Balanced Advantage Funds (BAF), also known as Dynamic Asset Allocation Funds (DAAF) have emerged as an investor favourite in the last few years.
In this blog, let’s dive into the world of Balanced Advantage Funds (BAF) and understand how these funds work and their performance.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes and 45 seconds
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What is a Balanced Advantage Fund (BAF)?
Balanced Advantage Funds are a category of mutual funds that aim to provide investors with a balanced mix of safety and growth. These funds are designed to adapt to changing market conditions by dynamically managing their asset allocation between equities and debt instruments.
In essence, BAF automatically shifts their investment proportions to capitalize on market opportunities while mitigating risks.
How does a balanced advantage fund work?
The magic of BAF lies in their ability to maintain a balance between safety and potential returns. Here’s a simplified breakdown of how they work:
1. Asset allocation
BAF begins with an initial allocation of assets between equity and debt (can be 50:50). This allocation can vary among different BAFs and depends on the fund manager’s strategy.
2. Dynamic rebalancing
The fund manager continuously monitors market conditions, economic trends, and other relevant factors. Based on this analysis, they adjust the fund’s asset allocation. For example, if the equity market seems bullish, they might increase the equity portion; conversely, if it looks uncertain, they may shift towards debt instruments.
3. Risk management
BAF aims to manage risk by automatically reducing exposure to equities during market downturns to protect investors’ capital. On the flip side, they increase equity exposure when markets are on an upswing to capture potential gains.
4. Regular reviews
These funds undergo periodic reviews and rebalancing, typically at predefined intervals, to ensure that the asset allocation aligns with the fund’s objectives.
Historical performance of balanced advantage funds in India
To understand whether BAF is a good fit for your portfolio, it’s essential to examine its historical performance. Keep in mind that past performance is not indicative of future results, but it can provide some valuable insights.
Historically, Balanced Advantage Funds in India have shown a relatively steady performance, making them an attractive choice for risk-averse investors.
As of September 20, 2023, Balanced Advantage Funds have on average delivered 10.80% p.a. returns in the last 5 years. Their 3 and 10-year annualized returns are 14.20% and 13.22% p.a. (Source – AMFI)
Therefore, they have the potential to provide better returns than traditional fixed-income options while being less volatile than pure equity funds.
However, it’s crucial to remember that BAF’s performance can vary widely based on the fund manager’s strategy and the market conditions at any given time. Therefore, thorough research and due diligence are essential before investing.
Also, as they are actively managed funds, their expense ratios are high. The expense ratio charged on direct plans is around 0.5 to 1% and 1.5 to 2% on regular plans. (Source – AMFI)
Pros of investing in balanced advantage funds
Now, let’s explore the advantages of including BAF in your investment portfolio:
1. Diversification
BAF offers diversification benefits by investing in a mix of equities and debt instruments. This diversification can help spread risk across different asset classes.
2. Professional management
BAF is actively managed by experienced fund managers who make dynamic asset allocation decisions, saving you the hassle of making frequent investment choices.
3. Risk mitigation
BAF aims to reduce downside risk by shifting to debt during market downturns. This can protect your capital during turbulent times.
4. Tax efficiency
BAFs are structured as equity funds (minimum 65% of funds invested in equity) for tax purposes, which means long-term gains (held for over one year) are taxed at a lower rate than debt funds.
Cons of investing in balanced advantage funds
While BAF offers several advantages, it also comes with some drawbacks:
1. Fees
BAFs have higher expense ratios compared to pure equity or debt funds because of active management.
2. Market timing risk
The effectiveness of BAF relies heavily on the fund manager’s ability to time the market correctly. If the manager makes incorrect calls, it can impact returns negatively.
3. Lower growth potential
BAF may not generate as high returns as pure equity funds during bull markets since they often maintain a significant allocation to debt instruments.
Should you invest in a balanced advantage fund?
Deciding whether to invest in a balanced advantage fund depends on your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. Here are some scenarios where BAF can be a suitable choice:
1. Moderate risk appetite
If you want to take part in equity markets but are wary of the associated volatility, BAF offers a middle ground.
2. Mid-term goals
BAF can be an excellent choice for mid-term goals (3 to 5 years), where you want to balance growth potential with risk management.
3. Tax efficiency
If you’re looking for tax-efficient investment options, BAF can be advantageous because of its equity taxation status.
However, if you have a high-risk tolerance and are solely focused on aggressive wealth creation, you might prefer pure equity funds. Likewise, if you are highly risk-averse and prioritize capital preservation over growth, traditional fixed-income instruments might be more suitable.
Also, over time, if you gain enough knowledge to manage your money yourself and diversify your portfolio based on your financial situation, you can save on the expense ratio.
In conclusion, Balanced Advantage Funds can be a valuable addition to your investment portfolio if you seek a balanced approach to wealth creation. They offer the potential for growth while actively managing risk.
However, like any investment, BAFs come with their own set of pros and cons, so it’s crucial to align your investment choices with your financial objectives and risk tolerance.
If you want to know how to pick the best active mutual fund, read here.
Share these insights with your buddies. Until next time!
Still Curious?
If you are like us, who likes to analyse a little more or check out content in different formats, well you are in luck. Below you can find some suitable content we found.
Value Research – Balanced advantage funds: What drives their popularity?
Value Research – How to ride the bull & dance with the bear
CNBC-TV18 – What Are The Dos & Don’ts In Balanced Advantage Fund?
Note: We don’t have any affiliation with them. We are sharing links only for educational purposes. The opinions expressed by them belong solely to them and do not reflect the views of Vrid.