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Financial guides
Plain-English explanations of loans, investing, tax and saving — each paired with the calculator that puts it into numbers.
Loans
How is EMI calculated? The formula, explained with examplesHow banks calculate your loan EMI, why early EMIs are mostly interest, and how to read an amortisation schedule — with a step-by-step ₹10 lakh example.Home loan tax benefits: Section 24(b), 80C and the new regimeHow much tax a home loan saves: the ₹2 lakh interest deduction, the ₹1.5 lakh principal deduction, joint loans, let-out property and what the new regime allows.Should you prepay your loan or invest the money?Prepaying a loan earns a guaranteed return equal to its interest rate. Here is how to compare that with investing, including tax, timing and liquidity.After a prepayment: reduce the tenure or the EMI?Reducing the tenure after a loan prepayment saves far more interest than reducing the EMI. See the numbers on a ₹50 lakh home loan and when each makes sense.Flat vs reducing interest rate: why a “7% flat” loan really costs about 12.5%A flat interest rate charges interest on the original loan for the whole tenure. See how to convert a flat rate to its real reducing-balance equivalent, with examples.Processing fees, APR and the Key Fact Statement: the real cost of a loanWhy a processing fee raises your loan’s true interest rate, how APR is calculated, what the RBI Key Fact Statement must show, and how to compare loan offers.How much home loan can I get on my salary?Lenders size a home loan by your income (FOIR), the property value (LTV) and your credit score. Worked examples for ₹60,000 and ₹1 lakh salaries.
Investing
What is a SIP? How systematic investment plans workA SIP invests a fixed amount in a mutual fund every month. Learn how SIP returns are calculated, what ₹10,000 a month can grow to, step-up SIPs and common mistakes.SIP vs lumpsum: which is better?Compare investing through a monthly SIP with investing a lumpsum: returns, risk, rupee cost averaging with a worked example, and when each makes sense.SIP vs FD vs RD: where should monthly savings go?Compare a mutual fund SIP with fixed and recurring deposits on returns, risk, liquidity and tax, with ₹10,000-a-month examples over 5 and 10 years.What is CAGR? CAGR vs absolute return vs XIRRCAGR is the steady yearly growth rate that turns a starting value into an ending value. Learn the formula, see examples, and when to use absolute return or XIRR instead.EPF vs PPF vs NPS: comparing India’s retirement savings schemesCompare EPF, PPF and NPS on returns, lock-in, withdrawals and tax treatment, and see how the three can work together in a retirement plan.How much money do you need to retire in India?Work out your retirement corpus: inflate today’s expenses to retirement, fund them for 25+ years, and find the monthly investment that closes the gap.
Savings
How FD interest is calculated and taxedHow banks compound fixed deposit interest, cumulative vs payout FDs, TDS thresholds, Forms 15G and 15H, tax-saver FDs and deposit insurance.PPF explained: rules, interest, withdrawals and extensionEverything about the Public Provident Fund: deposit limits, how interest is calculated, the 5th-of-the-month rule, partial withdrawals, loans, extension and tax benefits.
Tax & Salary
Old vs new tax regime: which should you choose?Compare the old and new income tax regimes: slabs, the ₹12 lakh rebate, which deductions each allows, and how much you need in deductions for the old regime to win.CTC vs in-hand salary: why your take-home is less than your packageWhat goes into your cost to company, what is deducted before salary reaches your account, and a worked ₹12 lakh CTC example showing the monthly in-hand pay.HRA exemption explained: how much of your rent allowance is tax-freeHow HRA exemption is calculated using the least of three limits, metro vs non-metro rules, rent receipts and landlord PAN, rent paid to parents, and Section 80GG.How GST works: rates, calculation and CGST/SGST/IGSTA plain-English guide to GST in India: how to add and remove GST, the GST 2.0 rate slabs, when CGST + SGST or IGST applies, input tax credit and registration limits.
Money basics
The power of compounding: simple vs compound interest explainedHow compound interest works, how it differs from simple interest, why compounding frequency and time matter, and the rule of 72 — with worked examples.Inflation and real returns: what your money is really earningHow inflation reduces purchasing power, how to calculate real returns after inflation and tax, and why a 7% FD can lose value for someone in the 30% slab.How to calculate percentages: increase, decrease, discounts and marginsEvery everyday percentage calculation with formulas and examples: percent of a number, percentage change, reverse percentages, stacked discounts, markup vs margin.