WALLS TURNED SIDEWAYS ARE BRIDGES
Rebalancing is the process by which an investor restores their portfolio to its target allocation. Rebalancing brings your portfolio back to the desired asset mix. This is done by reinvesting the profits that are taken out of some of the outperforming investments and putting them in underperforming assets.
The primary objective of portfolio rebalancing is to establish better risk control, and ensure that your portfolio isn’t singularly dependent on the success or failure of a particular investment, asset class, or fund type.
How can rebalancing help you as an investor?
Rebalancing works as a risk-minimizing strategy for you as an investor. It allows you to line up your investment with your goals by periodically rebalancing your portfolio. If your risk tolerance or your investment strategies change, you can re-adjust the weighting of the asset class in your portfolio by rebalancing and devise a new asset allocation.
How can you rebalance your portfolio?
When you invest in mutual funds, you are basically investing to achieve a single goal via various vehicles. So when you rebalance, the shift must occur across all of these funds at the same time.
Here’s how you can rebalance your portfolio in 5 simple steps:
Step 1: First and foremost, have an asset allocation plan by taking into consideration your income, the expected time of retirement, etc. Create an asset allocation framework.
Step 2: Assess your current asset allocation by identifying where and how your current investments are placed on stocks, cash, bonds, or any other form of investment. Post these analyses make a comparative analysis of asset allocation target and its present state and accordingly make adjustments.
Step 3: Chart out a rebalancing plan is your asset allocation target does not align with your current portfolio. This step of the rebalancing process can seem a bit intimidating where you have to decide which securities to keep and in what numbers.
Step 4: Be mindful of the tax implications, especially on capital gains. Avoid the short term taxes on capital gains by holding on to your equities for over a year. In case of debt funds, the short-term capital gains will qualify for taxes based on the individuals’ income tax slab. For long-term 3 years capital gains, the tax is 20 percent with indexation. If you need to scale back, aim to sell the sell the securities in the tax-exempt accounts first. That way, you’ll limit the taxes you pay in capital gains.
Step 5: Review your portfolio at least once a year or maybe once in 6 months to assess your position but rebalance it only when you feel that the allocations are significantly out of the track to reaching the target.
What is the cost involved with Rebalancing your Portfolio?
There are certain expenses involved with rebalancing your portfolio and as an investor, you must be aware of those.
- The cost of brokerage and Securities Transaction Tax is one of the expenses you will incur as an investor. This includes the transaction cost of buying and selling securities like stocks and bonds.
- Charges of exit load of about 2 percent in the case of mutual funds can be levied if you sell your investment within a specific time span.
- Taxation on capital gains of 15 percent will be incurred by you on the sale of equity investments within a year. There will be a marginal tax rate for debt investments that you sell within three years.
Rebalancing of a portfolio is more about identifying and implementing a system that works best for you as an investor. It must never be about simply adopting what works well for someone else. At the same time, it also entails reviewing and making informed adjustments, keeping in mind the tax and other consequences.
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