Services
Rather more than helping you buy a product.
8 lines of work and 24 things we do within them, in roughly the order you meet them. The value is in selecting what suits you, executing it properly, and still being here to service it years later.
01 · 4 services
Mutual funds
Onboarding, suitability, scheme selection, execution, and the monitoring and service that follow — the whole of what an AMFI-registered distributor does, not just the transaction.
Distributed under our AMFI registration. We are a distributor, not a SEBI-registered investment adviser: we do not charge an advisory fee, we are paid trail commission by the asset management company and disclose it, and no return is assured.
- 01
Financial planning
A written plan built from your income, obligations and the dates your money is actually needed.
We are a distributor, not a SEBI-registered investment adviser. Planning here supports the mutual fund products we distribute; we do not charge a separate advisory fee.
- Understanding age, horizon and risk tolerance
- Cash flow, liabilities and liquidity needs
- Goals with dates and rupee amounts
- A monthly investment figure you can sustain
- Review schedule agreed in advance
- 02
Wealth management
Building and then monitoring the portfolio — the second half is where most of the work is.
We do not recommend a scheme because it pays us more. The commission on every recommendation is disclosed before you invest.
- Scheme selection across equity, debt and hybrid funds
- Asset allocation matched to each goal's horizon
- Portfolio valuation, XIRR and capital gains
- Scheme versus benchmark comparison
- Rebalancing when allocation drifts past the agreed band
- Consolidating folios held across distributors
- 03
Retirement planning
Both halves: accumulating the corpus, and drawing it down without running out.
- Corpus sized against your real expenses
- Inflation-adjusted requirements
- SIP accumulation projections
- Existing EPF, PPF and NPS taken into account
- SWP and retirement income illustrations
- Drawdown sequence for the years after you stop earning
- 04
Tax planning
Using the year deliberately rather than buying something in March because the deadline arrived.
We are not tax professionals. We will show you the statements and explain the mechanics, and we will tell you to take the filing decision to someone qualified.
- ELSS and Section 80C planning
- Short-term and long-term capital gains classification
- Capital gains statements and reports
- Tax implications of redemptions and switches
02 · 1 service
Insurance
Protection planning, policy servicing, claims assistance, renewals and periodic reviews of cover — considerably more than the sale of a policy.
Insurance is distributed under a separate IRDAI registration, not under our AMFI ARN, and what we can offer depends on the insurers and products we are authorised to distribute. A policy is protection; we do not present it as an investment.
- 05
Insurance planning
Protecting the plan itself. Cover sized to your liabilities and dependants, never sold as an investment.
Insurance is distributed under a separate IRDA registration, not under our AMFI ARN, and is remunerated separately. Cover is protection, and we will not present a policy as a substitute for an investment.
- Term life cover sized to liabilities and dependants
- Life cover placed through ICICI Prudential Life
- Health cover for the family, placed through Niva Bupa
- Reviewing existing policies you already hold
- Claims and renewal assistance
03 · 1 service
Corporate bonds
Debt securities issued by corporations. When you buy these bonds you lend money to the issuing company, in exchange for periodic interest payments and the return of the principal amount at maturity.
Corporate bonds carry higher risk than a bank deposit, and that risk is the reason the potential return is higher. Interest and principal depend on the issuing company meeting its obligations. No return is assured.
- 06
How a corporate bond works
Lending to a company rather than depositing with a bank. You receive interest through the life of the bond and your principal back at maturity.
- Periodic interest payments from the issuing company
- Return of the principal amount at maturity
- Higher potential return than a bank deposit
- Higher risk than a bank deposit, carried by you
04 · 2 services
Fixed deposits
Still the most popular investment option in India — the RBI's report on household savings puts 56% of household financial assets in bank FDs. Corporate fixed deposits are term deposits like bank FDs, but offered by non-banking financial companies rather than banks.
A corporate FD is not a bank deposit. Interest and principal depend on the issuing NBFC meeting its obligations, which is why its credit rating matters. Interest is added to your income and taxed at your slab rate.
