Frequently asked questions.

Three steps. A free call to understand what the money is for and when you need it; KYC, if you have not done it before; then your folio is opened and the first SIP or lump sum is placed. If your KYC is already done, it usually takes less than a week. Get started.

PAN, Aadhaar, a cancelled cheque or a bank statement with your name and account number, and a photograph. NRIs also need a passport, visa or OCI card, and proof of overseas address. Nothing needs to be notarised, and most of it can be done online.

Most schemes accept a SIP from ₹500 a month, and some from less. A one-time investment usually starts at ₹1,000 to ₹5,000. The fund house sets the minimum, not us — and a small start that continues is worth more than a big one that stops.

No. Units are held in your name in a folio with the fund house and its registrar, and you get a statement after every transaction. You can use a demat account if you already have one, but it is not required.

You pay us nothing directly. We are an AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor (ARN-357446) and are paid a trail commission by the fund house from the scheme’s expense ratio, for as long as you stay invested. There is no entry load; the only other costs are an exit load if you redeem early and stamp duty of 0.005% on purchases. See commission rates.

Both hold exactly the same portfolio. A direct plan has no distributor commission in its expense ratio; a regular plan does, and that pays for the service — planning, paperwork, reviews, and someone to call when something goes wrong. We distribute regular plans. Both expense ratios are published, so you can compare them.

No. As a mutual fund distributor we explain products, help you match categories to your goals and handle every transaction; we do not charge a separate advisory fee. Mr. Santosh also holds the QPFP® certification in personal financial planning.

No one can do that honestly. Returns are not assured, and last year’s best fund is rarely next year’s. We choose the right category for each goal’s time and risk, pick consistent schemes across 19 fund houses, and review them every year.

We never hold your money. Payments go straight from your bank to the fund house, units are held in your own name, and redemptions are paid only into your registered bank account. A scheme’s assets are held by trustees and a custodian. Mutual funds do carry market risk — that is part of the product, not of who arranges it.

Through the SIR Financial Services app on Android and iPhone — holdings, returns and transactions across every fund house, plus orders and capital-gains reports. Statements are also emailed after every transaction, and a Consolidated Account Statement covers everything in one document.

Equity funds pay out on a T+2 basis — usually within two working days of a request before the cut-off. Liquid and most debt funds are quicker, often the next working day, and some liquid funds offer instant redemption of up to ₹50,000. Money goes only to your registered bank account.

Tell us first — most problems are paperwork and fixed the same day. If not, every fund house has an investor relations officer, and you can escalate to SEBI through SCORES and, for disputes, the Online Dispute Resolution platform. See grievance redressal.

Yes. Bring a Consolidated Account Statement (free from CAMS or KFintech against your PAN) and we will review everything against your goals. Changing distributor does not sell anything, trigger tax or change your units. If what you have is fine, we will say so.

Direct plans cannot be serviced by a distributor. Moving them to a regular plan counts as a redemption, which can trigger tax and an exit load, so we usually leave them and include them in the review. New investments can be made through us if you want the service.

Yes, with no penalty. A SIP can be paused for a few months, increased or reduced, moved to a different date, or stopped. Stopping a SIP does not sell what you already hold.

Your nominees. You can name more than one, set the share each receives, and change them any time. We set nominations up at the start and check them at every review.

Yes, through an NRE or NRO account after KYC in NRI status. A few fund houses restrict investors living in the US or Canada, so we tell you which schemes accept you before you choose. See the NRI guide.

For equity funds, gains on units held up to twelve months are taxed at 20%; beyond that, gains above ₹1.25 lakh in a financial year are taxed at 12.5%. Gains on debt funds bought on or after 1 April 2023 are taxed at your slab rate. Hybrid funds are taxed as equity only if at least 65% is in Indian shares. Tax rules change, so we confirm before you redeem.

Term life and health insurance, loans against mutual funds through partner lenders, income tax returns, and digital signature certificates. We don’t deal in shares, crypto, property or home loans.

No. We work with families across Karnataka, elsewhere in India and abroad. Most conversations happen by phone or video, in English, Hindi or Kannada.