Enthusiastic about Earnings Plus Arbitrage Funds? Know the professionals and cons, hidden dangers, and why pure arbitrage funds should be the safer different.
Within the fast-changing world of mutual funds, innovation typically walks a wonderful line between real want and advertising gimmick. After the federal government eliminated indexation advantages from debt mutual funds in 2023, many fund homes scrambled to search out new methods to retain investor curiosity.
Enter the so-called “Earnings Plus Arbitrage Funds” — a cleverly branded class that guarantees higher returns than financial savings accounts, equity-like taxation, and low threat.
Sounds excellent? Not so quick.
Earlier than you get lured into these shiny new wrappers, it’s essential to grasp the reality behind the advertising and why you need to avoid these gimmicks.
Keep away from Earnings Plus Arbitrage Funds: A Dangerous Tax Gimmick
No SEBI Recognition, No Clear Rules
First and most significantly:
There’s NO SEBI-defined class referred to as an “Earnings Plus Arbitrage Fund.”
These funds are simply internally designed hybrids, combining:
- Arbitrage trades (purchase inventory in money market, promote futures of the identical inventory), and
- Debt investments (company bonds, treasury payments, industrial papers).
As a result of SEBI doesn’t regulate them underneath a selected framework, the fund supervisor enjoys extensive discretion:
- One month, the portfolio might be 70% arbitrage and 30% debt.
- The subsequent month, it may flip to 40% arbitrage and 60% debt.
- Worse, debt high quality may range — from secure authorities securities to riskier company bonds.
As an investor, you’re getting into a gray zone with out even realizing it.
You will have no assurance about how your cash will probably be allotted — particularly in unstable markets.
Designed to Exploit the Tax Loophole
The actual cause these merchandise exist is straightforward:
To supply fairness taxation advantages to conservative buyers who in any other case would have stayed in secure debt funds or fastened deposits.
As a result of these “Earnings Plus” funds make investments a minimal 65% in equities (via arbitrage), they qualify as fairness funds for taxation:
- Brief-Time period Capital Features (STCG) taxed at 20%.
- Lengthy-Time period Capital Features (LTCG) above Rs.1.25 lakh taxed at 12.5%.
Examine this to pure debt funds, the place:
- Brief-term or long run positive aspects are taxed at your slab charge (as much as 30%) no matter your holding interval.
No marvel AMCs are aggressively advertising this — not in your profit, however to maintain their AUM (belongings underneath administration) rising.
Hidden Dangers Lurking Inside
Regardless of being projected as a “secure” parking spot for idle money, these funds carry critical hidden dangers:
1. Credit score Danger from the Debt Portion
This can be a big concern. And not using a clear mandate, such funds can take undesirable credit score threat. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, you find yourself with a dangerous debt portfolio.
- Fund managers may put money into lower-rated company bonds to spice up returns.
- If the corporate defaults or faces a downgrade, the fund’s NAV may take a sudden hit.
- Keep in mind Franklin Templeton’s debt fund disaster? Buyers discovered the arduous approach that credit score threat is actual.
Allow us to take the instance of few funds. Kotak Earnings Plus Arbitrage FoF portfolio is holding round 59% of its portfolio in Kotak Company Bond Fund Direct Development. Similar approach, DSP Earnings Plus Arbitrage Fund of Fund is holding round 46.5% of its holdings in DSP Banking and PSU Debt Fund – Direct Plan – Development. Additionally, Bandhan Earnings Plus Arbitrage Fund of Funds is holding round 61% in it’s Bandhan Company Bond Fund – Direct Development. HDFC Earnings Plus Arbitrage Energetic FoF – Direct Plan is holding round 53% in HDFC Company Bond Fund.
In case you blindly look into different funds additionally, it’s the identical story. Therefore, it’s a must to ask your self of how a lot snug you’re in taking such BLIND threat.
2. Curiosity Price Danger
- If rates of interest rise sharply, the worth of the debt holdings can fall and vice verse. In case your debt portfolio consists of long run bonds, then such volatility is large.
