This year felt rough for a lot of investors — and the numbers back that up. Around 731 mutual fund schemes posted negative returns in FY26, up from just 243 last year. That's nearly three times more funds in the red.
If your SIP is in one of these schemes, your money may have actually shrunk this year — not because you did anything wrong, but because markets were bumpy and some funds felt it more than others. Even schemes that were once earning over 10% had a much quieter year.
What this means for you
- A down year doesn't automatically mean your fund is bad — SIPs are built for exactly this kind of rough patch.
- But if your fund has underperformed its category for 2–3 years in a row, that's worth a closer look.
- Open your mutual fund app today and check your fund's 3-year returns vs its benchmark — takes two minutes.
What you can do
- Check your fund's category average on a fund-comparison site like Value Research — if your fund has been below average for 3 years straight, consider switching to a better-ranked fund in the same category.
- Don't stop your SIP just because this year was red — stopping now locks in the loss. Staying invested is usually the right call.
One bad year doesn't define your investment — but knowing where you stand puts you back in control.