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How to minimise risks when investing in overnight funds?

As an investor, sometimes you need to park your surplus cash somewhere without incurring too much risk. You may want to earn a higher return than a traditional savings account, or perhaps, you just need a highly liquid investment option. This is where overnight funds can help.

Overnight funds are debt mutual funds that invest in assets or securities with a maturity of one day. By investing in short term debt and money market instruments, these funds offer a safe and convenient way to earn returns on surplus cash. But, just like any investment, there are risks involved, and it’s important to minimise those risks.

Here are 5 ways to invest in overnight funds the right way. From researching investments and understanding market changes to identifying high-yield options, these strategies can help you minimise risks and increase your chances of earning better returns.

  1. Research the fund’s history and performance

Overnight funds invest in debt securities with a short maturity period, which makes them less risky than other types of mutual funds. But the value of the fund can fluctuate depending on interest rate movements and credit risk.

Researching the fund’s history and performance can give you an idea of how the fund has performed in different market conditions and how much risk is involved. When researching overnight funds, look for funds that have a consistent history of strong performance and low risks. Also, read through the fund’s prospectus and understand how the fund operates, the types of securities it invests in, and how it handles liquidity.

  1. Look for high-quality debt securities

Buy overnight funds that invest in a diversified mix of high-quality debt securities. These securities are issued by well-established companies or organisations with a strong track record of paying back their debts. Investing in these securities can help reduce the risk of default or other financial problems in future.

  1. Keep an eye on interest rates and invest at the right time

Even though overnight mutual funds have low credit and interest rate risk, their stability depends on market conditions. Therefore, you must stay updated about interest rates and act quickly to take advantage of favourable market conditions. Most experts recommend investing in overnight funds during high interest rate environments to maximise returns.

  1. Choose a reputable fund manager

The performance and stability of an overnight fund also depend on the quality of the asset management company (AMC) and the fund manager. So, research the track record of the AMC, its regulatory compliance, and its financial strength.

At the same time, evaluate the past performance of the fund manager, their expertise, investment style, and risk-taking ability. An experienced fund manager will have a solid investment strategy, will follow a disciplined approach to investing, and will have appropriate risk management measures. All these strategies are helpful to keep your mutual fund portfolio profitable as much as possible.

  1. Diversify

Diversification is important in minimising risk, and the same holds true when investing in overnight funds. Investing in different overnight funds run by different asset management companies so that your returns do not depend solely on the performance of one particular fund or company.

If you are an investor with a high-risk appetite, you can also add equity mutual funds to your portfolio. This way, you will have a good mix of investments that can cushion against market risks and deliver better returns.

By taking the right steps, approach, and strategies mentioned above, you can minimise risks and achieve different financial goals with overnight funds more efficiently.