How to withdraw money from mutual funds?

Financial freedom is one of the major goals for every investor, and this can only be achieved by making your money work for you. There are many investment options that promise you the much-desired financial independence, but very few can match the flexibility and returns offered by mutual funds.

What are mutual funds?

Mutual funds are essentially a trust wherein the investments are pooled from various investors. Thereafter, the fund manager takes investment decisions on behalf of the investors. Mutual funds make investments in various sectors of the economy such as equity market, debt market, gold, and various others. There are various types of mutual funds available in India wherein they are categorized based on the sector, time-horizon, risk factor, and various other parameters.

When to withdraw money from mutual funds

Mutual funds are known to offer excellent returns when you have a long-term investment horizon. But in certain circumstances, you might be compelled to liquidate your investment and withdraw your money.

You should not withdraw money from the mutual fund until and unless any of the following situations has occurred: -

There is a financial emergency and you need the money urgently

There has been a change in your investment strategy, and you need to realign your portfolio

The specific financial goal for which the investment was made has been achieved

The mutual fund you have invested in is not functioning well and you want to change the fund. - The fund manager has been changed and you are not confident about the new manager.

Once you have decided to withdraw your money from the mutual funds, you need to know how to withdraw money from mutual funds.

How to withdraw money from mutual funds

The main purpose of investing in mutual funds is to earn returns on your investment. When you invest in mutual funds, there is a time horizon for which you have invested, which is entirely at your discretion. In some cases, there is a lock-in period during which you cannot liquidate your investment. After the lock-in period has expired, it is entirely at your discretion as to when you wish to liquidate your investment and withdraw money from the mutual funds.

There are two approaches for withdrawing your money from the mutual fund.

They are as follows:

Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP): If you are looking for a steady flow of income from your investment while remaining invested in the scheme, the SWP is what you are looking for.

Are you wondering what is an SWP? Well, with SWP, you can fix a certain amount that would be withdrawn from your mutual fund account to your bank account on a given date or at a given interval, which is usually monthly or quarterly. The said money can be used to meet your financial needs while your investment continues to earn returns for you. It is essentially a phased method to withdraw your money from the mutual fund.

This option is useful when your portfolio consists majorly of equity funds and as the requirement date approaches, you wish to reduce the risk on your investment by withdrawing the money and reinvesting it in debt securities or saving it in your savings account.

Redemption of Units: If you are certain about redeeming your investment entirely, then the process is very straightforward. But you can do so only after the lock-in period has been completed.

Login to your Mutual Fund account.

Browse the "Online Transaction" page

Select the respective scheme and number of units you wish to redeem

Confirm your transaction.

It usually takes 24-72 working hours for the money to be credited to your savings bank account.

Withdrawal of money from mutual funds should only be done when it is absolutely the last possible option, because you are otherwise giving away the opportunity to grow your money and create a corpus for your future requirements.

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