Best Retirement Funds

Fund Name
AUM
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3Y Returns
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Ratings
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HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Equity

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Equity

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹6,009.36 Cr.

21.59%

5

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation Scheme

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation Scheme

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹3,336.49 Cr.

19.42%

3.5

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation SchemeBonus

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation SchemeBonus

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹3,336.49 Cr.

19.42%

3.5

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation Scheme Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Nippon India Retirement Fund Wealth Creation Scheme Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹3,336.49 Cr.

19.42%

3.5

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹2,773.59 Cr.

17.61%

0

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹2,773.59 Cr.

17.6%

0

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Progressive

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Progressive

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹2,108.21 Cr.

17.57%

4

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Hybrid Equity

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Hybrid Equity

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹1,582.92 Cr.

16.43%

5

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Moderate

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Moderate

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹2,176.80 Cr.

16.27%

4

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Hybrid

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Hybrid

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹1,531.59 Cr.

15.67%

0

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Hybrid Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Aggressive Hybrid Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹1,531.59 Cr.

15.67%

0

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹401.29 Cr.

15.08%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹401.29 Cr.

15.08%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 30S Plan

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹401.29 Cr.

15.08%

0.5

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Dynamic Plan

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Dynamic Plan

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹387.54 Cr.

14%

0

Axis Retirement Fund Dynamic Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Axis Retirement Fund Dynamic Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹387.54 Cr.

13.91%

0

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹112.97 Cr.

13.24%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹112.97 Cr.

13.23%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 40S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹112.97 Cr.

13.23%

0.5

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Aggressive Plan

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Aggressive Plan

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹921.99 Cr.

12.54%

0

Axis Retirement Fund Aggressive Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Axis Retirement Fund Aggressive Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹921.99 Cr.

12.53%

0

Franklin India Pension Plan

Franklin India Pension Plan

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹518.46 Cr.

10.94%

0

Franklin India Pension Plan Direct IDCW Payout

Franklin India Pension Plan Direct IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹518.46 Cr.

10.9%

0

Franklin India Pension Plan Direct IDCW Reinvestment

Franklin India Pension Plan Direct IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹518.46 Cr.

10.9%

0

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Hybrid

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Hybrid

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹275.79 Cr.

10.85%

0

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Hybrid Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Hybrid Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹275.79 Cr.

10.85%

0

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Hybrid Debt

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund Hybrid Debt

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹161.42 Cr.

9.63%

5

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹177.76 Cr.

9.09%

0

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

SBI Retirement Benefit Fund Conservative Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹177.76 Cr.

9.08%

0

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Conservative

TATA Retirement Savings Fund Conservative

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹174.55 Cr.

8.85%

4

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation Scheme

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation Scheme

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹156.45 Cr.

8.83%

3.5

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation SchemeBonus

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation SchemeBonus

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹156.45 Cr.

8.83%

3.5

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation Scheme Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Nippon India Retirement Fund Income Generation Scheme Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹156.45 Cr.

8.83%

3.5

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Conservative Plan

Axis Retirement Savings Fund Conservative Plan

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹73.73 Cr.

8.8%

0

Axis Retirement Fund Conservative Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Axis Retirement Fund Conservative Plan Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹73.73 Cr.

8.67%

0

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹25.95 Cr.

8.44%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹25.95 Cr.

8.44%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹25.95 Cr.

8.44%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt Plan Direct Reinvestment of IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹15.72 Cr.

5.24%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt Plan Direct Payout of IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹15.72 Cr.

5.24%

0.5

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt

Aditya Birla Sun Life Retirement Fund The 50S Plus Debt

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹15.72 Cr.

5.24%

0.5

Baroda BNP Paribas Retirement Fund Direct Plan Growth

Baroda BNP Paribas Retirement Fund Direct Plan Growth

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹348.04 Cr.

0%

0

PGIM India Retirement Fund

PGIM India Retirement Fund

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹73.42 Cr.

