Personal Finance
Can I claim 80C deductions in the new tax regime?
7 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.
◆ 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 →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
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
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