Money guides
Plain-English answers to the tax, salary, loan and savings questions people ask most, each with a calculator to try your own numbers.
Income tax
- Old vs new tax regime: which is better for you?Compare the old and new income tax regimes for FY 2026-27 with worked examples and the deductions you need for the old regime to win.
- No tax up to ₹12 lakh: how the rebate and marginal relief workWhy salary up to ₹12.75 lakh is tax-free in the new regime, how marginal relief works just above ₹12 lakh, and what the rebate does not cover.
- Income tax deductions for FY 2026-27Every major income tax deduction for FY 2026-27 with its limit and which regime allows it: 80C, 80D, NPS, HRA, home loan, standard deduction and more.
Salary
Loans
Investing
- SIP vs FD: which should you choose?Compare mutual fund SIPs and fixed deposits on returns, risk, tax and liquidity, with a 20-year example of ₹5,000 a month.
- Tax harvesting: use your ₹1.25 lakh of tax-free gains every yearUse the ₹1.25 lakh yearly tax-free limit on long-term gains by selling and buying back. Worked example, step by step, and the catches to watch.
Savings schemes
- PPF rules: everything you need to knowEverything about the Public Provident Fund in 2026: the 7.1% rate, deposit limits, partial withdrawal, loans, extension after 15 years and tax.
- Small savings interest rates for October to December 2026All small savings and post office interest rates for October to December 2026: PPF 7.1%, Sukanya Samriddhi 8.2%, SCSS 8.2%, NSC 7.7%, KVP, MIS, RD and time deposits.
- Post office schemes compared: which one should you choose?Every post office savings scheme side by side: rate, term, how interest is paid, limits, tax and early exit, with ₹5 lakh worked through each.
- SCSS vs FD: which is better for senior citizens?Senior Citizens Savings Scheme at 8.2% against a bank FD: income on ₹30 lakh, safety, early exit, tax and TDS, and how to use both.
Retirement and PF
Insurance
- Term insurance: why it matters, with a worked exampleWhat term insurance is, why it matters if anyone depends on your income, how much cover to buy, and why term plus investing beats endowment plans.
- Health insurance: why you need your own policyWhy one hospital stay can undo years of saving, why office cover is not enough, how much cover to buy, and the IRDAI rules that now protect you.
- Section 80D: the tax deduction for health insuranceThe 80D limits for FY 2026-27: ₹25,000 for your family, up to ₹50,000 more for parents, ₹1 lakh in all. Worked examples, check-ups, cash rules, new regime.