- This could erode the portfolio worth, particularly in short-term timeframes.
3. Liquidity Danger
- Throughout occasions of market panic (e.g., March 2020 COVID crash), arbitrage spreads dried up.
- This implies the so-called “secure” arbitrage technique generated virtually no return for months.
4. Portfolio Transparency Points
- In contrast to pure arbitrage funds or regulated debt funds, these hybrids don’t disclose detailed, fastened mandates for asset allocation.
- Buyers are blindly trusting fund managers — with out figuring out how a lot threat they’re taking at any given time.
5. Majority of those funds are previous wine in new bottle
In case you look into the age of those funds, you’ll discover that few are displaying as 3+, 5+, or 10+ years previous. However don’t go by this. They’re earlier in a unique avatar than what they’re in the present day. For instance, DSP Earnings Plus Arbitrage Fund of Fund was earlier DSP World Allocation Fund of Fund. Kotak Earnings Plus Arbitrage FOF was earlier Kotak All Climate Debt FOF. Similar approach, Bandhan Earnings Plus Arbitrage Fund of Funds was earlier Bandhan All Seasons Bond Fund. ICICI Prudential Earnings Plus Arbitrage Energetic FoF, earlier model was ICICI Prudential Earnings Optimizer Fund (FOF). HDFC Earnings Plus Arbitrage Energetic FOF, earlier model was HDFC Dynamic PE Ratio Fund of Funds. I’m simply highlighting the few. You’ll be able to cross verify by yourself with different funds, additionally. The story will stay the identical.
6. By no means depend on previous returns
As these funds are the brand new model of earlier debt funds, it’s arduous to imagine that previous returns will proceed in future. Therefore, by no means evaluate the returns to guage that these are superior than Arbitrage Funds.
Why Plain Arbitrage Funds Are Safer
In case your aim is tax effectivity + security, then pure arbitrage funds are a much better possibility.
- Pure arbitrage funds are regulated clearly by SEBI.
- They solely deal with hedged positions in inventory markets — shopping for in money and promoting in futures.
- They keep away from the complexity and threat of holding unknown debt devices.
- Returns usually vary from 5% to 7% every year — much better than financial savings accounts or liquid funds, with far decrease threat.
No pointless gimmicks. No hidden publicity. No worrying about what the fund supervisor is cooking behind the scenes.
Easy is all the time safer.
Don’t Be a Scapegoat
Let’s name a spade a spade:
“Earnings Plus Arbitrage Funds” are cleverly disguised traps to catch unsuspecting buyers who’re chasing post-tax returns.
Fund homes know that after debt fund taxation modifications, they might lose an enormous chunk of AUM.
So as an alternative of innovating responsibly, they invented a blurry, loosely structured product — one which:
- Appears secure,
- Feels acquainted,
- However hides vital threat underneath the hood.
As an investor, you need to by no means fall for such gimmicks. Your cash deserves higher — readability, transparency, and ease.
The Smart Investor’s Method
- In case your aim is idle cash parking,
- If you wish to earn higher than a financial savings account,
- In order for you tax effectivity with out hidden threat,
then the trail is obvious: Follow pure arbitrage funds.
You don’t want an “revenue plus” gimmick to realize your objectives. You want self-discipline, not determined innovation. Nonetheless, beware that Arbitrage Funds might generate few months of unfavorable returns throughout fairness market volatility (Can Arbitrage Funds give unfavorable returns?).
Remaining Phrase: Keep Easy, Keep Protected
Earnings Plus Arbitrage Funds are usually not options. They’re merchandise designed to learn fund homes, not buyers. At a time when monetary advertising is getting more and more refined, it’s extra essential than ever to keep rooted in easy, clear funding ideas. Don’t be a scapegoat. Don’t commerce security for gimmicks. Follow pure Liquid Fund or arbitrage funds in your short-term necessities.