The role of mutual funds in achieving financial independence

Mutual funds, with their range of benefits, offer an affordable, secure, and structured way to grow your wealth and achieve financial independence. Read on to learn how that happens. 

Understanding financial independence

Financial independence is the state where one has sufficient personal wealth to live without having to work actively for necessities. It means your assets generate income that is greater than your expenses. This status is not just about being wealthy but more about having control over your finances and the freedom to live life your way. Reaching this stage often involves a combination of saving, investing in mutual funds wisely, and managing expenditures.

Why mutual funds are ideal for financial independence

The Assets Under Management (AUM) of the Indian mutual fund industry grew from Rs 10.13 lakh crore in August 2014 to Rs 66.70 lakh crore in August 2024. This impressive growth highlights investors’ trust in mutual fund investments for building long-term wealth. Let’s explore what makes these investments ideal for financial independence.

Diversification: Mutual funds invest in various financial instruments such as equities, bonds, and money market securities. This diversification minimises the risk of capital loss and offers you a balanced approach to wealth building.

Affordability: You can invest in mutual funds with as low as Rs 500 via a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) and grow your portfolio steadily. This is highly beneficial for those who can’t afford to make lumpsum investments but are determined to become financially independent. 

Professional management: Mutual fund schemes are overseen by professionals who use data-driven analysis, market research, and years of experience to make investment-related decisions.

Tax benefits: Certain mutual funds, like the Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS), provide tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Besides helping reduce tax liability, these equity-oriented funds also generate market-linked returns, thus combining wealth growth with tax efficiency.

Easy withdrawal and liquidity: Mutual funds, especially open-ended ones, offer high liquidity and allow you to redeem the units at any time.

Types of mutual funds for financial independence

Some popular types of mutual funds include:

Equity mutual funds majorly invest in stocks and are categorised based on company size, the sector they operate in, and geography. You can select from large-cap funds, mid-cap funds, and small-cap funds or opt for sector-specific funds like healthcare or technology. 

Debt mutual funds: Invest in fixed-income securities like treasury bills, government securities, debentures, and corporate bonds. Within debt funds, choices include:

• Overnight funds
• Liquid funds
• Money market fund
• Short duration funds
• Corporate bond fund
• Dynamic bond funds
• Gilt funds

Hybrid mutual funds: Offer the best of both worlds by including both equity and debt securities. Such investments are ideal for those who prefer a decent growth rate with minimum risk.

Index mutual funds: Track the performance of a particular index like the BSE Sensex, NSE Nifty, etc. Their passive management leads to a lower expense ratio which means you get a diversified portfolio of stocks or debt without high fees.

ELSS funds: Also known as tax-saving mutual funds and come with a lock-in period of three years. They could be suitable for investors looking for tax savings as well as long-term capital growth.

Strategic use of mutual funds

Diversify across categories: Include equity, debt, hybrid, and other funds in your portfolio to offset risk and capitalise on different market phases.

Start SIPs: Contribute a fixed amount in SIP mutual funds regularly to benefit from rupee-cost averaging and build wealth in a systematic way.

Choose funds wisely: Before you buy a mutual fund, focus on its past performance, expense ratio, fund manager's experience, investment objective, and portfolio composition. 

Opt for growth over dividends: Although dividend-paying funds provide quick returns, growth-oriented funds reinvest earnings to increase the fund's value. This compounding effect matters a lot for long-term wealth accumulation and achieving financial independence.

Invest in sector funds: If you find growth opportunities in specific sectors like technology, healthcare, or energy, consider sector funds. These funds let you capitalise on high-growth sectors, but make sure to allocate a reasonable portion as they come with higher risk because of limited diversification.

Case studies/examples

Let’s say you are 30 years old and decide to invest Rs 10,000 per month in an SIP with a yearly return of 12 per cent. After 30 years, you may accumulate over Rs 3.5 crore. This sum would allow you to comfortably afford your post-retirement expenses without relying on active income.

If you are 40 and plan to retire in 20 years, starting the same SIP would result in around Rs 1 crore. Even though it’s a huge amount, the smaller corpus shows how beginning earlier gives a greater advantage toward financial freedom.

Planning for the long-term

The journey to financial independence demands patience and a long-term mindset. Here's how you can do it with mutual funds:

• Start investing early, even with smaller contributions, to take full advantage of compounding and boost your wealth accumulation.
• Use ELSS funds to save taxes and use its lock-in period as an encouragement to stay committed to your investments.
• Stick to your mutual fund strategy despite fluctuations to better navigate volatility and improve long-term outcomes.
• Rebalance your portfolio periodically as your asset allocation might deviate from your target over time due to market movements. Rebalancing will help you align your investments with your evolving financial goals and risk tolerance.
• Maintain an emergency fund so that you can handle unforeseen expenses without having to liquidate investments. You can use liquid or ultra-short-term mutual funds to create an emergency corpus.

Conclusion

Mutual funds, with the benefits of diversification, professional management, liquidity, and tax savings, can help you become financially independent. By using different types of mutual funds smartly, aligning your investments with your risk profile, and keeping a long-term approach, it is possible to build a huge corpus that can support your lifestyle without dependence on active income.

All you must do is remember three golden rules: invest wisely, stay informed, and most importantly, be patient.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lt’s sponsored feature, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.)