Personal Finance
Which tax regime is better for salaried employees in FY 2025-26?
4 Jun 2026·6 min read
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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.
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This week: TDS on salary explained, June 15 advance tax deadline, and ITR filing is open
New article on TDS under Section 192 — how your employer calculates the monthly deduction and the job-switcher trap. Plus: advance tax first instalment is due June 15, and ITR filing for FY 2025-26 is now open with a July 31 deadline.
31 May 2026 · 3 min readRead →
Recent articles
All articles →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
Tax
How is gratuity taxed: the ₹20 lakh lifetime exemption, when it becomes taxable, and TDS
Gratuity is tax-free up to ₹20 lakh — but that is a lifetime limit across all employers. If you received ₹5 lakh gratuity 10 years ago and get ₹18 lakh now, only ₹15 lakh of the new gratuity is exempt, and ₹3 lakh is taxable. Here's how the Section 10(10) exemption is calculated for covered and uncovered employers.
3 Jun 2026·7 min read
Salary
Should I withdraw or transfer my PF when I change jobs — and what is the tax if I withdraw?
Withdrawing your EPF when you change jobs costs far more than most people realise: TDS at 10%, slab-rate tax on the full amount, and broken continuous service that makes your next withdrawal taxable too. Rohan's 3-year EPF of ₹2.8L becomes ₹2.24L after tax if withdrawn — vs ₹4.99L if transferred and left to compound.
2 Jun 2026·8 min read
Investing
ELSS mutual funds: how the 3-year lock-in works for SIP investments, and the tax at redemption
ELSS is the only mutual fund that qualifies for 80C. The 3-year lock-in is per unit, not per SIP — a 24-month SIP started in January 2024 won't be fully redeemable until December 2027. All ELSS gains are LTCG (taxed at 12.5% above ₹1.25L). Here's the complete guide with worked tax examples.
2 Jun 2026·8 min read
Investing
Emergency fund: how much to keep and where to park it in India
An emergency fund covers 3–6 months of monthly expenses — not income. For Meera with ₹44,300 in monthly expenses, that is ₹1.33–₹2.66 lakh. Keep 1–2 months in a savings account (instant access) and the rest in a liquid mutual fund (T+1). Here's the full framework and what not to do.
1 Jun 2026·7 min read
Investing
PPF account in India: interest rate, contribution rules, withdrawal, and how to open one
PPF earns 7.1% tax-free, is government-guaranteed, and gives you EEE treatment — contributions deductible under 80C, interest tax-free, maturity tax-free. ₹1.5L/year for 15 years grows to approximately ₹40.7 lakh. This guide covers how to open one, partial withdrawal rules, and what to do at maturity.
1 Jun 2026·8 min read
Tax
Section 80C deductions: complete list for FY 2025-26, what qualifies, and how to use the ₹1.5 lakh limit
Section 80C gives you ₹1.5 lakh in deductions — but EPF already uses part of it automatically. At ₹40,000 basic salary, EPF alone accounts for ₹57,600. This guide lists all 12 qualifying instruments, confirms what doesn't qualify (health insurance, employer PF), and shows how to fill the remaining limit efficiently.
31 May 2026·8 min read
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