HDFC Retirement Savings Fund - Hybrid Debt Plan - Direct Plan

Suitability:

When you invest for three years or above, you can expect gains that beat the inflation rate and are also slightly higher than fixed income options. But be prepared for some ups and downs in your investment value along the way.

Conservative hybrid funds invest roughly a quarter of your money in equity shares and the rest in bonds and commodities. Given their underlying investments, these funds offer a viable alternative to regular income seekers. To derive dependable, inflation-protected income, invest your accumulated savings in these funds gradually over at least a few months, and then maintain a withdrawal rate in the range of 4-6% of the value of your investment every year.

Warning: Do not invest in this, or any other aggressive hybrid fund, if you need to redeem your investment in less than three years.

Taxability of earnings:

The tax treatment of this fund may vary depending upon its asset allocation. It will be taxed in the following manner based on its average asset allocation in the last 12 months.

Capital gains

• If the mutual fund units are sold after 3 years from the date of investment, gains are taxed at the rate of 20% after providing the benefit of inflation indexation.
• If the mutual fund units are sold within 3 years from the date of investment, entire amount of gain is added to the investors' income and taxed according to the applicable slab rate.
• No tax is to be paid as long as you continue to hold the units.

Dividends

• Dividends paid by the mutual fund scheme are taxed at the rate of 25% (effectively 29.12%, including surcharge and cess). This is known as Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT).Though the investor does not pay this tax directly, it is deducted from the dividend income before passing on to the investor.