I think a little more desription is required here. Basically, when you invest in MF, you need to know what you are trying to achive. A good financial planner can help you achieving this. When I met a good financial planner, he advised me 2 things. 1. I need to know what are my financial requirements. When do I need money and how much returns I expect. 2. Every fund manager has a specific strategy and that's why returns may be different in short term. E.g. Fund manager 'A' may invest in a specific stock knowing it won't turn into big profits for a while. But he is sure that within few years the specific company can breakeven and start booking big profits. So, it is just possible that in first couple of years you don't earn enough, but over a period of time you can earn better results. MFs are not for booking quick profits. Just like shares you have to stay invested in MF over a longer period. The only difference is you can use experience and knowledge of well establised experts. Thye reduce the risk over long period by diversifying the investment. If you think you already know lot more about stocks then you can always create your own custom funds by diversifying your own investment.
