss that you may incur as a result of someone else using your password or account, either with or without your knowledge.

Intellectual Property Rights

This Website contains information, materials, including text, images, graphics, videos and sound (“Materials”), which is protected by copyright and/or other intellectual property rights. All copyright and other intellectual property rights in these Materials are either owned by ABCL or have been licensed to Facilities Provider, ABCL / ABC Companies by the owner(s) of those rights so that it can use these Materials as part of this Website. Other than those Materials which belong to Third Parties, ABC Companies retains copyright on all Information, including text, graphics and sound and all trademarks displayed on this Website which are either owned by or licensed to by ABCL and/or used under license by ABC Companies.

You shall not (a) copy (whether by printing off onto paper, storing on disk, downloading or in any other way), distribute (including distributing copies), download, display, perform, reproduce, distribute, modify, edit, alter, enhance, broadcast or tamper with in any way or otherwise use any Materials contained in the Website. These restrictions apply in relation to all or part of the Materials on the Website; (b) copy and distribute this information on any other server or modify or re-use text or graphics on this system or another system. No reproduction of any part of the Website may be sold or distributed for commercial gain nor shall it be modified or incorporated in any other work, publication or web site, whether in hard copy or electronic format, including postings to any other web site; (c) remove any copyright, trade mark or other intellectual property notices contained in the original material from any material copied or printed off from the web site; link to this Website; without our express written consent.

No Warranty

Although all efforts are made to ensure that information and content provided as part of this Website is correct at the time of inclusion on the Website, however there is no guarantee to the accuracy of the Information. This Website makes no representations or warranties as to the fairness, completeness or accuracy of Information. There is no commitment to update or correct any information that appears on the Internet or on this Website. Information is supplied upon the condition that the persons receiving the same will make their own determination as to its suitability for their purposes prior to use or in connection with the making of any decision. Any use of this Website or the information is at your own risk. Neither ABCL and ABC Companies, nor their officers, employees or agents shall be liable for any loss, damage or expense arising out of any access to, use of, or reliance upon, this Website or the information, or any website linked to this Website.

No Liability

This Website is provided to you on an "as is" and "where-is" basis, without any warranty. ABCL, for itself and any ABC Companies and third party providing information, Materials (defined later), facilities, or content to this Website, makes no representations or warranties, either express, implied, statutory or otherwise of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of third party rights, with respect to the website, the information or any products or facilities to which the information refers. ABCL will not be liable to you or any third party for any damages of any kind, including but not limited to, direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, arising from or connected with the site, including but not limited to, your use of this site or your inability to use the site, even if ABCL has previously been advised of the possibility of such damages. Any access to information hosted on third party websites of billers/banks/merchants/ABC Companies etc. is not intended and shall not be treated as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any product/offering of these ABC Companies or third parties.

The Facilities Provider or ABCL or ABC Companies shall have absolutely no liability in connection with the information and Material posted on this Website including any liability for damage to your computer hardware, data, information, materials, or business resulting from the information and/or Material or the lack of information and/or Material available on the Website. In no event shall ABCL or ABC Companies shall be liable for any for any special, incidental, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages for any loss, arising out of or in connection with (a) the use, misuse or the inability to use this Website; (b) unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data; (c) statements or conduct of any third party on the site; or (d) any other matter whatever nature relating to this Website.

Further, the Facilities Provider cannot always foresee or anticipate technical or other difficulties. The facilities may contain errors, bugs, or other problems. These difficulties may result in loss of data, personalization settings or other facilities interruptions. The Website does not assume responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery, or failure to store any user data, communications, or personalization settings.

The Facilities Provider, ABCL, ABC Companies and the providers of information shall not be liable, at any time, for any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of information contained at this Website.

