Salary
How to read your salary slip: what every component means and what to check each month
9 Jun 2026·7 min read
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The first crore is the hardest. Start here.
Tax, investing, salary, insurance and credit — in plain English, for young Indians who earn well but haven't had time to figure out where it all goes.
◆ FeaturedThis WeekTopical
This week: 8 new articles on gratuity, PF transfer, ELSS lock-in, emergency fund, and SGB — plus June 15 advance tax deadline
Eight new articles: gratuity formula, PF withdrawal tax trap, ELSS 3-year SIP lock-in, PPF rules, emergency fund framework, SGB tax after Budget 2026, personal loan vs credit card, and Z2O Ch2 begins. Plus: advance tax instalment due June 15 — 8 days away.
7 Jun 2026 · 4 min readRead →
Recent articles
All articles →Personal Finance
Is health insurance premium deductible in the new tax regime?
No — Section 80D (health insurance premium deduction) is not available under the new tax regime. But whether you get a tax benefit should not determine whether you buy health insurance. This lesson explains what 80D covers under the old regime, the maximum ₹75,000 deduction with senior citizen parents, and why under-insuring to save premium is the wrong trade-off.
9 Jun 2026·5 min read
Tax
FD interest: how it is taxed, TDS rules, and the accrual trap that catches most ITR filers
FD interest is fully taxable at your slab rate — TDS at 10% is not the final tax. For a ₹80,000 FD interest in the 20% bracket, you owe ₹8,000 more after TDS. Cumulative FDs accrue interest each year and must be declared annually, not at maturity. Your AIS will show more than your TDS certificate.
8 Jun 2026·8 min read
Investing
Home loan EMI: how it is calculated, how much is interest, and whether to prepay
At ₹50 lakh, 8.5%, 20 years — your EMI is ₹43,391/month and you pay ₹54 lakh in total interest on top of the loan. In Year 1, 84% of your EMI is interest. A ₹5 lakh prepayment in Year 3 saves ₹6–7 lakh in future interest. Here's the full EMI formula, prepayment math, and home loan tax deductions.
8 Jun 2026·8 min read
Personal Finance
Can I claim 80C deductions in the new tax regime?
No — Section 80C deductions (EPF, PPF, ELSS, life insurance, home loan principal) are not available under the new tax regime. Your investments still happen and still grow; you just don't get the upfront deduction. Only standard deduction (₹75,000) and employer NPS contribution (80CCD(2)) survive in the new regime.
7 Jun 2026·6 min read
Investing
Direct vs regular mutual fund plan: what the 1% expense ratio difference actually costs you over 20 years
Direct and Regular Plans hold identical portfolios. The only difference is 1% per year — which on a ₹10,000/month SIP over 20 years compounds to ₹10 lakh less in your corpus. Here's why most people are in Regular Plans, the tax implications of switching, and where to invest in Direct.
7 Jun 2026·8 min read
Personal Finance
Which tax regime is better for salaried employees in FY 2025-26?
The new regime gives you a zero-tax outcome up to ₹12.75L gross salary. For Deepika on ₹12L with ₹1L in 80C, HRA exemption, and health insurance — new regime tax: ₹0, old regime tax: ₹1.08L. But at higher salaries with a home loan and maximum deductions, the old regime can win. Here's how to calculate yours.
4 Jun 2026·6 min read
Credit Cards
Personal loan vs credit card for emergency borrowing: which is cheaper and when
Credit card beats a personal loan if you repay within 30 days — zero interest in the grace period. But for 3+ months, the gap flips: 14% p.a. personal loan vs 42% p.a. credit card saves ₹6,000+ on ₹1 lakh. Here's the exact cost at three time horizons and when neither is the right answer.
4 Jun 2026·7 min read
Investing
Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB): interest rate, tax at maturity after Budget 2026, and how to buy
SGBs give you gold price appreciation plus 2.5% annual interest — and original subscribers pay zero capital gains tax at 8-year maturity. But Budget 2026 changed the rules: secondary market buyers no longer get the exemption. No new tranches are available in FY 2026-27. Here's what to do now.
3 Jun 2026·8 min read
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