Do you know that, just like insurance companies, some MF houses have schemes specifically to build a corpus for your children? These are called solutions-oriented schemes. As of now, 8 AMCs have these schemes. These schemes have a mandatory lock-in period of either five years or till the child attains 18 years, whichever is earlier. There are no income-tax benefits for the lock-in. Baring two, all others invest mostly in equity and debt. But aside from the focussed name and the lock-in, there's nothing else that sets it apart from other open-ended schemes. Open-ended schemes with a good pedigree are better options, than such targeted schemes.