Manner of Use of Personal Information

All Personal Information including Sensitive Personal Information provided/related to you, shall be stored/used/processed/transmitted expressly for the Purpose or facilities indicated thereon at the time of collection and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Other than those otherwise indicated and agreed by You, this Website do not collect or store or share your Personal Information. Aditya Birla Capital is the brand and accordingly all products and facilities are provided by respective ABC Companies as applicable. Therefore, for any of these Purposes, the Website will use ABC Companies their authorized third party vendors, agents, contractors, consultants or facilities providers (individually a ‘Third Party Service Provider’ and collectively, the “Third Party Service Providers”) and to that extent you understand and authorize the Facilities Provider to share/transmit such information to Third Party Service Providers. Such sharing of information will be solely for the purpose to fulfill / complete / authenticate your specific requests/transaction execution and for providing information about any ABC Companies product or facilities or services or for data analytics or to deliver to you any administrative notices, alerts or communications relevant to your Purpose (and which may include sending promotional emails or SMS or calls or any other mode permitted under law) or to analyze the usage and improve the facilities/solutions offered or for any research or troubleshooting problems, detecting and protecting against errors or to improve features, tailor the facilities on the Website to your interests, and to get in touch with you whenever necessary.

Except in the manner as stated in the Privacy Policy, the Website will not disclose your Personal Information with any affiliated or unaffiliated third parties,

You may receive e-mails /communications/notifications from the Third Party Services Providers regarding facilities updates, information/promotional e-mails/SMS and/or update on new product announcements/services in such mode as permitted under law.

Use of Website in India

This Website is controlled and operated from India and there is no representation that the Materials/information are appropriate or will be available for use in other locations. If you use this Website from outside the India, you are entirely responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws. There is no warranty or representation that a user in one region may obtain the facilities of this website in another region.

Information published on the Website may contain references or cross references to products, programs and facilities offered by ABC Companies/third parties that are not announced or available in your country. Such references do not imply that it is intended to announce such products, programs or facilities in your country. You may consult your local advisors for information regarding the products, programs and services that may be available to you.

In your use of the Website, you may enter correspondence with, purchase goods and/or facilities from, or participate in promotions of advertisers or members or sponsors of the web site, including those of ABC Companies. Unless otherwise stated, any such correspondence, advertisement, purchase or promotion, including the delivery of and the payment for goods and/or facilities, and any other term, condition, warranty or representation associated with such correspondence, purchase or promotion, is solely between you and the applicable ABC Companies and/or third parties.

You agree that Facilities Provider / ABC Companies has no liability, obligation or responsibility for any such correspondence, purchase or promotion between you and any other ABC Companies and/or third parties.

Third party websites

This Website may be linked to other websites (including those of ABC Companies) on the World Wide Web that are not under the control of or maintained by ABCL. Such links do not indicate any responsibility or endorsement on our part for the external website concerned, its contents or the links displayed on it. These links are provided only as a convenience, in order to help you find relevant websites, facilities and/or products that may be of interest to you, quickly and easily. It is your responsibility to decide whether any facilities and/or products available through any of these websites are suitable for your purposes. The Facilities Provider or ABCL is not responsible for the owners or operators of these websites or for any goods or facilities they supply or for the content of their websites and does not give or enter into any conditions, warranties or other terms or representations in relation to any of these or accept any liability in relation to any of these (including any liability arising out of any claim that the content of any external web site to which this web site includes a link infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party).

USE of APP

In case any facilities/services, access/dissemination of information or execution of transaction is done through use of any APP related to ABC Companies, the additional terms and conditions governing the Use of APP shall be applicable and to be read along these Terms of Use.

Postings and monitoring

The Facilities Provider or ABCL or ABC Companies does not routinely monitor your postings to the Website but reserves the right to do so if deemed necessary if it is related to the facilities offered on the web site and to comply with law. However, in our efforts to promote good citizenship within the internet community, if the Facilities Provider or ABCL or ABC Companies becomes aware of inappropriate use of the Website or any of its facilities, any information, opinions, advice or offers posted by any person or entity logged in to the Website or any of its associated sites is to be construed as public conversation only, and the Facilities Provider or ABC Companies shall not be liable or responsible for such public conversation. You agree that in such cases, we will respond in any way that, in our sole discretion, as deemed appropriate. You acknowledge that Facilities Provider or ABC Companies will have the right to report to law enforcement authorities any actions that may be considered illegal, as well as any information it receives of such illegal conduct. When requested, ABC Companies/Facilities Provider will co-operate fully with law enforcement agencies in any investigation of alleged illegal activity on the internet.

Submissions and unauthorized use of any Materials contained on this Website may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, certain communications statutes and regulations and other applicable laws and regulations. You alone are responsible for your actions or the actions of any person using your user name and/or password. As such, you shall indemnify and hold Facilities Provider, ABCL / ABC Companies and its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors, and business partners harmless from and against any and all loss, costs, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in relation to, arising from, or for the purpose of avoiding, any claim or demand from a third party that your use of the Website or the use of the Website by any person using your user name and/or password (including without limitation your participation in the posting areas or your submissions) violates any applicable law or regulation, or the rights of any third party.

