Money guides for smarter finances in India
Plain-language guides on tax, loans, savings and retirement planning — each one links straight to the calculator you need to run your own numbers.
Old vs new tax regime: which saves more in FY 2026-27?
Since the new regime became the default and picked up a bigger standard deduction and a ₹12 lakh rebate threshold, most salaried Indians pay less tax under it — but not everyone. Here's how the two regimes actually compare, and how to tell which one is better for you.
How to prepay a home loan: reduce EMI or reduce tenure?
A home loan is usually the cheapest, longest debt most people carry — which is exactly why a small, well-timed prepayment habit can save lakhs in interest. Here's how to actually build one.
Section 80C explained: PPF vs ELSS vs SSY
Section 80C lets you deduct up to ₹1,50,000 a year from taxable income (old tax regime only) — but it covers over a dozen different instruments with very different risk, lock-in and return profiles. PPF, ELSS and SSY are three of the most popular. Here's how to choose.
SIP vs lump sum: what does the math actually say?
The SIP-vs-lump-sum debate usually gets framed as a strategy choice, but it's often really a question about what kind of money you're investing — a monthly salary you don't have yet, or a sum you already have sitting in a bank account.
How much home loan can I actually afford?
Banks will often approve a bigger loan than you should comfortably take. Here's how eligibility is actually calculated, and how to set your own, more conservative limit before you fall in love with a house you can't really afford.
FD vs RD vs PPF: where should each rupee go?
FD, RD and PPF are all "safe" instruments, but they serve different jobs. Picking the wrong one for the job — like locking your emergency fund into PPF — can leave you stuck when you need cash most.
HRA exemption rules explained with examples
HRA exemption trips people up because it isn't one number — it's the lowest of three separate calculations. Here's how each one works, with the metro/non-metro distinction that changes the answer.
TDS on sale of property: Form 141 (formerly Form 26QB) explained
Whenever immovable property changes hands for ₹50 lakh or more, the buyer — not the seller — is legally required to deduct 1% TDS and report it to the government. From 1 April 2026 this is done through a new form, Form 141, under a renumbered section of a brand-new tax law — the Income-tax Act, 2025. The rate and threshold haven't changed, but the form, the section number and a few procedural details have. Here's exactly what buyers and sellers need to know now.
Property deal cancelled? How to get your Form 141 (26QB) TDS refunded
If a property deal falls through after you've already deposited 1% TDS — through Form 141, or the older Form 26QB for deals that predate 1 April 2026 — that money doesn't come back automatically. The government has no way of knowing the deal unwound unless the buyer tells it. Here's the actual process to get it refunded.
Karnataka stamp duty and registration charges, explained
Buying property in Karnataka comes with more than just the sale price — stamp duty, a cess, a surcharge and a registration fee stack on top, and the last of those doubled in 2025. Here's exactly how each piece is calculated.
What is FIRE and how much do you need in India?
FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — comes down to one question: how big a corpus lets you stop depending on a salary, permanently? The math is simpler than the lifestyle changes it usually requires.
NPS vs EPF: which retirement account wins?
Most salaried Indians already have EPF running in the background of every paycheck. NPS is optional — and comes with a tax deduction EPF doesn't. Here's how the two actually compare.
STP explained: moving from lump sum to equity safely
If you have a large lump sum and want equity exposure but are uneasy about investing it all on one day, an STP is the standard middle ground — invest it all right away, just not all into equity.
What is a step-up SIP, and how much extra wealth does it build?
A flat SIP invests the same amount every month for years, even as your income grows. A step-up SIP fixes that mismatch — and because the extra money lands on top of a corpus that's already compounding, the difference in final corpus is bigger than most people expect.
SIP vs step-up SIP: which builds more wealth?
A step-up SIP will always out-grow a flat SIP of the same starting amount — that part isn't in question. The real question is what that extra corpus costs you, and whether your income can actually sustain it.
CAGR vs XIRR: which one should you use for SIP returns?
CAGR and XIRR both give you a single annual growth percentage, which is exactly why they get confused for each other — but they're built for different shapes of cash flow, and using the wrong one on a SIP gives you a misleading number.
What is a good SIP return? Setting realistic expectations
The single biggest lever in any SIP projection isn't the amount or the tenure — it's the return rate you assume, and that's exactly the number people are least equipped to guess accurately. Here's how to think about it.