0%

0

Bandhan Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Reinvestment

Bandhan Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Reinvestment

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹173.36 Cr.

0%

0

PGIM India Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout Payout

PGIM India Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹73.42 Cr.

0%

0

Baroda BNP Paribas Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Baroda BNP Paribas Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹348.04 Cr.

0%

0

Bandhan Retirement Fund

Bandhan Retirement Fund

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹173.36 Cr.

0%

0

Union Retirement Fund

Union Retirement Fund

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹154.02 Cr.

0%

0

Bandhan Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Bandhan Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹173.36 Cr.

0%

0

Union Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Union Retirement Fund Direct Plan IDCW Payout

Solution Oriented Retirement Fund

₹154.02 Cr.

0%

0

About Retirement Mutual Funds

Retirement funds are investment instruments that allow individuals to save a portion of their monthly or yearly income for their retirement. This means the investor keeps investing in the pension fund until retirement. Upon retirement, the investor receives either a lump-sum amount of money or they receive monthly payments. These funds are typically offered by employers or financial institutions, and they may offer a variety of tax advantages.

Retirement funds invest in a variety of assets, such as stocks and bonds. Therefore, it is important to check out the constituents of the fund before investing in it.

Retirement funds can be a very effective, low-risk way to save for retirement.

How Do Retirement Funds Work?

A retirement fund basically requires you to keep investing in the fund periodically right up until your retirement. During this entire time, your investment’s value increases based on the returns that the fund obtains from stock or bond investments. These returns are further reinvested, and they compound over the years.

Once you retire, you receive the entire final value of your investment, either in the form of a lump-sum payment or as a monthly annuity in the following years.

Features of Retirement Funds

  1. Less risky: Pension plans and mutual fund retirement plans are typically less risky than other investment options, making them a good choice for retirement savings. These plans often invest in low-risk securities, such as government bonds and securities, to provide steady returns.
  2. Hybrid plans: Mutual fund companies have also started offering hybrid pension plans. These plans invest in both debt and equity markets, but the equity exposure is typically kept low, at around 40-50%.
  3. Withdrawal conditions: Early withdrawal of funds from retirement plans is discouraged, typically before the retirement age of 58-60. Investors can choose to withdraw a lump sum amount or receive an annuity income every month.
  4. Liquidity: Liquidity in these pension funds is typically low, as there are early withdrawal charges and penalties. Investors should carefully consider their requirements and aspirations before investing in a pension plan. Additionally, the returns on pension plans are taxable, which may make them less attractive to some investors.
  5. Lock-in period: Retirement mutual funds typically have a lock-in period of 5 years, which is longer than the 3-year lock-in period for ELSS funds. However, a longer lock-in period can be beneficial due to the power of compounding. When investments are held for a longer period of time, they are less affected by short-term market fluctuations.

Advantages of Investing in Retirement Funds

Here are some of the benefits of saving for retirement in a retirement fund:

  1. Provides income in old age: The best thing about retirement funds is that they provide you with financial strength in old age. They may provide you with a steady stream of income, which, taken together, may be much higher than the investment made.
  2. Flexibility – You, as an investor, can choose either a debt fund or a sort of hybrid fund. You can also choose whether you want the post-retirement amount as a lump sum or in an annuity.
  3. Life insurance – Most retirement funds come with a life insurance cover. This helps people most susceptible to diseases to withdraw a large amount at the time of disease-related financial needs.
  4. Tax advantages: As mentioned above, contributions to retirement funds are tax-deductible, e.g. as under Section 80CCC under the IT Act. This means that individuals can lower their taxable income by contributing to a retirement fund.
  5. Compounding of returns: Compounding your returns over a really long period, like 30 years or more, allows your investments to grow by many multiples.
  6. Professional management: Retirement funds are typically managed by professional investment managers. This can be a good option for individuals who do not have the time or expertise to manage their own investments.

Risks Involved in Retirement Funds

Retirement funds are largely low-risk investments, but they are not completely risk-free. The following are some of the risks associated with retirement funds:

  1. Insufficiency of funds – Multiple risks increase after you reach a certain age, especially risks related to your health and security. Therefore, at the time of emergency, it may happen that a very large lump sum amount is needed that your retirement fund may not be able to cover.
  2. Outliving your money – It may happen that your retirement fund can pay you only up to a certain number of years and not necessarily until your demise. Therefore, there may come a time when you are alive, but your payments have stopped.
  3. Market risk – This is the risk of the value of the assets held by your pension fund dropping too low, such that your returns from the pension fund fall far short of other investment opportunities.
  4. Inflation – If your amount of payment, either lump sum or monthly, is fixed, but inflation is increasing at a high rate, then the real value of your retirement fund may fall too much.

Factors To Consider Before Investing in Retirement Funds

Before you contemplate investment in a retirement fund, you may want to consider the historical performance of the funds you are opting to invest in. Having said this, there are other factors to consider before you invest:

  1. Risk tolerance – You need to check the type of assets which the retirement funds are investing in so that you can better understand what level of risk and volatility you will have to deal with.
  2. Timeline of investment – You need to understand that the returns from the retirement fund will not be realised until a very long time. Yet, you need to start investing early on in order to experience the fullest impact of compounding.
  3. Inflation – The rate of return from the retirement fund needs to be more than the rate at which inflation reduces the purchasing power of your money. Usually, a rate of return similar to that of a savings account is not enough to overcome inflation.
  4. Balanced portfolio – Although retirement funds are run by capable fund managers, you should manage your risk well by diversifying your investments and allocating capital in a way that leads to a balanced portfolio.
  5. Payout mode – Choose whether you want a lump sum payment or a periodic payment at the end of the investment tenure. This will depend on the kind of requirements and aspirations that you will have at that moment. For example, if you are using the money to sustain yourself for a long time, then a periodic payment may be preferable.

Who Should Invest in Retirement Funds?

The main purpose of a retirement fund is to provide a source of regular income to the investor, especially at a time when they have hardly any other major income stream. Therefore, people who foresee a future where they might face such a circumstance where their savings may not be adequate to sustain their needs should definitely consider investing in a retirement fund.

In simple terms, it is a highly long-term investment that can be started at an early age as well as in later years. You must have a long-term investment horizon in mind before committing to such a fund. It is also a useful tool for diversification for investors who are already investing in short and medium-term assets.

There are, however, different kinds of retirement funds. For example, certain retirement funds invest only in debt instruments. Investors with a risk-averse attitude may prefer this type of fund. Some invest in both debt and equity. Investors who are willing to take on more risk in order to achieve higher returns would prefer to invest in such a fund.

For example, the National Pension Scheme is a government-run retirement fund that allows investors to grow their wealth by investing in both equity and debt instruments. In fact, this scheme allows you to receive 60% of the fund right away upon retirement and the remaining 40% as a monthly annuity. The amount received on maturity is tax-free.

Taxability of Retirement Funds

Contributions made towards retirement mutual funds are tax-exempt up to a maximum of ₹1.5 lakh under Section 80CCC of the Income Tax Act, 1961. This includes both new plans and renewal of existing pension plans. However, withdrawals from retirement mutual funds are taxable. If the money is distributed as an annuity, it is taxed at the individual’s income tax slab rate.

Periodical pension payments are fully taxable, similar to salary income. However, the taxation of lump-sum withdrawals after retirement may vary depending on the individual’s employment status. Government employees, including armed forces personnel, are exempt from all taxes on lump-sum withdrawals.

Non-government employees may be eligible for partial tax exemption up to a certain amount. If gratuity is included with the pension, one-third of the total amount is tax-exempt. Otherwise, only half of the total amount is tax-exempt.

If a family member disburses the pension as a monthly annuity, it is taxed as income from other sources. However, it is exempt from tax up to a certain limit, that is, ₹15,000 or one-third of the monthly annuity, whichever is less.

Lump sum withdrawals from retirement mutual funds are tax-exempt for all individuals.

How To Invest in Retirement Funds?

Investing in retirement mutual funds is a hassle-free process when done through your Angel One account. Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Log in to your account on Angel One.

Note: In case you do not have an account with Angel One, you can open a Demat account with us within a few minutes by submitting the documents required.

Step 2: Determine a retirement fund that suits your needs and risk profile. You can learn more about each retirement fund on the Angel One app. Things to do at this stage are:

  1. Look for the fund you want to invest in.
  2. Analyse the fund’s performance in the preceding years, tax incidence, and the sectors and companies it invests in. Calculate the potential returns using the mutual fund returns calculator.
  3. Evaluate the fund’s level of risk, its ratings and expense ratio.

Step 3: Once you finalise the retirement fund you want to invest in, open your Angel One account, go to the mutual funds section, and look for it. Once you find it:

  1. Decide whether you want to invest via SIP or make a one-time investment.
  2. Decide your monthly SIP date. Now, enter the amount you want to invest and choose the payment mode.
  3. After placing the order, you can create an AutoPay to make hassle-free future instalments in case of SIP investments.

Top 5 Retirement Funds to Invest in

The following are some of the top retirement funds in India:

Name of the Fund AUM (in ₹ crore) Minimum Investment (₹) 3 Year CAGR 5 Year CAGR 
HDFC Retirement Savings Fund-Equity Plan 3,746.40 100 29.65 20.64
HDFC Retirement Savings Fund-Hybrid-Equity Plan 1,138.79 100 20.77 16.10
Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Prog Plan 1,521.26 150 16.36 15.30
Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Mod Plan 1,773.91 150 15.38 14.08
Nippon India Retirement Fund-Wealth Creation 2,641.15 500 22.67 12.69

*The above rankings are based on the 5-year CAGR as of October 2023. The figures may change over time.

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund-Equity Plan

This fund was launched in February 2016. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.73%. It requires a minimum lump sum investment of ₹100. Its benchmark index is the Nifty 500 TRI.

HDFC Retirement Savings Fund-Hybrid-Equity Plan

This fund was also launched in February 2016. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.96%. It requires a minimum lump sum investment of ₹100. Its benchmark index is the Nifty 50 Hybrid Composite Debt 65:35 Index.

Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Prog Plan

This fund was launched in January 2013. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.61%. It requires a minimum lump sum investment of ₹5,000. Its benchmark index is the Nifty 500 TRI.

Tata Retirement Sav Fund – Mod Plan

This fund was also launched in January 2013. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.65%. It requires a minimum lump sum investment of ₹5,000. Its benchmark index is the CRISIL Short Term Debt Hybrid 75+25 Index.

Nippon India Retirement Fund-Wealth Creation

This fund was also launched in January 2015. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.97%. It requires a minimum lump sum investment of ₹500. Its benchmark index is the S&P BSE 500 – TRI.

Mutual Funds Calculators

Retirement Funds FAQs

Are retirement funds high risk?

Retirement Funds typically may carry a fairly significant level of risk. These funds invest in a wide range of equity and debt instruments, depending on the proportion of high-risk instruments they invest in.

Should I invest in retirement mutual funds?

Whether you should invest in retirement mutual funds depends mostly on your financial goals and overall risk tolerance. Remember that these are ideally supposed to be invested in till retirement. Therefore, investing in them is a long-term decision.

What are the expected returns of retirement funds?

Expected returns from retirement funds can vary depending on market conditions, fund performance, and the specific stocks and debt instruments they hold.

What are the risks involved in investing in retirement funds?

The risks involved in investing in retirement funds are market risk, company-specific risks, sector concentration risk, etc.

Are retirement funds taxable?

Yes, the returns from retirement funds are taxable. However, contributions to these funds of up to ₹1.5 lakh per year are tax-exempt as well.

How much money should I invest in retirement funds?

The amount of money you should invest in retirement funds depends on your overall financial situation, investment goals, and risk tolerance.