Sunday, September 27, 2009

Mutual fund agents, distributors get new Code of Conduct

Apex sectoral body AMFI has issued a fresh code of conduct for mutual fund intermediaries like agents and distributors, mandating them to disclose all commissions received from different schemes.
The revised code of conduct was issued by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) following market regulator SEBI's circular asking the mutual fund distributors to disclose all the commissions payable to them from various schemes.
In a statement today, Sebi said all intermediaries of mutual fund companies would have to follow the code of conduct strictly.
"If any intermediary does not comply with the code of conduct, the mutual fund shall report it to AMFI and Sebi. No mutual fund shall deal with those intermediaries who do not follow code of conduct," Sebi said.
Reacting to the move, mutual fund tracking firm Value Research Online CEO Dhirendra Kumar said, "It puts onus on the Mutual Fund. Since intermediaries are not accountable to SEBI, mutual funds would have to ensure that they (intermediaries) are brought to task."
The code also requires intermediaries to adhere to guidelines issued by Sebi, highlight risk factors of each scheme, abstain from indicating or assuring returns, maintain confidentiality of all investors deals and ensure that all communications are sent on time, among others.