Assets under management (AUM) of balanced - equity oriented funds fell for the first time in the last 23 months, in Feb 2018. The month-on-month dip appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to the introduction of 10 per cent tax on dividend from equity oriented funds in Budget 2018-19, effective April 1, 2018. Investors have been opting for the dividend option in balanced equity oriented funds because it is tax-free. Nonetheless, for newbies in the stock market, balanced funds still remain an ideal way to take the plunge.
Compiled by Dhuraivel Gunasekaran
Source: NAV India