Tuesday, April 25, 2023
HomeMutual FundDebt mutual fund screener (April 2023) for selection, tracking, learning

Debt mutual fund screener (April 2023) for selection, tracking, learning


This is a debt mutual fund screener for fund selection, fund portfolio tracking and learning. It also includes hybrid funds that invest in bonds. It will satisfy investors who wish to invest in money market funds, banking and PSU funds etc. The credit quality of the bonds in the portfolio and the bond maturity profile can be tracked.

Instead of looking at average credit rating and average portfolio duration (maturity) – which can be misleading ) – the sheet lists the weights to different ratings like AAA, AA, A etc. It also divides the bonds as maturing within a year, three years, five years and above. This allows the user to better understand credit and interest rate risks in a fund or fund category.

The file (in Excel without macros, so it will open in any spreadsheet software) contains the following sheets (each has the Excel data filter function enabled)

  • Fund Asset Allocation: This is relevant for hybrid funds. It lists the equity: debt mix.
  • Credit Rating: The % of the portfolio in AAA, AA, A, A1, A2, A3, BBB etc., are listed.
  • Maturity profile: The % of portfolio bonds maturing within a year, within 1-3 years, within 3-5 years and above five years are listed.
  • Upgrades or downgrades List of bonds that have seen upgrades or downgrades  are listed (latest factsheet data compared with previous factsheet data)
  • YTM Mod duration Avg Maturity (see below)
  • Returns: This lists some trailing returns with some representative benchmarks. Please do not judge debt funds by returns!!
  • Offer: discounted links to our two courses: How to get people to pay for your skills (aka earn from skills) and the lectures on goal-based portfolio management.
  • 25 Categories are covered:
    1. Aggressive Hybrid Fund
    2. Arbitrage Fund
    3. Balanced Advantage
    4. Banking and PSU Fund
    5. Conservative Hybrid Fund
    6. Corporate Bond
    7. Credit Risk Fund
    8. Dynamic Asset Allocation
    9. Dynamic Bond
    10. Equity Savings
    11. Floating Rate
    12. Gilt Fund with a 10-year constant duration
    13. Liquid
    14. Long Duration
    15. Low Duration
    16. Medium Duration
    17. Medium to Long Duration
    18. Money Market
    19. Multi-Asset Allocation
    20. Overnight Fund
    21. Short & Mid Term
    22. Short Duration
    23. Solution-Oriented – Children’s Fund
    24. Solution-Oriented – Retirement Fund
    25. Ultra Short Duration

How to use the sheet

Use 1: To learn more about debt funds.

  1. If you are new to debt funds, you can download the beginners’ guide to understand debt funds from our e-books page (there are six other free ebooks!)
    • Before using the screener, you need to know what modified duration stands for (a measure of interest rate risk, higher the value, higher the NAV fluctuations). Average portfolio maturity also measures interest rate risk (duration risk). The higher this value, the higher the risk. Note this risk is present in all types of funds, even if they do not take credit risk.
    • Yield to maturity information measures risk, not reward or returns!! The higher the YTM, the higher the credit risk in the portfolio.
  2. Once you understand the basics of credit risk and internet risk, you can use the screener to learn how different fund categories invest in various bonds.

Use 2:To shortlist funds with good credit quality (these are broad thumb rules only, not investment advice)

  1. For this, you have to be clear about your need.
  2. If your need is in 1-3 years, look for funds that predominantly invest in bonds that mature within 12 months
  3. If your need is in 5 years, look for funds that predominantly invest in bonds that mature within 12 months (conservative) or within 1-3 years
  4. If your need is in  5-10 years, look for funds that predominantly invest in bonds that mature within 1-3 years
  5. if your need is above ten years, you can consider funds that predominantly invest in bonds that mature within 3-5 years (conservative) or above five years (will have interest rate risk and credit risk if non-gilt funds are used)
  6. The above steps can be used to shortlist the categories. Then you can look at the credit rating profile of the category. You can shortlist funds with only AAA or A1 bonds, gilts, etc.
  7. Please note: the data is as per the latest factsheet. Once you create a shortlist, read the scheme document to understand how much credit rating and bond duration can vary. Download past factsheets of the shortlisted funds to know how the modified duration, avg maturity and YTM of the funds in your shortlist have changed in the past relative to current data.
  8. Once you know the nature of the bonds the fund will invest in, associated credit risk and interest rate risks, you are ready to pick a fund from your shortlist. Please note:  debt fund investors must keep an eye on YTM, modified duration and avg maturity change in their funds from time to time.

Important Information

  1. This screener costs Rs. 300  and is meant for personal use only.
  2. Inside, you get discounted links to our two courses: How to get people to pay for your skills (aka earn from skills) and the lectures on goal-based portfolio management.
  3. The cost is only for the current month’s screener and the data in the sheet.
  4. While freefincal will do its best to publish updated screener sheets each month, we cannot guarantee it.
  5. The file contains no buy or sell recommendations and only has the abovementioned data.
  6. Disclaimer: Enough care and effort have been given to weed out errors. However, we cannot guarantee that the sheet is free of error. Information for some funds could be missing. After creating a fund shortlist, users are advised to verify the data with the fund factsheet downloaded from the AMC site.  No part of this sheet should be treated as investment advice. We are not responsible for any losses (or gains) that may arise in your investments or investment portfolio due to using this sheet.
  7. The buyer will have to research using the information in the spreadsheet. No recommendations or assistance are included in the sheet and will not be provided separately.
  8. We will not provide any further help or assistance in using the sheet.
  9. The sheet purchased is for personal use and should not be shared privately or publicly.
Click here to pay Rs. 300 and instantly download the latest debt fund screener

Are you living outside India? You can pay via this Paypal link (7 USD) and mail freefincal at Gmail.

