Academy
Learn Before You Invest.
Plain-language guides, a searchable dictionary, and FAQs organised by product — so you arrive at a conversation already informed.
Long-form reading
Wealth guides
Each guide links through to the full product deep-dive — standalone long-form articles are being added here progressively.
Guide
MF vs PMS vs AIF
Which ladder rung you're actually on, and what changes as your ticket size grows.
GuideUnderstanding SIF
The new middle ground between a mutual fund and PMS — and where Equity Long-Short fits.
GuideNRE vs NRO, Decided
A five-minute framework for which account structure fits your situation.
GuideThe True Cost of Idle Cash
What a business surrenders by leaving surplus cash in a current account.
GuidePre-IPO, Honestly
The real risks behind early access — before the upside story.
GuideGIFT City for First-Timers
Why a zone inside India is legally treated as a foreign jurisdiction — and why that helps you.
Plain-language terms
Investment dictionary
General
NAV
Net Asset Value — the per-unit price of a fund's holdings, calculated daily.
General
AUM
Assets Under Management — the total value of investments a manager oversees.
General
Expense Ratio
The annual fee a fund charges, expressed as a % of your investment.
General
CAGR
Compound Annual Growth Rate — the smoothed annual return over a period.
General
XIRR
A return measure for cash flows at irregular intervals, like SIP instalments.
General
Benchmark
The index a fund's performance is measured against.
Mutual Funds
SIP
Systematic Investment Plan — a fixed amount invested at regular intervals.
Mutual Funds
NFO
New Fund Offer — the initial subscription window for a new scheme.
Mutual Funds
Exit Load
A fee charged for redeeming units before a minimum holding period.
Mutual Funds
AMC
Asset Management Company — the entity that manages a mutual fund.
PMS
Discretionary PMS
The manager decides trades on your behalf, within agreed parameters.
PMS
Non-Discretionary PMS
The manager advises; you approve every individual trade.
PMS
Custodian
A SEBI-registered entity that holds PMS securities on your behalf.
AIF
Category I AIF
Start-ups, SMEs, infrastructure — venture and angel-style funds.
AIF
Category II AIF
Private equity, private credit and real estate — the largest AIF category.
AIF
Category III AIF
Complex, listed-market strategies — long-short, derivatives, hedge-fund-style.
AIF
Drawdown / Capital Call
A request for committed AIF capital to be paid in, as needed.
AIF
Pass-Through Status
Cat I/II tax treatment — gains taxed in investors' hands, not the fund's.
SIF
Long-Short Strategy
Holding both long and short positions, to profit in rising and falling markets.
SIF
Uncovered Short
A short position not offset by a matching long, taken via derivatives.
SIF & AIF
Accredited Investor
A high net-worth/income individual who can access customised, lower-minimum terms.
Taxation
LTCG
Long-Term Capital Gains — tax on profit from assets held beyond a defined period.
Taxation
STCG
Short-Term Capital Gains — tax on profit from assets held under that period.
Taxation
Indexation
Adjusting a purchase price for inflation before calculating tax — largely phased out for most assets post-2024.
NRI
NRE Account
For foreign earnings parked in India — fully repatriable.
NRI
NRO Account
For India-sourced income — repatriation capped at USD 1M/year.
NRI
Form 15CA/15CB
Tax certification required for larger NRO repatriations.
NRI
LRS
Liberalised Remittance Scheme — RBI's annual cap on resident outward remittance.
GIFT City
IFSC
International Financial Services Centre — GIFT City's regulated zone.
GIFT City
IFSCA
The dedicated regulator for IFSC, distinct from SEBI and RBI.
Before you ask
Frequently asked
No. We are an AMFI Registered Mutual Fund Distributor & SIF Distributor. We earn distribution commission, disclosed to you before you invest — we do not charge advisory fees.
Primarily through distribution commission paid by AMCs and fund houses, not a fee charged directly to you, except where a specific mandate states otherwise.
It depends on the product — SIPs from ₹500/month for mutual funds, up to ₹1 crore for AIF. See the full comparison on the Solutions page.
Yes — via an NRE account, an NRO account, or directly through GIFT City. Start on the NRI Investments page.
SIF is a newer, SEBI-regulated category that sits between a mutual fund and PMS — more strategic flexibility than a mutual fund, at a ₹10 lakh entry versus PMS's ₹50 lakh. See the SIF deep-dive.
No. Everything in the Academy and Tools sections is freely available, with no login required.
It varies by product. KYC-compliant investors can often begin within a few business days for mutual funds; PMS/AIF onboarding typically takes longer due to documentation.
A member of our team reviews it and reaches out, typically within 1–2 business days, to schedule a conversation.
See our Grievance Redressal process on the Compliance page, or write to us directly at saaivista@gmail.com.
Read something that raised a more specific question?
That's exactly what a first conversation is for.