KIM in Mutual Fund: What is Key Information Memorandum & Contents in KIM?
A mutual fund house has various schemes. Offer documents must accompany every scheme. These documents are approved by the trustees and vetted by the SEBI. The offer document has two parts - the Scheme Information Document and the Statement of Additional Information. Key Information Memorandum (KIM) is a summary document of the Scheme Information Document.
What is the Key Information Memorandum (KIM) in Mutual Funds?
The Scheme Information Document is rather detailed and can run into several pages. If you are a regular investor, you know the important sections and can go through them. However, for a first-time investor, the process of going through the Scheme Information Document (SID) could be daunting and hence the abridged version - KIM is part of the Offer Documents. KIM's full form in mutual funds is Key Information Memorandum. It gives a bird’s eye view to the investor. It details all that an investor must know before investing. It is the shrunken version of the SID and possesses critical information. All mutual fund application forms have the KIM attached to them.
What do the contents of the Key Information Memorandum include
Mutual Fund KIM has some important information which is as follows:
Investment related | Objective | This section describes the fund's goal, which is to provide returns close to the total returns of the underlying securities. An investor must remember this is just the aim and not a promise. |
| Strategy | This is important because it points out the scheme's investment strategy, which can be passive or aggressive. It also discusses the indexing approach. |
Asset related | Allocation | KIM in mutual funds explicitly details the assets the mutual fund will invest in. For debt schemes, it can be a mix of government securities, certificates of deposits, treasury bills, etc. |
Fund related | Differentiation | This section details what sets the fund apart from the rest, how it is managed and why it can give better returns compared to other funds. |
Fund related | AUM & Folio Nos | This section details the Asset Under Management of the fund and the number of folios as of a cut-off date. |
Risk related | Risk Profile | Another important section for an investor is the risk profile. All KIMs will highlight the risks associated with investing in a particular scheme. It specifies the risk factors like market trading risk, sectoral risk, tracking error risk and so on.
The KIM will also specify the risk mitigation measures the fund house takes to minimise the risks. |
Price Related | NAV | Details about the subscription price, the minimum application amount, and the redemption and repurchase method will be stated here. |
Scheme Related | Performance Portfolio | The KIM gives the investor an idea of the scheme's performance over time, along with the sector allocation and portfolio turnover. |
Scheme Related | Expenses | The expenses of operating the fund house are detailed here. All the one-time and recurring expenses are shown, giving the investor an idea about the expenses involved. The entry and exit load is mentioned. This information allows an investor to know the net returns on the scheme. |
Fund manager related | Name | The fund manager’s name in the KIM gives the investor an idea about the expert handling their money. |
Benchmark | | If the scheme is being benchmarked against a particular index, it will be a part of KIM. If it is a commodity-related scheme, it will be benchmarked against the commodity. |
Additional Read: What is Asset Allocation?
What is the Validity Period of the Information Memorandum?
KIM in mutual funds is issued along with the mutual fund’s Offer Documents. These documents have a validity period that is one year from the date of the first issue of securities and not from the time it is first subscribed to. The date of inception of the fund is mentioned in the KIM. KIM is also periodically updated.
Conclusion
Knowing the meaning of KIM in mutual funds is inevitable for an investor. It is an abridged version of the SID that provides investors with all the vital information to help them make wise financial decisions. With all the necessary information detailed, the investors must educate themselves and make the most of the information.
Additional Read: What is Benchmark Index?