Mutual funds pool investors’ money to be managed by professional asset managers. Each fund holds a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. Investors own units of the fund and benefit from returns and diversification without selecting individual securities.

Mutual funds are available across a broad risk spectrum:

• Low-risk: Liquid funds, ultra short-term debt funds, money market funds are ideal for conservative investors seeking capital preservation.
• Moderate-risk: Hybrid or balanced funds are suitable for investors wanting a mix of stability and growth.
• High-risk: Equity mutual funds, sectoral/thematic funds are best for investors with a long-term horizon and high risk appetite.

Open an investment account via SC Invest through the SC Mobile app or online banking. Complete your KYC and risk profile. Once onboarded, you can choose funds and invest via lump sum or SIP. The entire process is digital—no paperwork required.

An SIP allows you to invest a fixed amount regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly) into a mutual fund. SC Invest supports SIPs via its online platform, offering flexible scheduling.

SC Invest offers tools like Risk Profiling, Fund Select (expert-curated fund lists), and access to research insights. Relationship Managers and wealth specialists also help match funds to your financial goals and risk tolerance.

Wealth management is a tailored service that includes portfolio construction, advisory support, access to alternatives, periodic reviews, and structured products. SC India Wealth offers a “Comprehensive Wealth Solutions” suite, spanning mutual funds, bonds, equity, and fixed-income investments.

Mutual fund investments through SC Invest are execution-only and free of platform fees. Advisory and portfolio services (e.g. Portfolio Management Services, Alternative Investment Funds) may entail product-specific fees and advisory charges as disclosed in T&Cs.

PMS is a customised portfolio, managed by professionals for a single investor. Minimum entry is often ₹50 lakh. Unlike mutual funds, PMS offers more flexibility (SIP, STP, SWP, top-ups per SEBI rules) but usually has higher costs and personalized investment strategies.

• Active funds: Fund managers actively pick securities, hoping to outperform benchmarks; typically charge higher fees.
• Passive funds (like index funds/ETFs): Track market indices, offering lower costs and more predictable returns.

STP automatically transfers money at regular intervals from one fund (usually liquid or debt) to another (like equity), enabling disciplined switching. A SIP directly invests new money monthly into a fund.

STPs are offered within SC Invest and wealth advisory channels.

Alternatives include structured products, real estate funds, AIFs, and PMS. They offer diversification but require higher capital and understanding—typically more suited to experienced investors or those accessing them via wealth services.

• Equity funds: Long-term capital gains tax of 10% over ₹1 lakh; short-term gains taxed at 15%
• Debt funds: Short-term taxed as per slab if held <3 years; long-term taxed at 20% with indexation benefit after 3 years.

Yes. SC Invest is an execution-only platform regulated by SEBI. Your transactions settle directly with fund houses; Standard Chartered acts as distributor, not fund manager. The platform links via secure banking channels with integrated KYC.

Joint holdings are common in mutual funds. Standard Chartered typically allows you to invest in mutual funds under joint account arrangements, subject to KYC compliance and nomination settings through SC Invest.

Review quarterly or semesterly. Leverage SC Invest’s performance reports or consult your RM for portfolio rebalancing and strategy alignment as your goals evolve.