An ARN is the AMFI Registration Number a mutual fund distributor must hold to sell funds and be paid for it.
ARN stands for AMFI Registration Number. A person or firm needs one to sell mutual funds and be paid for it. To get one, a distributor passes a NISM certification exam and registers with AMFI. Employees of distributor firms, such as bank staff, also carry their own code, the EUIN.
When you buy through a distributor, their ARN is recorded against the purchase, and your CAS and account statements show it for each holding. The distributor's fee is paid by the fund house out of the plan's expense ratio, for as long as you hold the units.
SEBI-registered investment advisers do not hold an ARN. They charge their clients a fee directly.
What you need to buy a mutual fund in India, where you can buy one, and the steps of a first purchase.
One statement of every mutual fund you hold across fund houses, free from CAMS, KFintech or MF Central, and the depository CAS if you have a demat account.
Each fund page has its returns, risk, costs, managers and everything it holds.