SIP tips: When should investors stop or redeem Systematic Investment Plans? (2024)

If the performance of your fund is unsatisfactory for more than 18 months, consider looking for a better fund where you can invest via SIP

By P Saravanan

Systematic investment plan (SIP) is the most comfortable and convenient ways of investing in mutual funds and creating long-term wealth. It enforces the habit of disciplined investing and ensures the benefits of rupee-cost averaging. However, sometimes SIPs can also make losses subject to the market and associated risks involved. What should an investor do then? Should he stop or withdraw a loss-making SIP or keep the SIP going? These are questions that trouble investors. Let us try to find answers for the same.

Asset allocation

This is a very important aspect of the SIP investment. The returns generated from equity-linked mutual funds are a function of the stock market. So, if the market itself is generating not a very lucrative return, then your fund is also likely to follow the trend and provide subdued returns. Again, within equity, parking most of your funds into small or mid-cap funds just because past year returns were very good is not a good idea. Allocate your assets in a diversified manner. Preferably, it should be a mix of long-term, mid-term and short-term funds. This choice varies from person to person as everyone has a different set of risk appetite, financial goals, etc. Limiting your investments to only one type of fund is definitely not a very good idea. Take care of your risk appetite while you make investments.

When to withdraw

This is the most commonly asked question by investors. The answer to this question is purely based on your fund performance. Track the performance of the fund you have invested in. If the fund is on a low performance for less than a year, that might be the market fluctuation affecting it but if the performance is unsatisfactory for more than eighteen months, consider looking for a better fund.

However, this is not the only parameter while mapping the performance of a fund, you should also check the composition of companies in which the fund has invested and their prospective performance. Another good strategy at this point is to check your mutual fund’s performance with similar mutual funds. So be diligent when you make the decision regarding redemption of your SIPs and identifying alternative funds.

Investment horizon

In fact, SIPs and investment horizon go hand in hand. The longer one stays invested in the SIP, the better are the returns. Generally, consider SIPs with a minimum investment of five years or so. Empirically also it takes at least five years to average out the losses and market risks and the power of compounding acting in the back. A market correction phase does not mean a need to redeem those funds. Rather, take it as an opportunity to buy more funds at a lower price.

To conclude, one could possibly lose money in mutual funds but there is no need to have a knee-jerk reaction and make a hasty decision on seeing your portfolio in red. The reason for such a result could be due to events such as elections and geo-political tensions, recessions, pandemics, etc. The economy has seen it all and thrived nevertheless and thus investing is a long-term game and should be treated accordingly.

(The writer is a professor of finance & accounting, IIM Tiruchirappalli. Views expressed are personal.)

SIP SCORECARD

  • Do your homework before deciding on redemption of your SIPs and identifying alternative funds
  • Continue SIP for at least five years to average out losses & market risks & get the power of compounding
  • Check the composition of companies in which the fund has invested and their prospective performance
  • Check your mutual fund’s performance with similar mutual funds
  • A market correction phase does not mean one needs to redeem, rather buy more funds
SIP tips: When should investors stop or redeem Systematic Investment Plans? (2024)

FAQs

When should I stop investing in SIP? ›

You may consider pausing SIPs if you have insufficient funds for your daily needs. However, it's advisable to maintain at least three months worth of SIPs in your emergency fund to ensure the continuance of investment to attain long term financial goals.

What is the difference between stop SIP and redeem? ›

Stop and Redeem are two different features of SIP. When you stop the SIP, you actually exit or discontinue from the SIP plan and you no more have to pay the investment installment. However, redeem means that you withdraw the funds accumulated in your account.

Should I stop my SIP during recession? ›

Gradually as the market starts picking, the value of your SIP investments will bring you more returns since you possess more units now. This phenomenon is called Rupee-Cost Averaging. So if you discontinue your SIPs during this period, you will not be able to seize this opportunity.

Should I redeem my SIP? ›

Redemption is advised only if you are very sure that you will be losing a golden opportunity and that opportunity is certainly better in terms of risk and return than the current mutual fund. However, its highly recommend taking an expert advice before making any such decisions.

How long should I keep my SIP? ›

To create wealth through SIP investments, tenure of a minimum of 5 years is recommended by a majority of experts. However, you must decide based on the factors mentioned above. Perpetual SIPs allow you not to set an end-date to your investments but yet stop it any time you wish to.

How do I stop SIP and stay invested? ›

The investor will have to submit a written request with the bank to cancel the SIP which is known as the NACH mandate. Once the Stop SIP instruction is given to the bank and no amount is debited to the account for two months the SIP will be terminated by the AMC.

When can I redeem my SIP? ›

Hence for your case, you can withdraw 50% (first 2 years of SIP) without any tax. If you have been investing in debt funds, you have to pay tax according to your tax slab if you redeem before three years and marginal tax after that.

What does redeem SIP means? ›

Redeeming your SIP is simply withdrawing your investment to raise money to meet interim or urgent needs. Here, you only sell a part of your investment and not all of it. This means that your SIP is still active even after you redeem held units.

Is it better to pause SIP or cancel SIP? ›

Investors may consider stopping SIPs if they don't have enough money to pay their regular needs. However, most experts suggest pausing SIPs rather than discontinuing them when investors run out of money.