We reserve the right to terminate access to this Website at any time and without notice. Further this limited license terminates automatically, without notice to you, if you breach any of these Terms of Use. Upon termination, you must immediately destroy any downloaded and printed Materials.

If you come across any breaches/violation or offensive material you must report to us at abc.secretarial@adityabirla.com

Use of Cookies

You agree and understand that the Website will automatically receive and collect certain anonymous information in standard usage logs through the Web server, including computer/computer resource-identification information obtained from "cookies" sent to your browser from a web server or other means as explained in the Privacy Policy.  

Facilities Changes and Discontinuation

The Website reserves the right to discontinue or suspend, temporarily or permanently, the facilities. You agree that the Facilities Provider/ ABC Companies will not be liable to you in any manner whatsoever for any modification or discontinuance of the facilities. The format and content of this Website may change at any time. We may suspend the operation of this Website for support or maintenance work, in order to update the content or for any other reason.

ABCL, ABC Companies, and its directors, employees, associates, or other representatives shall not be liable for any damages or injury, arising out of or in connection with the use, or non-use including non-availability of the Website and also for any consequential loss or any damages caused because of non-performance of the system due to a computer virus, system failure, corruption of data, delay in operation or transmission, communication line failure, or any other reason whatsoever. The Website will not be responsible for any liability arising out of delay in providing any information on the Website.

Compliance with the Law

You agree that you will not:

  • Use any robot, spider, scraper, deep link or other similar automated data gathering or extraction tools, programme, algorithm or methodology to access, acquire, copy or monitor the Website, or any portion of the Website.
  • Use or attempt to use any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (including without limitation, browsers, spiders, robots, avatars or intelligent agents) to navigate or search the Website, other than the search engines generally available by third party web browsers
  • Post or transmit any file which contains viruses, worms, Trojan horses or any other contaminating or destructive features, or that otherwise interferes with the proper working of the Website or the facilities.
  • Attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software, comprising or in any way making up a part of the Website or the facilities.
  • You agree not to use the facilities for illegal purposes or for the transmission of material that is unlawful, harassing, libelous (untrue and damaging to others), invasive of another's privacy, abusive, threatening, or obscene, or that infringes the rights of others.

Restrictions on Commercial Use or Resale

Your right to use the facilities is personal to you; therefore, you agree not to resell or make any commercial use of the facilities. In addition, the Website welcomes your feedback as a user of the facilities. Any feedback you provide will become the confidential and proprietary information of the Website, and you agree that the Website may use in any manner and without limitation, all comments, suggestions, complaints, and other feedback you provide relating to the Website. The Website shall have a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable right to use feedback for any purpose, including but not limited to incorporation of such feedback into the Website or other Website software or facilities.

No Endorsements

All product and facilities marks contained on or associated with the facilities that are not the Website marks are the trademarks of their respective owners. The Website would require you to respect the same. References to any such names, marks, products or facilities of third parties or hypertext links to third party sites or information does not imply the Website’s endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation of the third party, information, product or facilities.

Promotional Offers

You may receive from time to time, announcement about offers with intent to promote this Website and/or facilities/products of ABC Companies (“Promotional Offers”). The Promotional Offer(s) would always be governed by these Terms of Use plus certain additional terms and conditions, if any prescribed. The said additional terms and conditions, if prescribed, would be specific to the corresponding Promotional Offer only and shall prevail over these Terms of Use, to the extent they may be in conflict with these Terms of Use. The Website reserves the right to withdraw, discontinue, modify, extend and suspend the Promotional Offer(s) and the terms governing it, at its sole discretion.

Charges for use of Website

There are no charges or fees to be paid by you for use of this Website. However, you are responsible for all telephone access fees and/or internet service fees that may be assessed by your telephone and/or internet service provider. You further agree to pay additional charges, if any levied by Third Party Service Provider(s), for the facilities provided by them through the Website (Additional Charges).

