A Mutual Fund is a body corporate that pools the savings of a number of investors and invests the same in a variety of different financial instruments, or securities. The income earned through these investments and the capital appreciation realised by the scheme are shared by its unit holders in proportion to the number of units owned by them. Mutual funds can thus be considered as financial intermediaries in the investment business who collect funds from the public and invest on behalf of the investors. The losses and gains accrue to the investors only. The Investment objectives outlined by a Mutual Fund in its prospectus are binding on the Mutual Fund scheme. The investment objectives specify the class of securities a Mutual Fund can invest in. Mutual Funds invest in various asset classes like equity, bonds, debentures, commercial paper and government securities.

An Asset Management Company (AMC) is a highly regulated organization that pools money from investors and invests the same in a portfolio. They charge a small management fee, which is normally 1.5 per cent of the total funds managed.

NAV or Net Asset Value of the fund is the cumulative market value of the assets of the fund net of its liabilities. NAV per unit is simply the net value of assets divided by the number of units outstanding. Buying and selling into funds is done on the basis of NAV-related prices. NAV is calculated as follows:
NAV =Market value of the funds investments + Receivables +Accrued Income- Liabilities-Accrued Expenses

The NAV of a scheme has to be declared at least once a week. However many Mutual Fund declare NAV for their schemes on a daily basis. As per SEBI Regulations, the NAV of a scheme shall be calculated and published at least in two daily newspapers at intervals not exceeding one week. However, NAV of a close-ended scheme targeted to a specific segment or any monthly income schemes (which are not mandatorily required to be listed on a stock exchange) may be published at monthly or quarterly intervals.

You need insurance for family that is financially dependent on you: If you have a family that is financially dependent on you, then you definitely need to insure yourself. The most common reason to buy life insurance is it provide protection to your family incase of any unforeseen events. The life insurance proceeds can be used to support your family members with the expenses.

The minute you have people dependent on your income, you should insure yourself. The younger the age, the lower is your premium. We believe anybody who is married and has children or plans to have children needs to be insured.
Even if you are single, earning and intending to marry, you should think of buying a policy now, as it costs less now than it will when you marry.
Remember, it is never too late to buy an insurance policy. Even if you are 45, and are not insured, you could choose insurance products that provide benefits to your family and provide income during your retirement period.