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Mutual Funds and SIPs in India

Expense Ratios, Direct and Regular Plans

Funds charge annual fees that reduce returns, and direct plans cost less than regular plans because they avoid distributor commission.

Small differences in cost add up over decades.

Expense ratio

This annual fee is deducted from the fund’s assets, and expressed as a percentage.

Direct and regular

Direct plans are bought straight from the AMC and have lower fees. Regular plans include a commission paid to distributors.

Long-term effect

Over 20 years, even a one-percentage-point difference can reduce final wealth by a lot.

Advice trade-off

Some investors pay a little extra for guidance, which is a personal choice.

A fee gap

Two identical funds differ only in fees, and after many years the cheaper plan builds a much larger amount.

Ignoring costs because they look small

Compounding makes them large.

Key takeaways
  • Expense ratios reduce returns.
  • Direct plans cost less.
  • Regular plans pay commissions.
  • Costs matter over time.
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