A. A Mutual Fund Agent is a qualified professional who advises & assists investors on investing in mutual fund schemes.
The Agent would make money in the form of earning commissions from the fund house or distributors on the selling of mutual fund schemes.

A. Mutual fund is an investment tool which pools money from many investors to purchase securities. Investments are made as per the objective of the fund and each fund carries different risk-return characteristics. Investors gain when the securities within the portfolio provide positive returns.
Investing through mutual funds is one of the most convenient and popular ways to grow one’s capital.

A. To become a mutual fund agent, an individual needs to appear for a mandatory examination "NISM Series-V-A Mutual Fund Distributors Certification" conducted by NISM. After passing the exam, the candidate has to obtain an ARN (AMFI Registration Number) by approaching AMFI through CAMS-KRA.
The Agent can start providing advice & selling schemes as soon as he gets his ARN (AMFI Registration Number) issued by AMFI.

A. Registration of mutual fund agent involves the following steps:
1.Registering for the NISM Mutual Fund Agent Exam(involves filling the Identity,PAN information and paying the required fee)
2.Passing the Exam (Passing the exam with minimum 50% marks)
3.Obtaining the ARN from AMFI ( involves complying the KYD process & filling an application form for getting ARN from AMFI through CAMS-KRA)
4.Registration & Agreements with AMFI Distributors or AMCs (for the purpose of selling schemes)

A. The process for becoming a mutual fund distributor is the same as for becoming a mutual fund agent/ advisor. The distributors also have to enter into agreements & complete registration or documentation processes for connecting with the AMCs to officially sell their schemes and earn commissions on them.
The Mutual Fund Agents or Advisors can choose to sell schemes either through connecting with AMFI distributors or AMCs.

A. Individuals above the age of 50 can apply through "Grandfather by Age" Category where they have the option to successfully complete any one of the following programs to get the NISM Mutual Fund Distribution Certificate.
1.Appear & Pass the NISM Series VA Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination
2.Completing the NISM’s Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Training Program

A. The Commission paid to advisors varies across mutual fund schemes & in different Asset Management Companies. Every AMC has its own structure for paying commissions to the distributors and are generally in the range of 0.1% to 2% for categories- debt, equity & hybrid categories etc..
The commission structure also differs across the cities. A special incentive(additional to what is fixed) is paid to distributors for selling the schemes to investors in B-30 cities for the first year.

A. The minimum requirements to be eligible for giving the exam include:
The individual should be of the age 18 years & above.
The minimum qualification to take this exam is class 12th or class 10th with 3 years of diploma.

The exam does not have any requirement with regards to the streams/specializations chosen in school or college and doesn’t ask for any additional certifications.

A. Independent Financial Advisors (IFA) are the small-medium size financial advisors who provide financial advice to investors on various investment products including mutual funds and others.

A. With the growing AUMs in the Indian mutual fund industry along with the rising investor base, the career as an advisor has a great scope. The profession has endless opportunities for the advisors to grow their compensation or income by earning commissions on the sale.

A. Choosing the right mutual fund for investment involves analyzing the scheme through parameters like duration, asset quality, type of holdings, past performance, performance of the scheme against benchmark, risks associated with the particular scheme, fund manager’s experience and many others.
Also, it involves selection of the scheme as per the investor’s risk appetite and financial goals.

The investors should prefer taking expert advice from mutual fund advisors or agents on their investments because being a qualified personnel in the industry, they have a better understanding & know-how of the MF Investments.
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