'How Is SEBI Allowing This?' Grip Ad On Fixed Mutual Fund Returns Draws Flak On Internet

A newspaper advertisement by Grip Invest promising 12.5% fixed mutual fund returns to investors has drawn flak from netizens on social media. The fixed income investment platform's print advertisement highlighted that it will deliver over 12% fixed returns on mutual fund investments and also added that investors have an opportunity to earn an 'additional 0.25% only today via brokerage reversal.'

The advertisement didn't sit well with market participants who were quick to notice the high-risk and lofty promise made by the platform on mutual fund investments, which are highly subjective to market risks. Netizens raised concerns on how capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed this in the first place.

According to Grip Invest's platform services, it's fixed-income products (bonds, SDIs, etc.) target returns (often expressed as Internal Rate of Return, not always a simple annual return) that can reach up to 14%. "These returns are not guaranteed, as all investments carry some risk, including potential delays or defaults in payment," said Grip Invest.

The mutual funds available on Grip Invest are typically debt mutual funds, which invest in debt and money market instruments. While generally considered less volatile than equity funds, their returns are tied to market performance and not strictly "fixed" or guaranteed. Returns for low-risk mutual funds on the platform generally range from 6% to 8.5% annually.

Grip Invest, which is backed by investors like Venture Highway, Stride Ventures, ITI Capital and Multiply Ventures, has more than 35,000 customers with an average age of 30-45 years.

The advertisement by Grip Invest also said, "Rains in Pune this year, unpredictable. Returns on Grip Invest, Predictable." The statement took a jibe on unpredictable weather distrubing daily life vs 'predictable' and stable returns made via investments on the platform. One user on 'X' (formerly Twitter), highlighted the problematic ad and said, "How is Sebi allowing this? Can a debt mutual fund say get returns up to 12%? Even though risk in a portfolio of bonds is much lower. Can a stock broker say returns up to 2000%, using some multibagger?"

Responding to the post, another user said, "By the time SEBI wakes up, these guys will have lot of customers and then will apologize or pay minor fine :( - innocent users will be trapped."

SEBI's proposed norms for India's mutual fund brokerages are designed to lower costs for investors by significantly reducing the maximum brokerage fees funds can pay. The lower brokerage costs, along with the removal of other expenses like taxes and statutory levies from the total expense ratio, may increase the net returns of investors.

However, the market watchdog uses a combination of mandatory verification mechanisms, technological interventions, strict advertising guidelines, and investor complaint systems to track and prevent brokerages from misleading investors on mutual fund returns.