Systematic investment Plan advantage can be taken by any investor who can spare at least 500 rupees per month. Some funds offer SIP Plans with an investment as low as 100 rupees. But for most of the funds minimum investment per month is 500 rupees. Most people have misconception that to invest large sums of money is required. But starting with an amount as low as 500 rupees per month can accumulate huge wealth in long term. It is a fact that people have many dreams or goals like better education for children, foreign vacation, dream home or happy retirement. But with limited income most people do not understand how to reach those goals.
Systematic investment Plan advantages are not limited only to low amount of investment. We know that it is almost impossible to time the market highs and lows. Most people lose money investing in shares due to timing the market rather than being a long term investor. Even the best of the investors or traders often miss market direction. For a layman or investor with little time and resources to research market moves, Systematic investment Plan advantage is unparalleled. With rupee cost averaging one can invest regularly in equities without worrying about timing the markets highs and lows. In long term, rupee cost averaging helps to accumulate wealth which is an advantage of Systematic investment Planning.
Usually investors keep averaging same number of shares/unit whenever there is a decline in the price and never while the price is rising. In the long bull run this may be an opportunity loss as no further investments are made. Rupee cost average through SIP works irrespective of market highs and lows. When the market keeps decreasing, more number of units are accumulated and less number of units are accumulated when market is increasing.
To take Systematic investment Planning advantage you must keep invested for long term. Historically it is seen that SIP works best when invested for long term. Earlier, advisers used to suggest 3 to 4 years as long term. But after 2008 market collapse, investors could not recover their losses even after investing for almost 5 more years. It is better to consider long term as a full market cycle rather than in years.
SIP investing allows investors to be balanced in their investment decisions. Disciplined and Balanced investment is another advantage of Systematic investment Plan. Investors with long term goal oriented investments often do not take investment decisions in haste and avoid panic selling or greedy buying. It is noticed many times that investors who associate their investments with goals are more balanced in their decisions.
One can choose different intervals like daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly averaging while investing through SIP which is another Systematic investment Plan advantage. Investors have the option to choose fixed dates on which their accounts are debited for the fixed amount they desire to invest. When the day selected transpires with holiday, amount will getdebited on next working day.