Mastering Tracking Error: Beyond Simple Performance Comparisons

A common situation for a mutual fund distributor is fielding a call from an HNI client who notices that their index fund returns are slightly lower than the benchmark index they track. While the client expects a direct...

Seeing Through the Benchmark: How Index Construction Impacts Your Advice

Consider a situation where you are presenting a mid-cap portfolio to a client in Mumbai. You point to a stellar one-year return, but the client asks why their portfolio feels volatile compared to the broader Nifty Midcap...

Why AMFI Standardization is Your Best Defense Against Mis-selling

Consider a scenario where you are reviewing a portfolio for an HNI client who has invested across three different mutual funds. You notice that while the funds belong to similar categories, the factsheets show wildly...

Beyond the Benchmark: Understanding Tracking Error and Active Share

Consider a client who reviews her Large-cap fund portfolio and asks why it lags behind the Nifty 50 by two percent despite the manager being highly paid. If you only look at total returns, you are ignoring the mechanics...

Beyond the Price: Why TRI is the True Measure of Returns

Consider a client who walks into your office with a statement for an equity mutual fund, frustrated that the fund’s performance looks mediocre compared to the movement of the Nifty 50 he tracks on television. He notes...