Investing
Atal Pension Yojana: who should consider it, the contribution chart, and the ₹5,000 pension cap
24 Jun 2026·6 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: 12 new articles on home loans, VPF, SIP maths, and tax — plus the June 15 advance tax deadline
A heavy week: home loan EMI maths, rent vs buy, VPF vs PPF, the cost of starting a SIP late, step-up SIPs, FD interest tax, LTCG harvesting, and the completion of Zero to One Chapter 2 on the old vs new tax regime. Plus: advance tax first instalment is due June 15.
14 Jun 2026 · 4 min readRead →
Recent articles
All articles →Investing
RBI Floating Rate Savings Bonds: 8.05% guaranteed, sovereign-backed — and the two trade-offs
The RBI Floating Rate Savings Bond pays 8.05% (Jan–Jun 2026) with sovereign safety and no upper limit. But there are two catches: a 7-year lock-in and fully taxable interest. For a 30% bracket taxpayer, the post-tax return is ~5.6% — lower than tax-free PPF or VPF. Here's when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
24 Jun 2026·6 min read
Tax
What is tax-loss harvesting and is it legal in India?
Tax-loss harvesting means deliberately selling losing investments to book losses that offset your capital gains — reducing your tax. It's fully legal in India. Short-term losses offset both STCG and LTCG; long-term losses offset only LTCG. Unused losses carry forward 8 years if you file on time. Here's the full strategy with a worked example.
23 Jun 2026·7 min read
Tax
What is an HUF and how much income tax can it actually save?
A Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) is a separate tax entity with its own PAN, exemption limit, 80C, and slabs — effectively a second taxpayer in the family. It saves tax on genuine family income like ancestral property rent. But you cannot route your salary through it, and funding it with your own assets triggers clubbing. Here's how it really works.
23 Jun 2026·7 min read
Investing
Nominee vs legal heir: who actually inherits your money, and why you need both nomination and a will
A nominee receives your assets on death; a legal heir is entitled to own them — they are not the same. For most assets, the nominee is just a custodian who must distribute to legal heirs per succession law. Without a will, the law decides ownership. The fix: nominate on every asset AND write a will, aligning the two.
22 Jun 2026·6 min read
Investing
How to check if a financial advisor or finfluencer is SEBI-registered
Only SEBI-registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) can legally give personalised investment advice for a fee. Verify any advisor's registration number (format 'INA...') on sebi.gov.in before paying or acting. Red flags: guaranteed returns, paid tip groups, urgency pressure, no registration number. Here's how to protect yourself.
22 Jun 2026·6 min read
Credit Cards
Does BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) affect your CIBIL score in India?
BNPL is credit, despite the 'pay later' branding — and many providers report it to CIBIL. On-time payments build history; missed payments damage your score like any default. BNPL limits count toward credit utilisation too. The biggest risk: losing track of small instalments across multiple apps. Here's how to use it safely.
21 Jun 2026·6 min read
Credit Cards
What is a safe EMI-to-income ratio in India — and what happens when you cross it?
Your EMI-to-income ratio determines how much loan you can safely service. Keep total EMIs below 40% of net income; home loan alone below 30%. Above 50%, you're financially fragile — one income shock from missed payments. Lenders use a similar ratio (FOIR) to cap your borrowing. Here's how to calculate and use it.
21 Jun 2026·6 min read
Investing
What is goal-based investing and how to assign a timeline to every rupee you save
Most people invest without a destination. Goal-based investing assigns every rupee to a specific goal, timeline, and target — then matches the instrument to the horizon: liquid funds for short-term goals, equity for long-term. It surfaces shortfalls early and tells you exactly when to de-risk before each goal. Here's the four-step framework.
20 Jun 2026·7 min read
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