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Demystifying Total Expense Ratio: What Every Investor Should Know
In a bid to give mutual fund investors a better deal, SEBI has urged mutual funds to lower their Total Expense Ratio (TER). A discussion paper on this subject may be floated soon. SEBI’s initiative aims to make mutual fund investments more cost-effective for the average investor.
What is Total Expense Ratio?
Mutual funds, the professionally managed investment vehicles that grow your money by investing in financial assets like equities, bonds, gold, and more, come with a cost. This cost, known as the Total Expense Ratio (TER), covers the expenses incurred by the mutual fund company to manage the investment schemes.
There are two main types of expenses incurred by mutual funds:
- Non-recurring expenses: These are the costs associated with launching a fund, typically borne by the fund house in India.
- Recurring expenses: These include the management fee, distributors’ commission, registrar’s fee, trustee fee, and marketing expenses, which together form the TER. Expressed as a percentage of assets managed, the TER is a crucial metric for investors.
In India, SEBI prescribes the maximum TER a fund can charge. For equity-oriented funds, the cap is 2.5%, while debt and index funds have lower limits of 2.25% and 1.5%, respectively. SEBI also sets sub-limits for TER based on the size of the assets managed, ensuring a tiered structure that reduces costs as the fund size increases. Additionally, funds can charge an extra 30 basis points if they receive substantial inflows from beyond the top 15 cities.
Why is TER Important?
In the global mutual fund landscape, various fees and costs are charged to investors. However, in India, almost all these costs are bundled into the single metric of TER. This includes significant components like the fund manager’s fee and distributors’ commission. Though investors don’t pay an out-of-pocket commission to distributors, the fund company does, and this is included in the expense ratio.
SEBI has implemented measures to rationalize mutual fund expense ratios. Notably, in 2012, it mandated that mutual funds offer ‘Direct’ options in all their schemes. These Direct plans cater to investors who transact directly with the fund house, bypassing distributors and thus reducing the expense ratios significantly compared to Regular plans.
Why Should You Care?
Your mutual fund returns hinge on the growth in its Net Asset Value (NAV), which is calculated after deducting the TER from the portfolio’s latest value. Thus, a higher TER directly impacts the money you take home.
Even a small difference in TER can have a substantial effect on your investment over time. For instance, consider two identical index funds tracking the Nifty50—one with a 1% TER and another with 0.5%. An initial investment of ₹1 lakh in each fund 15 years ago would now be worth ₹8.95 lakh and ₹10 lakh, respectively. The 50 basis point difference in the expense ratio results in a significant ₹1 lakh difference in your final investment value.
While TER is a critical factor, it’s not the only one to consider when choosing a mutual fund. The fund manager’s ability to generate excess returns over the long term is equally important. However, when comparing two funds with similar performance, TER becomes a deciding factor, especially in categories like debt funds or arbitrage funds where returns are more predictable.
Conclusion
Understanding the Total Expense Ratio is crucial for making informed mutual fund investments. By paying attention to TER, you can better gauge the cost-effectiveness of your investment choices and optimize your returns. Keep an eye on SEBI’s evolving regulations as they continue to shape a more investor-friendly mutual fund landscape.
