HDFC Defence Fund - Direct Plan

Suitability

This is a fund that invests mainly in companies that adhere to the narrow investment mandate mentioned in its investment objective.

We believe that investors should avoid funds that have a narrowly defined investment focus such as this one. Instead, they should invest in flexi-cap funds which provide complete freedom to the fund management team to invest in companies from which it expects maximum gains.

But if you do invest, you must do so only through the SIP route. Click here to read a primer on SIP investing.

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

Taxation

Capital Gains Taxation

• If the mutual fund units are sold after 1 year from the date of investment, gains upto Rs 1 lakh in a financial year are exempt from tax. Gains over Rs 1 lakh are taxed at the rate of 10%.
• If the mutual fund units are sold within 1 year from the date of investment, entire amount of gain is taxed at the rate of 15%.
• No tax is to be paid as long as you continue to hold the units.

Dividend Taxation

• Dividends are added to the income of the investors and taxed according to their respective tax slabs. Further, if an investor's dividend income exceeds Rs. 5,000 in a financial year, the fund house also deducts a TDS of 10% before distributing the dividend.