Starting your mutual fund journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming — here’s a step-by-step visual kickoff.

Introduction:

The mutual fund industry in India has witnessed exponential growth, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to AMFI data, the number of investor folios has increased from 9.15 crore on 30th June 2020 to 24.13 crore on 30th June 2025 — more than a two-and-a-half-fold rise in just five years.

This rapid growth shows that people have become more aware of the need to save and invest. However, not everyone is skilled in analyzing stocks, bonds, gold, or other asset classes. The good news is — you don’t need to be an expert to invest in mutual funds.

Every mutual fund is managed by a professional Fund Manager who possess a sound knowledge of Mutual Funds, takes care of investment decisions. Still, beginners often feel lost or overwhelmed when starting their mutual fund journey. That’s why we’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you understand the concepts clearly and build confidence in investing.

This article is your starting point. It outlines the structure of what you’ll learn. Each topic listed below will soon become a full article linked back here — so you can explore the knowledge of mutual funds in an organized and progressive way.

A Beginner’s Guide to Mutual Funds – Part 1

📚 Table of Contents:

Chapter 4

What are the two types of investment processes?

What is a Lumpsum Investment?

What is a SIP investment? What is Rupee Cost Averaging?

Chapter 5

What is a Portfolio?

What is portfolio diversification ?

Types of portfolio diversification

Chapter 6

How to Invest in Mutual Funds?

What is KYC

What is Cut-off Time?

What is a Pending Order ?

What is an Executed Order?

Chapter 7

How to Redeem (Sell) a Mutual Fund?

What are CDSL, NSDL, and TPIN?

What is Exit Load?

What is SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan)

d. STP (Systematic Transfer Plan)?

Chapter 8

How to Calculate Mutual Fund Returns ?

What is CAGR?

How to Use Mutual Fund Calculators?

Chapter 9

Risk in Mutual Funds

What are the types of risks in mutual funds? (Market risk, credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, etc.)

Riskometer: What is it and how to interpret it?

Risk vs Return concept

Chapter 10

Taxation of Mutual Funds

What are STCG and LTCG?

Tax on equity vs debt mutual funds

Tax benefits under ELSS (Section 80C)

Indexation benefit (for debt funds)

Chapter 11

Role of SEBI and Mutual Fund Regulations

What is SEBI?

How mutual funds are regulated in India?

Investor safety and transparency norms

Chapter 12

How to Select the Right Mutual Fund?

What is a Fund Fact Sheet?

Chapter 13

What are the rules to follow to be a Successful Mutual Fund investor?

📌Note

Until all chapter-specific links are added, you can refer to my detailed post — Frequently Used Terminologies in Mutual Funds and Stock Market — to understand the definitions of important terms mentioned throughout this series. This will help you grasp the concepts more clearly as you read along

Advanced Studies of Mutual Funds– Part 2

If you’re ready to go beyond the basics, we also offer practical research, case studies, and advanced analysis on mutual fund investing.

👉 To explore advanced topics and deepen your knowledge of mutual funds, click on the button.

Advanced Studies

Disclaimer:

“This article is for educational purposes only. Read our full disclaimer .”

A Must-Read Resource for New Mutual Fund Beginners : Index

Introduction:

A Beginner’s Guide to Mutual Funds – Part 1

📚 Table of Contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chspter 2