Try our index fund screener and equity mutual fund screeners.

Do share this article with your friends using the buttons below.


🔥Enjoy massive discounts on our courses and robo-advisory tool! 🔥


Use our Robo-advisory Excel Tool for a start-to-finish financial plan! More than 1000 investors and advisors use this!


New Tool! => Track your mutual funds and stocks investments with this Google Sheet!


  • Follow us on Google News.
  • Do you have a comment about the above article? Reach out to us on Twitter: @freefincal or @pattufreefincal
  • Join our YouTube Community and explore more than 1000 videos!
  • Have a question? Subscribe to our newsletter with this form.
  • Hit ‘reply’ to any email from us! We do not offer personalized investment advice. We can write a detailed article without mentioning your name if you have a generic question.

Get free money management solutions delivered to your mailbox! Subscribe to get posts via email!


Explore the site! Search among our 2000+ articles for information and insight!

About The Author

Pattabiraman editor freefincalDr M. Pattabiraman(PhD) is the founder, managing editor and primary author of freefincal. He is an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has over nine years of experience publishing news analysis, research and financial product development. Connect with him via Twitter or Linkedin, or YouTube. Pattabiraman has co-authored three print books: (1) You can be rich too with goal-based investing (CNBC TV18) for DIY investors. (2) Gamechanger for young earners. (3) Chinchu Gets a Superpower! for kids. He has also written seven other free e-books on various money management topics. He is a patron and co-founder of “Fee-only India,” an organisation promoting unbiased, commission-free investment advice.


Our flagship course! Learn to manage your portfolio like a pro to achieve your goals regardless of market conditions! More than 3000 investors and advisors are part of our exclusive community! Get clarity on how to plan for your goals and achieve the necessary corpus no matter what the market condition is!! Watch the first lecture for free!  One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos! Reduce fear, uncertainty and doubt while investing! Learn how to plan for your goals before and after retirement with confidence.


Our new course!  Increase your income by getting people to pay for your skills! More than 700 salaried employees, entrepreneurs and financial advisors are part of our exclusive community! Learn how to get people to pay for your skills! Whether you are a professional or small business owner who wants more clients via online visibility or a salaried person wanting a side income or passive income, we will show you how to achieve this by showcasing your skills and building a community that trusts you and pays you! (watch 1st lecture for free). One-time payment! No recurring fees! Life-long access to videos!   


Our new book for kids: “Chinchu gets a superpower!” is now available!

Both boy and girl version covers of Chinchu gets a superpower
Both boy and girl version covers of Chinchu gets a superpower.

Most investor problems can be traced to a lack of informed decision-making. We have all made bad decisions and money mistakes when we started earning and spent years undoing these mistakes. Why should our children go through the same pain? What is this book about? As parents, what would it be if we had to groom one ability in our children that is key not only to money management and investing but to any aspect of life? My answer: Sound Decision Making. So in this book, we meet Chinchu, who is about to turn 10. What he wants for his birthday and how his parents plan for it and teach him several key ideas of decision making and money management is the narrative. What readers say!

Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower (small version)
Feedback from a young reader after reading Chinchu gets a Superpower!

Must-read book even for adults! This is something that every parent should teach their kids right from their young age. The importance of money management and decision making based on their wants and needs. Very nicely written in simple terms. – Arun.

Buy the book: Chinchu gets a superpower for your child!


How to profit from content writing: Our new ebook for those interested in getting side income via content writing. It is available at a 50% discount for Rs. 500 only!


Want to check if the market is overvalued or undervalued? Use our market valuation tool (it will work with any index!), or you buy the new Tactical Buy/Sell timing tool!


We publish monthly mutual fund screeners and momentum, low volatility stock screeners.


About freefincal & its content policy Freefincal is a News Media Organization dedicated to providing original analysis, reports, reviews and insights on mutual funds, stocks, investing, retirement and personal finance developments. We do so without conflict of interest and bias. Follow us on Google News. Freefincal serves more than three million readers a year (5 million page views) with articles based only on factual information and detailed analysis by its authors. All statements made will be verified from credible and knowledgeable sources before publication. Freefincal does not publish any paid articles, promotions, PR, satire or opinions without data. All opinions presented will only be inferences backed by verifiable, reproducible evidence/data. Contact information: letters {at} freefincal {dot} com (sponsored posts or paid collaborations will not be entertained)


Connect with us on social media


Our publications

You Can Be Rich Too with Goal-Based Investing

You can be rich too with goal based investingPublished by CNBC TV18, this book is meant to help you ask the right questions and seek the correct answers, and since it comes with nine online calculators, you can also create custom solutions for your lifestyle! Get it now.


Gamechanger: Forget Startups, Join Corporate & Still Live the Rich Life You Want Gamechanger: Forget Start-ups, Join Corporate and Still Live the Rich Life you wantThis book is meant for young earners to get their basics right from day one! It will also help you travel to exotic places at a low cost! Get it or gift it to a young earner.


Your Ultimate Guide to Travel

Travel-Training-Kit-Cover-new This is an in-depth dive analysis into vacation planning, finding cheap flights, budget accommodation, what to do when travelling, and how travelling slowly is better financially and psychologically with links to the web pages and hand-holding at every step. Get the pdf for Rs 300 (instant download)


 



RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments