"Days of easy and guaranteed money for distributors are gone. AMCs need to sacrifice their margins now and pay the distributors or they can mop up advisory commissions from investors linked to certain schemes. However, the business of big distributors is unlikely to be hurt," SMC Capitals Equity Head Jagannadham Thunuguntla said.

1. Brokerages plan revised cost structure for MF distribution
Updated on Friday, July 31, 2009, 15:23 IST
New Delhi: Distributors of mutual funds are planning to revise their transaction cost structure to attract
investors as the charge for buying units in a mutual fund goes from tomorrow, something they believe will
increase sales.
Distributors are now waiting to see whether asset management companies (AMCs) announce distribution
commission for various MF schemes and on that basis they would charge advisory commission from
customers.
On June 18, market watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India asked mutual funds not to deduct
marketing and distribution charges from the investment made by subscribers.
"Days of easy and guaranteed money for distributors are gone. AMCs need to sacrifice their margins now
and pay the distributors or they can mop up advisory commissions from investors linked to certain
schemes. However, the business of big distributors is unlikely to be hurt," SMC Capitals Equity Head
Jagannadham Thunuguntla said.
Distributors believe that although in the short term their revenue might be affected, in the medium to long
term it would pick up as more investors come in.
"Volumes will pick up in the medium term as investors would start showing interest gradually. Though
there would be some stress on revenue in the short term, in the medium term more buying interest would
start pouring in from investors," ICICI Direct Executive Director Anup Bagchi said.
Leading retail brokerage ICICI Direct has announced variable fee structures for high net-worth individuals
(HNIs) and retail investors.
It has introduced a nominal fee of Rs 30 for systematic investment plans (SIP) and Rs 100 for investment
below Rs eight lakh. If the cumulative MF holding with ICICI Direct is more than Rs eight lakh, the
investors need not pay any commission, the brokerage said in a note to its clients.
"With the entry load removal, clients deserve a transparent rate cut. We are encouraging investors to
consolidate their investments with ICICI Direct so that we can provide value-added services, which
include research and portfolio analysis free of cost," Bagchi added.
An entry load of up to 2.25 percent is a charge levied by an MF when an investor steps in to meet its
marketing costs and distribution commissions.
Brokerages are now planning to break up their service portfolio and charge for that. "Maybe brokerages
would charge for the transaction services separately for customers who want advisory or support services
also. That would bring in clarity in the commission," Thunuguntla added.