- 07
Corporate fixed deposits
Term deposits from non-banking financial companies, paying a fixed rate of interest and the principal on maturity. Popular with informed investors because the rates are usually higher than bank FDs.
- Interest rate — varies from one company to another, so compare before deciding
- Credit risk — the rating reflects the NBFC's ability to meet interest and principal
- Tenure — rates are usually higher for longer tenures
- Pay-out — cumulative, or paid monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly
- 08
Bank FD or corporate FD
The two are not interchangeable. Which one suits you depends on how long you are investing for, and how likely you are to want the money back early.
- Rate of return — corporate FD rates are usually higher than bank FD rates
- Tenure — bank FDs run 7 days to 10 years, corporate FDs 12 months to four to six years
- Lock-in — bank FDs have none; a corporate FD may lock in for about three months
- Premature withdrawal — allowed in both, with a penalty, and lighter on bank FDs
- Taxation — identical: interest is added to your income and taxed at your slab
05 · 6 services
Market Linked Debentures
Non convertible debentures whose returns are not fixed but linked to an underlying market index, paid out in one amount on maturity rather than as periodic interest.
An MLD is a debenture issued by a company, not a bank deposit. Principal protection and the market linked pay-off both depend on the issuer meeting its obligations, which is why its credit rating matters. No return is assured.
- 09
How an MLD works
Market linked debentures, or MLDs, are non convertible debentures where the returns are not fixed. The returns are linked to an underlying market index — an equity index, a G-Sec index, gold and so on.
- Tenure can range between 1 and 5 years
- Unlike NCDs, there are no periodic interest (coupon) payments
- The payout takes place only on maturity: the principal and the accrued interest
- The interest payout is variable and linked to a market index
- 10
Types of MLD
There are two types of MLD, and the difference is what happens to your principal when the market movement is unfavourable.
- Principal protected — your principal repayment is assured irrespective of market movements. If the market falls, you get your principal on maturity; if the movement is favourable, the principal plus market linked returns
- Non principal protected — your principal is at risk if the market movement is unfavourable. Potential returns are higher, and the risk is considerably higher
- 11
Credit rating
MLDs are rated by credit rating agencies like CRISIL and ICRA.
- A rating of AAA or AA+ denotes high safety (low credit risk)
- 12
Examples of MLDs
How a pay-off linked to an index works in practice.
- A Nifty linked MLD may offer 75% of Nifty returns over the next 3 years (maturity). If Nifty gives 40% absolute returns in that time, you get the principal plus 30% returns on the principal
- If Nifty falls, you get just the principal (in case of a principal protected MLD)
- Some MLDs have conditions attached to the pay-off — for example, 10% interest if Nifty does not fall more than 60%
- If Nifty falls more than 60%, only the principal is paid (in case of a principal protected MLD)
- 13
Taxation of MLDs
MLDs can be listed on stock exchanges or unlisted, and the two are taxed differently.
- Listed MLDs sold after 1 year — capital gains taxed at 10%, which makes listed MLDs highly tax efficient
- Unlisted MLDs held for less than 36 months — capital gains on maturity taxed at your income tax rate
- Unlisted MLDs held for more than 36 months — capital gains taxed at 20% after indexation benefits
- 14
Who should invest in MLDs
The minimum investment amount in MLDs is Rs 10 – 25 lakhs.
- Investors looking for higher returns than FDs
- Investors looking to participate in market upside without taking any downside
- Investors looking for tax efficient returns
06 · 1 service
Specialized Investment Funds
Curated investment vehicles for sophisticated investors seeking opportunities beyond traditional mutual funds or stocks — sectors, asset classes and strategies that are often inaccessible through mainstream channels.
Distributed under our SIF registration (ARN - 160311). These funds use advanced strategies including leverage and derivatives, which raises risk as much as potential return, and they are built for investors who can carry that risk. No return is assured.
- 15
How a SIF works
Funds focused on a particular sector, asset class or strategy — among them real estate, private equity, infrastructure, hedge funds and venture capital.
