Portfolio Management Services · SEBI Regulated

Planning to Invest in PMS? Here's How to Find the Right Scheme for You.

PMS can be powerful — but only if it matches your corpus, risk appetite, and goals. Connect with a SEBI-registered, fee-only advisor who will give you an honest, unbiased view. No sales pitch.

SEBI Registered RIAs Only
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— The Comparison

PMS vs Mutual Funds — which is right for you?

Both are valid investment vehicles. The right choice depends entirely on your corpus, goals, and risk tolerance — not on what sounds more impressive.

Mutual Funds

  • Start with ₹500 via SIP

    No minimum corpus required. Accessible to investors at any stage of wealth-building.

  • Highly diversified by default

    Most equity funds hold 50–100 stocks. Instant diversification significantly reduces single-stock risk.

  • Simple, liquid, widely understood

    Easy to invest, exit, and compare. NAV-based daily pricing and strong SEBI oversight.

  • Pooled product — no direct ownership

    You own units of a fund, not the underlying stocks. Limited transparency into daily holdings.

  • Manager constrained by AUM size

    Large AUM forces diversification. The manager can't be as decisive as a PMS manager with a focused, smaller corpus.

  • Limited personalisation to your situation

    The same fund is bought by millions of investors. Your tax position, concentration, or specific goals are irrelevant to its construction.

The right choice depends on your corpus, goals, and risk tolerance. A Foliyo-matched advisor will tell you honestly whether PMS adds value for your specific situation — or whether you'd be better served by something else.

— The Conflict of Interest

Whose interests does your PMS distributor put first?

The person recommending a PMS strategy to you may be paid by the PMS house — not by you.

PMS Distributor / Relationship Manager

  • "Free" PMS Advisory Earns Commission

    "Free" PMS advisory typically earns 1–2% upfront distribution commission from the PMS house — paid directly from your corpus at the time of investment.

  • Incentivised to Sell the Highest-Commission Strategy

    Distributors are financially incentivised to recommend strategies that pay the most distribution commission, not the strategies best suited to your situation.

  • No Legal Duty to Act in Your Interest

    Distributors are not fiduciaries. They carry no legal obligation to recommend what's right for you — only what they're authorised to sell.

  • Will Rarely Tell You PMS Is Wrong for You

    Telling you PMS is unsuitable costs them the sale. That conversation almost never happens with a distributor.

— The Process

Get the right PMS advice in four simple steps.

Share your goals, get matched with a suitable advisor, and book a free intro call — without spam or commitment.

01

Share your Goals

Tell us your goals, income, city, and current advisory setup.

02

AI Matching

We find the most suitable advisor for you.

03

Free Discovery Call

Schedule a free 30-minute call with the advisor to evaluate a mutual fit.

04

Hire With Confidence

Hire the advisor you align with best.

— Sample Foliyo Advisors

See who we'd match you with, right now.

Hemendra Gandhi
Hemendra Gandhi
MBA, RIA
LocationMumbai
Advised AUM₹1,000 Cr+
SEBI RegINA000004237

"Most investors approaching PMS for the first time haven't read the disclosure document. That's where the real story is — fees, strategy, risks. I spend the first session just on that."

PMS Strategy Selection Portfolio Review Direct Equity Wealth Planning Fee-Only
Find My Advisor →
— Stories of people who got proper PMS advice

What happens when advice is truly yours.

I was about to put ₹75L into a PMS my bank RM recommended. My Foliyo advisor read the disclosure document with me — the hurdle rate was set at 0%, which meant I was paying performance fees even on market-matching returns. We found a better-structured strategy instead.

A
Amit Gupta
Senior Financial Analyst, Mumbai
₹3.2L saved
est. perf. fee saved, Year 1

I had ₹60L ready but my advisor told me I wasn't ready for PMS yet — my emergency fund and term insurance weren't in place. That kind of honest advice is what I'd been missing for years.

A
Ashish Gangwar
Product Director, Bangalore
6 months
to get foundations right first

Three PMS strategies looked identical on paper. My advisor broke down the actual portfolio composition, turnover ratios, and drawdown history. The decision became obvious.

