Yesterday, SEBI sent out a circular/note/memo/whatever cautioning market intermediaries about spreading unverified news – using electronic media (email/SMS) to spread rumors to manipulate market prices of stocks.
I wish they would exercise similar due diligence to their own ads and the ads placed by the entities directly regulated by them.
Recently, there have been ads both from SEBI and NSDL about “Dematerializing” mutual fund units. Apparently, investors now have the facility to dematerialize their mutual fund units and be free of paper.
Look at the image from the NSDL Ad – the investor is burdened with paperwork, and after he “demats”, he is no longer burdened with paper!
What a load of crock!
As mutual fund investors well know, their units are already held in dematerialized form. That is, there are no unit certificates that they need to own and produce to claim ownership of the units. All they need is their PAN card to ensure to access their folios/mutual fund accounts.
And, if you have an account with a service provider like FundsIndia, you can get consolidation of holding. tracking, transacting and reporting in one single place as well. Even otherwise, you can solicit a consolidated account statement from CAMS Online.
The exchange/depository route of trading in mutual fund schemes has many disadvantages – including cost, availability and lack of full services. So, it’s really puzzling that the regulator is actively promoting that route and turning a blind eye to such misleading ads from NSDL.
For more information and further commentary on this issue, please refer to these two blog entries from reputed bloggers:
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I personally feel it is foolish to dematerialise MF units.Rather it is better to consolidate them distributers like FundsIndia or FundsSupermart.
I personally feel it is foolish to dematerialise MF units.Rather it is better to consolidate them distributers like FundsIndia or FundsSupermart.