Best Government Bond Mutual Funds 2024

Want to invest during falling interest rates? Gilt Funds in India are an answer to this! Gilt Mutual Funds provide good returns during times of falling interest rates depending upon its maturity (or duration). Investors Investing in these funds need to have enough time for tracking their investments since the NAVs of these funds move very sharply with movement in interest rates. One needs to be careful in the entry and exit of their investments accurately.

More importantly, considering important parameters to shortlist or invest in the best Gilt funds can be an optimal way to strengthen your Portfolio. We take you to some of those parameters, following the best Gilt funds or Best Performing Mutual Funds to Invest in 2024.

What are Government Bond Funds?

Corporations need money for their day-to-day requirements, and therefore borrow from lenders such as banks, mutual funds and Insurance companies. Similarly, when the Government of India needs money, it borrows through its banker, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The RBI, in-turn, takes money from the lenders like banks, insurance companies and mutual funds; and passes it on to the government, and issues g-secs in return.

These g-secs have a specific tenure, at the end of which lenders give back the g-secs and take their money back. Many types of Debt fund invest in g-secs but g-sec funds invest only in g-secs. Although debt funds were introduced to the Indian mutual funds Industry in 1994, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd launched India’s first gilt fund in December 1998.

Why Invest in Govt Bond Funds?

If you understand debt markets well, then gilt funds are for you. If you expect interest rates to fall, then a small exposure to gilt funds is a good idea because, typically, these funds move the most of all debt funds when interest rate move. Remember: in such times, you make money only when you actually withdraw your money and encash.

Best Government Bond Mutual Funds To Invest In 2024

Best 10 Year-Government Bond Mutual Funds To Invest In 2024

Returns and risks

Since g-secs are the most liquid of all instruments in the debt Market, g-sec funds carry no credit risk because the Government of India is the borrower. Since the government typically doesn’t Default unlike a corporate, gilt funds don’t carry a credit risk.

That is also why government securities are sovereign rated. That’s as good as—or considered to be better than—a AAA rating.

Risks

Does that mean g-sec funds carry no risk? No. They carry interest rate risk. Typically, g-sec funds invest in securities that mature over a long period of time. As a debt security’s maturity goes up, it becomes more sensitive to interest rate movements.

If interest rates drop, prices of debt securities rise. The higher maturity scrips’ prices rise sharper than the rest. Similarly, when interest rates rise, prices of debt securities fall. Here’s where g-sec funds can suffer the most, as their average maturity is typically the highest.

Typically, a g-sec fund’s average maturity is higher than the fund house’s own bond fund that invests a part of its portfolio in gilts. In fact, for a bond fund manager, the easiest way to increase a bond fund’s maturity is by buying gilts. Hence, gilt funds are usually more volatile than bond funds.

Returns

As per figures provided to us by Crisil, a rating agency, gilt funds have given 3-year returns of as high as 16% and as low as little less than zero returns—which means they have also lost money—between January 2007 and now. The 5-year returns in the same period have gone as high as 13% and as low as 1.02%.

How to Invest in Govt Bond Funds Online?

1. Open Free Investment Account for Lifetime at Fincash.com.

2. Complete your Registration and KYC Process

3. Upload Documents (PAN, Aadhaar, etc.). And, You are Ready to Invest!

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FAQs

1. What are government securities?

A: Government securities also work like government Bonds, but their origin is slightly different. The government issues a g-sec at the behest of the Reserve Bank of India. When the government borrows money from the RBI, the central bank gathers the money from banks and insurance companies. It then passes the government's debt, and the government gathers the money from investors in the form of government securities.

2. Who can invest in government bonds?

A: Earlier only major business enterprises would invest in government securities. However, nowadays, individual investors can purchase government bonds by investing in government securities like Edelweiss Government Securities Fund, Axis Gilt Fund, and ICICI Prudential Gilt Fund.

3. Are government bonds taxable?

A: Yes, the profit you earn from government bonds is taxable, but only if you fall under the taxable slab.

4. Are there any tax-free government bonds?

A: Yes, some tax-free government bonds such as those issued by the public sector enterprises such as the Rural Electrification Corporation or REC and the Housing Development Corporation or HUDCO. However, the Earnings from the tax-free government bonds are always lower than the taxable ones.

5. Is tax-free bonds taxable?

A: Yes, you will have to pay 10% tax on your tax-free government bonds if you sell these after one year. In this case, it will be categorized under long-term Capital gains and hence, become taxable.

6. Is there any risk involved in the government bonds?

A: There is hardly any risk of default involved with government bonds. If you invest in government bonds, you can be assured that you will get good returns on your investment. Additionally, these bonds are always adversely affected by market Volatility. Hence, these provide a certain amount of stability to your investments.

7. How do I evaluate government bonds?

A: When you invest in government bonds, you have to consider the NAV and the historical growth rate. For example, if you consider Edelweiss Government Securities Fund, which has a NAV of Rs. 18.7977 and a growth rate of 13.6% and compare it to ICICI Prudential Gilt Fund, which has a NAV of Rs. 77.1462 and a growth rate of 12.6%, then the former is a better investment than the latter. Thus, while when you compare government bonds, you will have to consider NAV and growth rate.

8. What is the most significant benefit of investing in government bonds?

A: Investing in government bonds is ideally suited for individuals who are averse to taking risks. Since the bonds issued by the government are not affected by Inflation and market volatility, you can be assured of an inevitable Return on Investment are the bond matures. Therefore, it is the ideal form of investment for individuals who want to protect their investment portfolio and not take risks.