

Mutual funds wary of Sebi proposal to link fees to performance, cite complexity in calculations
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mutual funds are pushing back against the Indian market regulator’s proposal to introduce a fee linked to good performance, citing the difficulty of calculating these amounts.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) announced a proposal on 28 October requiring mutual funds to charge a performance-based expense ratio in a scheme, along with other measures to revamp regulations in the sector. Some fund houses have individually submitted feedback to Sebi on the complexities of charging a performance fee, six people aware of the matter told Mint.
A discussion on the matter at the Association of Mutual Funds in India level is yet to happen, three of them said. The key concern for asset management companies (AMCs) is the complexity of calculating a performance-linked expense ratio of a product where investors enter and exit at different points.
Two investors in the same scheme can experience very different returns, depending on when they invest, making it difficult to arrive at a single performance-based fee that applies fairly to all. This uncertainty could leave fund houses unable to estimate revenue, while investors may struggle to anticipate how much they will end up paying, particularly in a volatile market.
“Mutual fund investors will not be able to easily estimate in advance what the fee will be as it includes a complex accounting mechanism," said Deepak Shenoy, chief executive officer at Capitalmind Mutual Fund, adding that there is an operational complexity with implementing performance-based expense ratios. Such an expense ratio for performance would be voluntary and a detailed framework would be finalized separately in consultation with stakeholders, according to the
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