C
Chhaya Sharma
VP Engineering, Bangalore
₹1.2Cr
corpus in a matched strategy
— Understand the Charges

PMS fees are more complex than mutual funds.
Here's what you need to know.

Every PMS must disclose its fee structure in its PPM (Portfolio Management Programme document). Read it before you invest.

What you always pay

Fixed Management Fee

A flat annual fee charged on your corpus — typically 1% to 2.5% per year, debited from your account quarterly regardless of how the portfolio performs. This is equivalent to the expense ratio in a mutual fund, but charged directly and disclosed transparently. On a ₹1Cr corpus at 1.5% p.a., you pay ₹1.5L per year in management fees — every year, whether the market is up or down.

What you pay if the manager outperforms

Performance Fee (Profit Sharing)

Many PMS strategies also charge a performance fee — typically 10% to 20% of profits above a set threshold. This is designed to align the manager's incentives with yours: they only earn extra when you're earning meaningfully above a benchmark. However, the details matter — the hurdle rate and high-watermark provisions determine whether this alignment is genuine or cosmetic.

The minimum return before performance fees kick in

Hurdle Rate

The hurdle rate is the minimum return the portfolio manager must deliver before charging you any performance fee. If the hurdle rate is 10% and your portfolio returns 8%, you pay zero performance fee. If it returns 15%, the performance fee applies only to the 5% above 10%. A higher hurdle rate protects you — it means the manager must genuinely outperform before earning extra compensation. Always ask for this number before committing to any PMS.

Protection against paying twice for the same gains

High-Watermark

The high-watermark clause ensures you never pay a performance fee on profits you've already paid for. If your portfolio was at ₹1.2Cr at year-end and then fell to ₹1Cr, the manager must first recover above ₹1.2Cr before charging a new performance fee. This protects you from paying fees during recovery periods. Not every PMS includes this provision — it's something your advisor will specifically check before recommending a strategy.

Not every PMS discloses these clearly upfront. A fee-only RIA will read the disclosure document with you, explain what you're actually paying, and tell you whether the fee structure is fair for the strategy on offer.
— Common Questions

Everything you want to know.

What is a Portfolio Management Service (PMS)?
A PMS is a SEBI-regulated investment product where a professional portfolio manager invests your money directly in stocks, bonds, or a combination — in a separate demat account held in your name. Unlike a mutual fund, you own the underlying securities directly. The minimum investment required by SEBI is ₹50 lakh. PMS is designed for investors who want a more personalised, actively managed approach than what mutual funds offer.
How is PMS different from a mutual fund?
The key differences are ownership, personalisation, and minimum ticket size. In a mutual fund, you own units of a pooled fund — you don't see or control the underlying stocks. In PMS, the stocks are held directly in your demat account. PMS strategies can be more concentrated, more personalised, and less constrained by AUM inflows. However, they also carry higher fees, higher risk, and require a minimum of ₹50L. Mutual funds are better suited for smaller corpora and investors who prefer simplicity.
What are the different types of PMS?
There are three structural types of PMS, and within the most common type, many strategy variants.

Discretionary PMS — The most common type. The portfolio manager makes all buy/sell decisions on your behalf within the disclosed strategy. You grant authority upfront and don't approve each individual trade. Most HNI investors start here.

Non-Discretionary PMS — The manager recommends trades, but you approve each one before it's executed. You retain more control — but also more involvement. Suitable for investors who want to stay engaged with every decision without doing the research themselves.

Advisory PMS — The manager only gives advice; execution is entirely up to you. Rare in practice, typically chosen by investors who already have a strong view on their own portfolio.