- A defined focus: a sector, an asset class or a single strategy
- Professional management and due diligence
- Access to high-growth or niche sectors
- Advanced strategies including leverage, derivatives and active allocation
- Built for High Net Worth and institutional investors
07 · 4 services
Portfolio Management Services
A portfolio of stocks, fixed income, debt, cash and other securities managed by a professional fund manager. Unlike a mutual fund, where you own units of a scheme, in a PMS you own the individual securities and your account can be unique to you.
Distributed under our APMI registration (APMI - APRN05577). We distribute the service; the portfolio is managed by the portfolio manager, not by us. No return is assured.
- 16
Discretionary PMS
The choice of investments, and the timing of those decisions, lies solely with the portfolio manager.
- The portfolio manager decides what to buy and when
- No decision is required from you once the mandate is set
- 17
Non-discretionary PMS
The portfolio manager suggests the investment ideas. You decide the timing and the decisions; the manager executes the trades.
- Investment ideas come from the portfolio manager
- Timing and decisions are yours
- Execution is handled by the portfolio manager
- 18
Advisory PMS
The portfolio manager suggests investment ideas only. Both the decision and the execution rest with you.
- Investment ideas come from the portfolio manager
- The decision is yours
- The execution is yours
- 19
What a PMS gives you
What the service is meant to provide, whichever of the three types you hold.
- Professional management aimed at long-term performance while minimising risk
- Continuous monitoring, with periodic changes made to the portfolio
- Flexibility — the manager may hold cash, and may concentrate where they see opportunity
- Risk control, with a research team supporting the management team
- Daily reporting of holdings, status and performance through your own login
- Tailored advice for select clients, designed around their financial goals
08 · 5 services
Loans
A wide variety of loan products, to suit short term, medium term and long term needs.
We assist with the paperwork and with choosing between lenders. The loan itself is granted by the bank or NBFC, not by us: approval, the rate and the amount are theirs to decide, and depend on your credit history and the security offered.
- 20
Home loan
A long-term product to finance the purchase of property. You make a down payment and the lender provides the rest.
- Down payment is a percentage of the purchase consideration
- Construction-linked disbursement for an under-construction property
- Repaid in equal monthly instalments
- The property is lien with the lender
- 21
Vehicle loan
A medium-term product to finance the purchase of a vehicle — two wheeler, four wheeler or otherwise.
- Minimum down payment as a percentage of the vehicle price
- The lender provides the rest of the funds
- Repaid in equal monthly instalments
- The vehicle is lien with the lender
- 22
Personal loan
An unsecured loan for a short tenure. Approval depends on your credit history.
- No security required
- Approval depends on your credit history
- Usually repaid in equal monthly instalments
- Some lenders allow bullet repayment — interest monthly, principal at the end
- 23
Business loan
Paperwork handled for quick loan processing, with help at each step of the process.
- Assistance with all documents and processes
- A wide selection of banks and NBFCs
- Chosen for the best deal available to you
- 24
Loan against property
Borrowing against residential or commercial property you already own. The amount is calculated as a percentage of the property value.
- Loan amount is a percentage of the property value
- Your property documents are lien with the lender
- Medium or long term
- Repaid in equal monthly instalments
An illustration
What a SIP health report looks like
If the projection falls short of the target, the two levers are the instalment and the horizon. We show you both before you pick one.
Run it with your own numbers- Current SIP
- ₹50,000 a month
- Annual step-up
- 10%
- Current value
- ₹32 lakh
- Target corpus
- ₹1.5 crore
Figures shown are a demonstration of the arithmetic, not a client portfolio and not a projection of any scheme.
Start from the goal instead
Products are the last decision, not the first.
We work backwards from the date money is needed. If you would rather browse that way, each goal below carries the instruments we actually use for it.
Not sure which of these you need?
That is what the first conversation is for. Bring the question, not a product.
Rasbihari Sarkar is an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor (ARN-160311), not a SEBI-registered investment adviser. We earn commission from asset management companies on the schemes we distribute. We do not charge you a fee for distribution, and we do not guarantee returns. Insurance is distributed under a separate IRDA registration. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Read all scheme related documents carefully.