The distinction between a registered investment adviser and a mutual fund distributor just got sharper.
On 2 January, Sebi came out with a consultation paper—the third so far—on adviser guidelines, taking another step in demarcating advice and selling. It said that a Sebi-registered adviser cannot offer mutual fund distribution services and a distributor cannot offer investment advisory services.
Despite the Securities and Exchange Board of India or Sebi (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013 being in place since 2013, until now, your investment adviser or mutual fund distributor would have typically done both—advise you on what to buy and when, followed by a sale transaction where you bought a mutual fund from her to execute the advice given.