Freefincal updates its National Pension Scheme fund screener for August 2026, focusing on funds with persistent outperformance and downside protection, offering investors a refined approach to shortlist stable schemes beyond mere trailing returns.
Freefincal’s latest National Pension Scheme fund screener is built for investors who want more than a simple trailing-return snapshot. The tool is designed to help users shortlist schemes that have consistently beaten their benchmarks while also limiting downside, reflecting the site’s view that NPS funds should be judged on repeatable performance rather than one-off bursts of strength.
The screener compares each scheme against category benchmarks across rolling 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year and 5-year periods. It then assigns three measures: how often a fund outperformed its benchmark, how often it did better when markets rose and how often it held up better when benchmarks fell. Freefincal says that can help investors separate funds that simply chased returns from those with steadier risk-adjusted results.
The August 2026 version keeps the same framework seen in the July, April and earlier 2025 editions, using benchmark series such as Nifty 200 TRI and Nifty 50 TRI for equity schemes, along with notional benchmarks for non-equity categories. Freefincal cautions that those non-equity proxies are only indicative and may not be ideal stand-ins for the underlying asset classes, so users are asked to apply judgment rather than rely on a mechanical screen.
The site also illustrates how the sheet can be used to compare excess return and excess risk. In one example, it points to ICICI Prudential Pension Fund Scheme E – Tier I as having delivered higher one-year trailing returns than its benchmark while posting slightly lower volatility, though Freefincal notes that the example is illustrative rather than a current recommendation. The broader message is that NPS investors should aim for a shortlist of several funds, not a single “winner”, and should use the spreadsheet to identify schemes that combine consistent outperformance with reasonable protection on the downside. The file is sold for personal use, with Freefincal saying it includes the underlying Excel data, not advice or follow-up support.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