Is it good to pause SIP when market is high? ›

Continuing to invest in the market during its lows allows investors to accumulate more units, which can ultimately return good profits in the long-run, when the markets finally turn positive. That said, the only time you should use the pause facility on an SIP is when you're short on funds.

What happens to SIP in recession? ›

You set a standing instruction so that it happens automatically until you stop it, or all the installments are completed as per your plan. The advantage of the SIP route is that when the market is down (as during a recession) you will be able to purchase more units of the fund for the same amount of money.

Should I leave my investments alone during a recession? ›

Try not to panic about the scary headlines and remember that staying invested is almost always the best response. Historically speaking, investors who hold on to their investments through recessions see their portfolios completely recover, and individuals who don't invest in the market at all lose out.

Can you stay invested in mutual funds after your SIPs stop? ›

Once the request is processed, the automatic payments will stop. However, the investments you made through the SIPs in the past will remain invested in the fund. If you are looking for an easy way how to stop SIP in mutual funds online, you can do it via your trading app instead.

Should I continue my SIP now? ›

Hence, you should continue your SIP if you are investing for the long term (more than seven to ten years) as you would benefit from buying units cheap.

What is downside in SIP? ›

Are there any disadvantages? SIP investments don't work in bullish markets or when market rises up over time.

Are SIPs safe for long term? ›

Is SIP good for the long term? Yes. In fact, it is better to invest in SIP for the long term. Instead of waiting and accumulating money to invest, you start investing whatever amount you are able to save.

What is the average annual return on an SIP? ›

SIP interest rates for various mutual funds may vary. On an average, for large cap equities, a return of 12-18% can be expected whereas from mid-cap equities, a return of 14-17% is expected. However, in case of a long-term debt-based mutual fund, one can expect a return of 6 – 9 % p.a.

What if I invest $5,000 a month in SIP for 10 years? ›

Calculation of SIP returns

To understand this, let us take an example. A monthly investment of Rs 5,000 for 10 years at an expected rate of return of 12 per cent will earn you Rs 11.61 lakh.

How do I stop SIP for some months? ›

Request an SIP cancellation form from your AMC, CAMS or KFintech. Fill in the required details such as your folio number, PAN number, SIP scheme name, bank account details linked to the scheme, SIP amount and the date from which SIP is to be paused. Submit the paperwork at any branch of the AMC, CAMS or KFintech.

What happens if you stop SIP after 5 years? ›

Any amount already invested in the fund will continue to remain invested. Canceling the SIP will only stop future installments. You may redeem the invested amount via your Mutual Funds dashboard.

Does SIP have an end date? ›

Perpetual SIPs do not have any end dates. If you want to stop a perpetual SIP, you would have to fill an SIP closure form and submit it to your Asset Management Company (AMC). When you opt for perpetual SIPs, you do not need to renew your SIPs now and then. You can invest as long as you wish.

How do I redeem my SIP after maturity? ›

You can get your ELSS SIP investments redeemed either by visiting your local mutual fund branch or by raising a redemption request online. If you visit your local mutual fund branch, you can fill up a form and raise the redemption request.

How do I redeem my SIP mutual fund? ›

You simply have to log-on to the 'Online Transaction' page of the desired Mutual Fund and log-in using your Folio Number and/or the PAN, select the Scheme and the number of units (or the amount) you wish to redeem and confirm your transaction.

Should you redeem mutual funds? ›

It is advisable to redeem funds only when the goal is achieved or the objective is accomplished. Any untimely or premature redemption can have an adverse impact on the value of the investment.

Does SIP beat inflation? ›

It enables the investor to accelerate the growth of their corpus. Investors may also beat inflation and earn higher returns on their growing investments with step-up SIP.

What is the best time of month to do SIP? ›

There is no specific date of the month that gives better SIP returns. So, your own convenience should be the only determining criterion. For example, if you are a salaried person and receive your monthly pay at the end of the month, then you can plan your SIP in the first week of the following month.

What happens to mutual funds if the market crashes? ›

When the markets are in a slump, your entire corpus will be affected. So instead of a lump sum, an investor should consider investing through an STP (systematic transfer plan). In this, you invest your lump sum in a debt fund and it gets transferred to an equity fund in SIP mode.

What is the best investment during a recession? ›

5 Things to Invest in When a Recession Hits
  • Seek Out Core Sector Stocks. During a recession, you might be inclined to give up on stocks, but experts say it's best not to flee equities completely. ...
  • Focus on Reliable Dividend Stocks. ...
  • Consider Buying Real Estate. ...
  • Purchase Precious Metal Investments. ...
  • “Invest” in Yourself.
Apr 19, 2023

Is it good to do SIP for 20 years? ›

Yes, you can invest in mutual funds via the SIP mode for 20 years. This may help you earn very long term returns as per the find performance.

Why people are closing SIP accounts? ›

Market volatility couple with low returns from equities have prompted investors to pull out money from SIPs. If you look at the data of over the previous 12 months, an average of over 9.2 lakh SIP accounts were added each month.

Is SIP good for long term? ›

One can save tax each year by investing in a SIP. For getting compounding benefits, it is important to hold investments for an extended period. Start investing at an early stage of life.

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