Have a question about how an investment works? Ask us.

Send us a general question about how a mutual fund, SIP, bond, deposit or any other investment product works. We answer in plain language, in your language, free. What we cannot tell you is what to buy — that needs a SEBI-registered adviser who knows your full position.

Questions we can answer

• How a mutual fund is structured and what the different types are.
• What an SIP does over time, and what it does not promise.
• What a bond, NCD or fixed deposit is, and where the risk sits.
• What "diversification" and "time horizon" mean in practice.
• What the common charges are and where they appear.
• How to check whether an adviser or distributor is registered, and where to look.

Questions we will refer you elsewhere for

Which fund should I buy? How should I split my money? Is now the right time? Should I sell what I hold? Will this give me a particular return? These are personal advice. We will say so and point you to the registers of SEBI-registered investment advisers and AMFI-registered distributors rather than guess.

Before you act on anyone’s advice

Check their registration on the regulator’s or industry body’s register. Ask how they are paid. Be wary of guaranteed returns — in a market-linked product, a guarantee is a warning sign.

Questions