How to Track Your Mutual Fund Portfolio

Every time you invest with a new fund house, or through a new app, a new folio may be created. Over the years, people end up with many folios, different email IDs linked to different funds, and statements going to an old address.

Apps usually show only what was bought through that app. That is why many investors think they own less than they really do, or forget an old fund entirely.

The easiest way to see everything is the consolidated account statement, or CAS. It lists all your mutual fund holdings across fund houses, linked to your PAN, in one document.

You can request it online by entering your PAN and email, and it arrives by email, usually as a password-protected PDF. Our page on the consolidated account statement explains how to request and read it.

Two registrars handle most fund houses in India. Their websites and apps let you log in with your PAN and see your folios. There is also an industry platform that brings holdings from both registrars together in one login.

These portals also let you download statements and see transaction history. Use only the official websites and apps, and never share your OTP with anyone who calls you.

Each fund house has its own app or website showing holdings with that fund house only. This is useful for checking one fund, but not for the full picture if you hold funds with several fund houses.

If you invest through a distributor, they can usually share a report of the holdings made through them, with current value and returns. Ask them to include folios you hold elsewhere too, if you share your CAS.

At Myfolios we review the full picture with clients during periodic portfolio reviews, not just the funds bought through us.

Total invested and current value: the basic picture of where you stand.

XIRR: the best single measure of return for SIPs, because it accounts for the timing of each instalment. Our page on XIRR explains it simply.

Progress towards each goal: is the retirement folio on track? Is the money for the house down payment moving to safer funds as the date gets close?

Asset mix: how much is in equity, debt and gold, compared with what you planned. Our page on asset allocation explains why this matters.

Daily value changes. A one-day or one-week change tells you almost nothing about a long-term investment. Checking every day mostly causes worry and tempts people to make bad decisions.

Also ignore the "absolute return" figure for SIPs held for a long time. It does not account for when each instalment went in. Our page on how returns are calculated explains the different numbers you will see.

For most people, a proper look every three to six months is plenty. Once a year, do a deeper review: compare each fund with its benchmark, check overlap, and rebalance if the mix has drifted.

Our page on how to review your portfolio gives a simple yearly checklist.

A fund that went up is not automatically doing well. If its benchmark rose much more, the fund lagged. Compare over three and five years, not just the last few months.

Our pages on the benchmark and rolling returns explain how to judge this fairly.

A one-page spreadsheet or notebook can be very useful. List each goal, the folio and fund used for it, the monthly SIP, the SIP date, and the nominee. Update the value once a quarter from your CAS.

This also helps your family. If something happens to you, they will know what exists and where. Our page on what happens to a SIP after death explains why that matters.

Tracking often reveals clutter: several folios in the same fund house, very small holdings in old funds, or two funds doing the same job. This is a good time to tidy up.

Our pages on consolidating folios and portfolio overlap explain how. Before switching or selling, check exit loads and tax.

If statements are going to an old email or phone number, you will miss important updates. Update your email and mobile number with the registrars so all folios are linked to current details.

If you find a folio you had forgotten, our page on finding unclaimed investments explains how to trace and reclaim older holdings.

Some apps offer to track all your investments if you give them access to your email or statements. Read what data they collect and how it is used before agreeing.

The official CAS and registrar portals do the job well without sharing your data with anyone else.

Most of the time, tracking should lead to no action at all. That is a good sign. But a few findings do call for a decision: a fund that has lagged its benchmark and category for several years, a goal date that is now close while the money is still in equity, or an asset mix that has drifted far from your plan. A message that one of your debt funds has created a segregated portfolio also deserves a look, as our page on side pocketing explains.

In those cases, act calmly and in steps. Our page on portfolio rebalancing explains how to bring the mix back in line.

• Request a CAS to see all funds in one place.
• Use official portals for details and statements.
• Watch XIRR and goals, not daily changes.
• Check every few months, review deeply once a year.

We are distributors rather than investment advisers and we recommend no schemes. If you want help putting your full portfolio together, get in touch.