This is normal with ARM Aggressive Fund (and most mutual funds). The difference you’re seeing is usually due to fees and pricing mechanics. Here’s the breakdown:
Why Your ₦50,000 Became ₦48,560
There are 3 main reasons:
1. Entry / Initial Charges (Most Likely Reason)
Some mutual funds — especially Aggressive/Equity funds — may apply:
Initial charge (Entry fee)
Transaction cost
Stamp duty (sometimes)
Example:
You deposited = ₦50,000
Entry charge (about 2–3%) ≈ ₦1,440
Invested amount = ₦48,560
This is very close to what you’re seeing.
2. Unit Price (NAV) Movement
Mutual funds don’t credit money as cash balance. Instead, they:
Convert your money into units
Based on NAV (Net Asset Value)
If the market dropped slightly when your purchase was processed, your value may start slightly lower.
Since ARM Aggressive Fund invests in:
Stocks
Equities
High-risk assets
The price moves daily — up or down.
3. Fund Management Fees (Usually Deducted Daily)
Most funds deduct:
Management fee
Administrative fee
These are usually small and deducted gradually, not all at once.
What You Should Do Now
Check these 3 things in your ARM dashboard:
Transaction details
Unit price (NAV)
Number of units allocated
You’ll likely see something like:
₦50,000 deposited
₦48,560 invested
Balance shown as units value
Important Note (Since You’re Building Your Investment Strategy)
Because Aggressive Funds fluctuate, they are:
Best for long-term (2–5 years)
Not ideal for short-term holding
Since you’ve previously mentioned you’re investing amounts like ₦100k and topping up monthly, this fund is good — but it should be only part of your portfolio, not all.
A safer structure:
50% Money Market Fund (stable)
30% Aggressive Fund (growth)
20% Balanced / Bond Fund (moderate)
This reduces risk while still growing your money.

With ₦100,000 and a 1-year horizon, your goal should be capital preservation + modest growth, not aggressive trading. In Nigeria, the safest and most realistic options fall into 3 main categories.
I’ll break it down clearly so you can actually choose, not guess.
✅ BEST OPTIONS FOR ₦100,000 (1 YEAR)
1. Money Market Fund (BEST BALANCE OF SAFETY + LIQUIDITY)
This is the most suitable option for most beginners.
What it is:
A pooled investment that puts your money into:
Treasury bills
Bank placements
High-quality short-term instruments
Why it fits you:
Very low risk
Daily or monthly interest
Easy withdrawal
No stress monitoring
Expected return:
~15% – 25% per year (varies by fund and interest rate cycle)
Examples in Nigeria:
Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund
ARM Money Market Fund
Chapel Hill Denham MMF
Cowrywise / PiggyVest MMF options
👉 Simple strategy: Put ₦100,000 here if you want peace of mind
2. Treasury Bills (FGN T-Bills) — VERY SAFE
This is government-backed investment.
How it works:
You lend money to the government for a fixed period (91–364 days)
Why it’s good:
Almost zero risk
Fixed return
Locked for 1 year or less
Expected return:
~15% – 22% per year (depends on auction rates)
Example:
₦100,000 → ₦115,000 – ₦122,000 after 1 year
Downside:
Locked money (no easy withdrawal)
Slightly harder to access (needs bank or broker)
3. FGN Savings / Bond Funds (MEDIUM RISK, LONGER FEEL)
These invest in government bonds.
Why choose it:
Better return than MMF sometimes
Stable government backing
Expected return:
~12% – 18%
Best for:
People comfortable locking money for stability
4. Stock Market (HIGHER RISK, HIGHER POTENTIAL)
Only do this if you are willing to accept fluctuations.
You can buy:
MTN Nigeria
Zenith Bank
Dangote Cement
Access Holdings
Reality check:
₦100,000 in stocks can go:
Up 30–60%
Or down 10–20%
Best approach:
If you choose this:
Don’t put all ₦100k here
Maybe split small portion (₦20k–₦30k max)
💡 SMART STRATEGY FOR YOU (RECOMMENDED)
Since you are still building knowledge, don’t gamble.
SAFE + SMART MIX:
₦70,000 → Money Market Fund
₦20,000 → Treasury Bills
₦10,000 → Stocks (learning purpose)
This gives you:
Safety
Growth
Learning exposure
⚠️ WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid these traps:
Forex trading (high risk for beginners)
“Double your money in months” schemes
Crypto hype trading without knowledge
Unregulated investment platforms
📌 SIMPLE TRUTH
For ₦100,000:
You will NOT become rich in 1 year
But you CAN build discipline and steady growth
The real wealth comes from consistency + monthly additions