Strategy types within Discretionary — Strategies vary enormously: large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap, multi-cap, sector-focused (banking, pharma, consumption), value-oriented, and momentum-based. Each carries a different risk profile, drawdown history, and return expectation. Choosing the right strategy for your corpus and time horizon is where a good advisor adds the most value.
What is a hurdle rate in PMS?
A hurdle rate is the minimum return the portfolio manager must deliver before they can charge you any performance fee. For example, if the hurdle rate is 10% per year and your portfolio returns 7%, you pay zero performance fee. If it returns 14%, the performance fee applies only to the 4% above 10%. A higher hurdle rate protects you — it means the manager must genuinely outperform before earning extra compensation. Always ask for the hurdle rate before investing in any PMS.
What is a high-watermark in PMS?
A high-watermark ensures you don't pay performance fees on the same gains twice. Here's how it works: if your portfolio grew to ₹1.3Cr last year and a performance fee was charged, then the portfolio falls to ₹1.1Cr this year, the portfolio manager must first recover back above ₹1.3Cr before charging any new performance fee. This protects you from paying fees during recovery periods. Not all PMS strategies have a high-watermark clause — this is something your advisor will check before recommending a strategy.
How do PMS charges work overall?
PMS fees have two components. First, a fixed management fee — typically 1% to 2.5% of your corpus per year, charged quarterly regardless of performance. Second, an optional performance fee — typically 10% to 20% of returns above the hurdle rate. You pay this only when the manager outperforms. Some strategies charge only a management fee with no performance component. Always read the disclosure document (PPM — Portfolio Management Programme document) carefully, as all fees must be disclosed upfront by SEBI regulations.
Is PMS right for me if I have ₹50L to invest?
It depends on your full financial picture, not just your corpus size. PMS is appropriate when you have already covered your financial foundations — adequate emergency fund, term insurance, and basic goal-based investments. If ₹50L represents most of your savings, PMS may concentrate too much risk. If ₹50L is surplus capital above your foundations, it can make sense. A Foliyo-matched fee-only RIA will evaluate your complete situation and give you an honest answer — including telling you if PMS is not the right choice for you right now.
How does a Foliyo-matched advisor help with PMS? Do they sell PMS strategies?
No. A Foliyo-matched advisor is a SEBI-registered, fee-only RIA. They do not sell PMS strategies and earn zero commission from any PMS house. Their role is to evaluate whether PMS is appropriate for you, which type of strategy suits your risk profile, how to read and compare disclosure documents, and whether the fee structure of a given strategy is fair. They charge you a transparent fixed advisory fee — nothing more. You then invest directly with the PMS provider of your choice.
What exactly is a SEBI Registered Investment Adviser (RIA)?
A SEBI RIA is a financial advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India under the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013. Unlike mutual fund distributors or insurance agents, RIAs are legally bound by a fiduciary standard — meaning they must always act in your best interest, disclose all conflicts of interest, and cannot earn commissions from any financial product. Their only source of income is the fee you pay them.
How is this different from a mutual fund distributor or bank RM?
The key difference is who pays the advisor. A mutual fund distributor earns a trail commission from the fund house — typically 0.5–1.5% annually — funded through the fund's expense ratio. A bank RM has product sales targets and earns incentives from selling high-margin products. A fee-only RIA earns only the fee you pay them. This structural difference eliminates the conflict of interest and makes genuine fiduciary advice possible.
How much does a fee-only advisor charge?
Fee structures for SEBI-registered RIAs in India typically fall into two common models:
  • Flat retainer: ₹20,000 – ₹50,000 for a six-month engagement, suitable for goal-based planning, ESOP exercise decisions, or NRI planning sessions.
  • AUM-based annual fee: 0.5% – 1% of the advised capital per year, suitable for ongoing portfolio monitoring and annual rebalancing.
How does Foliyo make money if the matching is free?
Foliyo charges a flat referral fee directly to the advisor if and when you engage them — not from the advice fee you pay, and not from any product commission. This fee is disclosed to advisors upfront and does not change their fee structure for you. We do not earn from products, do not earn from your investments, and will never share or sell your data to third parties.
— Begin Here

Your wealth. Your PMS choice. Your terms.

A fee-only advisor will tell you honestly whether PMS is right for you — and if so, which strategy fits. The intro call is free. You talk to an advisor within 24 hours. There is no commitment.

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