There are two broad ways you can invest in mutual funds – directly or through an independent financial advisor/mutual fund distributor/ broker. You can also choose the medium to invest – online or offline (and both of these can be done through the distributor’s office or directly with the mutual fund company). In all cases, you will need to have a Permanent Account Number (PAN) and comply with the ‘Know Your Customer’ or KYC requirements.
Once the KYC requirements are completed, you can consider any of the following popular methods to invest:
- A financial advisor (FA) is a certified, professional expert who can help you to identify your financial goals, build a proper financial blueprint based on your goals, and recommend the correct investment options to match them. Make sure that you understand how the advisor is paid, and that you are comfortable with his or her recommendations. You may need to pay the advisor a retainer/advisory fee.