You’re asking a very important question — and honestly, you’re already ahead of many people just by thinking this way. Most salary earners stay stuck because they earn, spend, and repeat without planning for the future.
Since you’re a security personnel (from what you’ve shared before), I’ll give you practical advice that works even with modest salary — not theory.
My Honest Advice to You as a Salary Earner
1. Stop Waiting for “Opportunity” — Start Building One
Many people think:
“When my salary increases, I’ll start”
“When I get a better job, I’ll invest”
That never works.
Start with what you have now, even if it’s small.
Your biggest advantage right now:
You have steady income
You have time
You have discipline (security work requires this)
These three things can build wealth slowly but surely.
2. Follow the 4-Step Plan (Simple & Powerful)
Step 1 — Build Emergency Savings First
Before investment, do this:
Start saving:
₦5,000
₦10,000
₦15,000 monthly
Target:
At least 3–6 months salary
Why? Because life happens:
Job loss
Medical issues
Family emergencies
Emergency savings protects your future.
Best place:
Money Market Fund (MMF) (which you’ve already started learning about — good move 👍)
Step 2 — Start Investing Small (Don’t Wait)
You don’t need big money.
Start with:
Money Market Fund (Safe)
Nigerian Stocks (Long-term)
Bond Funds (Stable growth)
Simple allocation example:
50% Money Market
30% Stocks
20% Bond Fund
Even if you’re investing:
₦20,000 monthly
You’re already building wealth.
Step 3 — Build a Second Source of Income
Salary alone is risky.
Consider something simple:
Online skill (Digital marketing, cybersecurity — you’ve shown interest already)
Small side business
Dividend stocks
Affiliate marketing
Since you’re security personnel, you can:
Learn during quiet hours
Use phone for learning
Build skills gradually
This is powerful.
Step 4 — Invest in Yourself (Most Important)
Your income grows when your skills grow.
Good options for you:
Cybersecurity (you already started — excellent choice)
Digital marketing
Tech skills
Electrician certification (you mentioned before)
If your salary increases from: ₦70k → ₦150k
Your investing power doubles.
The Biggest Mistakes Salary Earners Make
Avoid these:
Waiting too long
Spending everything
Investing without knowledge
Following friends blindly
No financial plan
You’re already avoiding these by asking questions.
Simple Plan You Can Start This Month
Example: Salary → ₦100,000
Split like this:
₦20,000 — Savings (MMF)
₦10,000 — Investment (stocks/bonds)
₦5,000 — Learning skill
₦65,000 — Expenses
Even small amounts grow.
My Honest Truth to You
You’re not late. You’re not behind. You’re just starting to think properly.
And that’s how wealth begins.
Most people wake up at:
35 years
40 years
50 years
You’re already ahead.

Here are some Nigerian companies that have announced their Qualification Date and Payment Date (2026) so far:
📊 Dividend Qualification & Payment Dates (2026)
Company
Dividend
Qualification Date
Payment Date
MTN Nigeria
₦15
8 April 2026
5 May 2026
NGX Group
₦2
10 April 2026
29 April 2026
United Capital
₦0.70
7 April 2026
24 April 2026
Lafarge Africa
₦6.00
3 April 2026
30 April 2026
NASCON
₦6.00
1 April 2026
28 April 2026
Zenith Bank
₦8.75
24 April 2026
5 May 2026
Custodian Plc
₦2.50
13 April 2026
8 May 2026
Transcorp Power
₦4.00
13 April 2026
28 April 2026
Berger Paints
₦1.25
23 April 2026
21 May 2026
GTCO
—
15 April 2026
24 April 2026
Dangote Cement
₦45.00
17 June 2026
2 July 2026
BUA Foods
₦28.00
4 June 2026
15 July 2026
Transcorp Plc
₦1.60
1 May 2026
8 May 2026
📌 What Qualification Date Means
You must buy the stock BEFORE qualification date
If you buy on or after qualification date, you will NOT receive dividend
Example:
MTN Qualification Date = 8 April
You must buy before 8 April
Then you receive dividend on 5 May
💡 Smart Strategy (What Experienced Investors Do)
Since you’re learning dividend investing:
Good companies to watch:
Banking stocks (Zenith, GTCO)
Telecom (MTN)
Cement (Dangote, BUA)
Consumer (NASCON, Lafarge)
These usually pay strong dividends yearly.

You can leave your money in a Money Market Fund (MMF) for as long as you want — there is no fixed maturity period.
How MMF Works (Simple Explanation)
✅ No fixed lock-in period
✅ You can invest today and withdraw anytime (usually 24–72 hours)
✅ Interest accrues daily and is paid monthly or quarterly
✅ You can keep adding money (like your ₦10k monthly plan)
Your Plan (Very Good Strategy 👍)
Your plan:
Start with ₦100,000
Add ₦10,000 monthly
Leave it long-term
This is actually one of the safest wealth-building strategies.
How Long Should You Leave It?
Here are smart options:
Short-term (3–6 months)
Good for emergency savings
Very safe but lower returns
Medium-term (1–3 years) ⭐ (Recommended)
Your money grows steadily
Still easy to withdraw anytime
Long-term (3–5+ years) ⭐⭐ (Best for growth)
Compounding interest works better
Your monthly ₦10k adds up strongly
Example (Rough Projection)
If:
Start: ₦100,000
Add: ₦10,000 monthly
Average MMF return: ~10%–13% yearly (varies)
After 3 years, you could have roughly:
Total invested: ₦460,000
Estimated value: ₦500,000–₦540,000 (approx)
My Honest Recommendation (Based on Your Investment Journey)
Since you’re gradually building wealth and learning investing:
Use MMF as your savings base
Keep adding monthly
Leave it minimum 1–3 years
Withdraw only when necessary
This is exactly how disciplined investors build capital before moving to:
Stocks
Bonds
Equity funds
And you’re already on the right path.