No Endorsement

You are advised to be cautious when browsing on the internet and to use good judgment and discretion when obtaining information or transmitting information. From this Website, users may visit or be directed to third party web sites. The Website makes no effort to review the content of these web sites, nor is the Website or its licensors responsible for the validity, legality, copyright compliance, or decency of the content contained in these sites.

In addition, the Website does not endorse or control the content of any other user and is not responsible or liable for any content, even though it could be unlawful, harassing, libelous, privacy invading, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, obscene or otherwise objectionable, or that it infringes or may infringe upon the intellectual property or other rights of another. You acknowledge that the Website does not pre-screen content, but that the Website will have the right (but not the obligation) in their sole discretion to refuse, edit, move or remove any content that is available via the facilities.

Electronic Communications

These Terms of Use and any notices or other communications regarding the Facilities may be provided to you electronically, and you agree to receive communications from the Website in electronic form. Electronic communications may be posted on the Website and/or delivered to your registered email address, mobile phones etc either by Facilities Provider or ABC Companies with whom the services are availed. All communications in electronic format will be considered to be in "writing". Your consent to receive communications electronically is valid until you revoke your consent by notifying of your decision to do so. If you revoke your consent to receive communications electronically, the Facilities Provider shall have the right to terminate the facilities.

Assignment

You shall not assign your rights and obligations under this Agreement to any other party. The Website may assign or delegate its rights and/or obligations under this Agreement to any other party in future, directly or indirectly, or to an affiliated or group company.

Legal Disclaimers

The information provided on or through the Website is for general guidance and information purposes only and they do not in any manner indicate any assurance or opinion of any manner whatsoever. Any information may be prone to shortcomings, defects or inaccuracies due to technical reasons. Certain information on Website may be on the basis of our own appraisal of the applicable facts, law and regulations in force at the date hereof.

The information (and opinions, if any) contained on the Website may have been obtained from public sources believed to be reliable and numerous factors may affect the information provided, which may or may not have been taken into account. The information provided may therefore vary (significantly) from information obtained from other sources or other market participants. Any reference to past performance in the information should not be taken as an indication of future performance. The information is dependent on various assumptions, individual preferences and other factors and thus, results or analyses cannot be construed to be entirely accurate and may not be suitable for all categories of users. Hence, they should not be solely relied on when making investment decisions. Your investment or financial decision shall always be at your own discretion and based on your independent research; and nothing contained on the Website or in any information would construe ABCL/ABC Companies or any of its employees/authorized representative as having been in any way involved in your decision making process. Any information and commentaries provided on the Website are not meant to be an endorsement or offering of any stock or investment advice.

Nothing contained herein is to be construed as a recommendation to use any product, process, equipment or formulation, in conflict with any patent, or otherwise and Facilities Provider / ABCL/ABC Companies makes no representation or warranty, express or implied that, the use thereof will not infringe any patent, or otherwise. Information on this Website sourced from experts or third party service providers, which may also include reference to any ABCL Affiliate. However, any such information shall not be construed to represent that they belong or represent or are endorsed by the views of the Facilities Provider or ABC Companies. Any information provided or sourced from ABCL Affiliate belongs to them. ABCL is an independent entity and such information from any ABCL Affiliate are not in any manner intended or to be construed as being endorsed by ABCL or Facilities Provider. The information does not constitute investment or financial advice or advice to buy or sell, or to endorse or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or other financial instrument for any reason whatsoever. Nothing on the Website or information is intended to constitute legal, tax or investment advice, or an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment or a solicitation of any type. Investment in the securities market and any financial instruments are inherently risky and you shall always assume complete and full responsibility for the outcomes of all the financial or investment decisions that you make, including but not limited to loss of capital. You are therefore advised to obtain your own applicable legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice or facilities before taking or considering an investment or financial decision.

No Solicitation

No Information at this Website shall constitute an invitation to invest in ABCL or any ABC Companies. These are meant for general information only or to meet statutory requirements or disclosures. ABCL or any of its employees are in no way liable for the use of the information by you, when making any decision or investing or trading through any investment vehicles or ABC Companies, or any other third party which may be engaged in offering of these services.

The information contained on this Website does not represent and should not be used to construe (i) the terms on which a new transaction would be entered into by ABCL or ABC Companies, (ii) the terms on which any existing transactions could be unwound by ABCL or ABC Companies, (iii) the calculation or estimate of an  amount that would be payable following an early termination of any past/existing transactions or (iv) the valuations given to any transactions by ABCL or ABC Companies in their books of account for financial reporting, credit or risk management purposes.

