ARN

An ARN (AMFI Registration Number) is the number a person or firm needs to sell mutual funds in India. You get it from AMFI after you clear the NISM Series V-A exam and complete the steps. Without an ARN, you cannot legally distribute mutual funds.

What the ARN signals

The ARN is a licence, not a qualification to give investment advice. It confirms that the holder has passed the basic mutual fund distributor exam and is registered to sell schemes and earn a commission for doing so. Every genuine distributor, bank relationship manager or app that sells regular-plan funds has an ARN, and it should appear on the paperwork.

Why it exists

Requiring an ARN keeps unqualified or unregistered people from selling funds, and makes distributors traceable and accountable. It is tied to the commission system: the trail commission a distributor earns on a regular plan is paid against their ARN. That is also why a direct plan, bought without a distributor, carries no ARN and a lower cost.

Distributor versus adviser

An ARN holder is a distributor, not necessarily a registered investment adviser, which is a separate SEBI category with stricter rules and a fee-for-advice model. It is worth knowing the difference: a distributor earns from the products you buy, an adviser from a fee you pay. If you want to clear the exam yourself, see what the NISM Series V-A certificate is; GreenFunds is not affiliated with NISM or AMFI.