Statutory Disclosure

ABCL and ABC Companies are engaged in a broad spectrum of activities in the financial services sectors. You understand and acknowledge that Aditya Birla Money Limited (‘ABML’), Aditya Birla Finance Limited (‘ABFL’) and Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company Limited and trustees and sponsor of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (‘ABSLMF’) are group companies and ABML / ABFL also acts as a distributor of ABSLMF.  Any recommendation or reference of schemes of ABSLMF if any made or referred on the Website, the same is based on the standard evaluation and selection process, which would apply uniformly for all mutual fund schemes. You are free to choose the execution facilities in the manner deemed fit and proper and no commission will be paid by ABSLMF to ABML / ABFL if you choose to execute a transaction with ABSLMF on the Website, unless otherwise agreed by you and ABML/ABFL separately. Information about ABML/ABFL, its businesses and the details of commission structure receivable from asset management companies to ABML/ABFL, are also available on their respective Website.

Similarly Aditya Birla Money Insurance Advisory Services Limited and Aditya Birla Insurance Brokers Limited are insurance intermediaries and engaged in the distribution of Insurance Products and it may services may include products of Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited and Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited. However there is no conflict on these services and commissions if any payable are in accordance of the extant regulations.

Force Majeure

The Facilities Provider, ABC Companies and any of its Third Party Service Providers shall not be liable for any delay or failure in performance resulting directly or indirectly from acts of nature, forces, or causes beyond their reasonable control, including, without limitation, Internet failures, computer equipment failures, telecommunication equipment failures, other equipment failures, electrical power failures, strikes, virus, other malicious computer code, hacking, labour disputes, riots, insurrections, civil disturbances, shortages of labour or materials, fires, flood, storms, explosions, acts of God, war, earthquake, governmental actions, orders of domestic or foreign courts or tribunals, non-performance of third parties, or loss of or fluctuations in heat, light, or air conditioning.

Indemnification

You agree to protect and fully compensate Facilities Provider, ABCL, ABC Companies, subsidiaries, licensors, suppliers and facilities providers, employees, officers and directors, from any and all third party claims, liability, damages, expenses and costs (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys fees) caused by or arising from your use of the facilities, your violation of the Terms of Use or your infringement, or infringement by any other user of your account, of any intellectual property or other right of anyone.

No Waiver

The Facilities Provider, ABC Companies or any of its third party service providers and processor bank/merchants etc. shall not be deemed to have waived any of its/their rights or remedies hereunder, unless such waiver is in writing. No delay or omission on the part of Facilities Providers and ABC Companies, in exercising any rights or remedies shall operate as a waiver of such rights or remedies or any other rights or remedies. A waiver on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any rights or remedies on future occasions.

Exclusive Agreement

You agree that these Terms of Use are the complete and exclusive statement of agreement supersede any proposal or prior agreement, oral or written, and any other communications between you and the Facilities Provider and its Third Party Service Providers or processor bank/merchants relating to the subject matter of these Terms of Use. These Terms of Use, as the same may be amended from time to time, will prevail over any subsequent oral communications between you and the Website and/or the processor bank.

Termination

Either party can terminate this Agreement by notifying the other party in writing. Upon such termination You will not be able to use the facilities of this Website.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

The Website specifically prohibits you from usage of any of its facilities in any countries or jurisdictions that do not corroborate to all stipulations of these Terms of Use. The Website is specifically for users in the territory of India. In case of any dispute, either judicial or quasi-judicial, the same will be subject to the laws of India, with the courts in Mumbai having exclusive jurisdiction.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and to be interpreted in accordance with laws of India, without regard to the choice or conflicts of law provisions of any jurisdiction. You agree, in the event of any dispute arising in relation to these Terms and Conditions or any dispute arising in relation to the Website whether in contract or tort or otherwise, to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts located at Mumbai, India for the resolution of all such disputes.

Latest Articles

Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds

What is Diversification? Meaning & Its Working

Read More
Posted on 26 April 2020
Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds

How to Invest in ELSS Mutual Fund To Save Tax

Read More
Posted on 16 July 2022
Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds

What are Exchange-Traded-Funds (ETFs)?

Read More
Posted on 17 November 2019