Guides

46 monthsto break even in the worked example, at 1,800 km a month

When does a CNG car pay back?

A CNG car costs more to buy and less to run. Here is how to work out when the saving covers the extra price, and when it never does.

7.2 yearsto pay back the illustrative 3 kW system

Is rooftop solar worth it? Start with your own bill

Rooftop solar pays back through the units it saves you from buying. How fast depends on your bill, your tariff slab and what happens to units you export.

₹24.50 lakhahead by renting and investing after 15 years, in the illustration

Rent or buy: the maths most people skip

Comparing EMI with rent misses half the picture. A fair comparison follows both households and invests whatever the cheaper one saves.

9.38%return after tax that investing needs to beat a 9% home loan

Should you prepay your home loan or invest the money?

Prepaying earns exactly your loan rate, risk-free. Investing has to beat that after tax. Worked through for a ₹40 lakh loan with ₹5 lakh to spare, including the effect of a tax deduction.

9.67%true yearly cost of a 9% car loan with a ₹5,000 fee

Car loan or cash: what the loan really costs

A car loan is worth taking only if your savings earn more than the loan really costs. With a processing fee, that is more than the quoted rate. And a flat rate hides the real one. Worked examples.

7 yearsfor ₹10,000 extra to pay back at the label's use, counting interest

Is a 5-star inverter AC worth the extra price?

An efficient AC saves electricity every summer, but costs more up front. Whether it pays back depends mostly on how much you run it. Worked through with the star label's own numbers.

₹5,43,750of deductions the old regime needs to win on a ₹15 lakh salary

Old or new tax regime for 2026-27: who should switch

The new regime is the default and often wins. The old one wins only above a certain level of deductions. Here is how to find yours, with worked examples.

11.22%yearly price growth a ₹20 lakh plot needs to match the fund

Plot vs mutual fund: the costs plot buyers forget

A plot's price may double, but stamp duty, holding costs, selling costs and tax take a large share. Compared with an FD and an equity fund, a ₹20 lakh plot needs to grow over 11% a year to keep up.

7.79%fund return a SIP needs to beat PPF over 15 years

SIP vs PPF: what ₹10,000 a month leaves you after 15 years

PPF is tax-free and certain; an equity SIP can grow more but is taxed and can fall. Compared after tax, the SIP needs a fund return above about 7.8% a year to come out ahead.

₹67.74 lakhkept after 15 years by raising a ₹10,000 SIP 10% a year

Step-up SIP: what raising your SIP 10% a year does

Raising a ₹10,000 SIP by 10% every year nearly doubles what you keep after 15 years. Most of the gain comes from putting in more, and the rest from giving it longer to grow.

₹26,409a month, rising 6% a year, that ₹50 lakh can pay for 25 years at 10%

SWP in retirement: how much can ₹50 lakh pay you each month?

An SWP pays you a monthly income from a mutual fund. With the income rising 6% a year, ₹50 lakh at 10% a year can pay about ₹26,400 a month for 25 years. Worked through, with the tax.

Your FD's real return after tax and inflation

A 7% fixed deposit sounds safe and steady. After tax at the higher slabs and 6% inflation, it can lose buying power every year. Here is the arithmetic for each slab.

2 min read

How mutual fund gains are taxed in 2026: short-term, long-term and the ₹1.25 lakh exemption

Equity fund gains are taxed when you sell, at 20% if held a year or less and 12.5% above ₹1.25 lakh a year if held longer. Worked examples, including a SIP.

3 min read

Is income up to ₹12 lakh really tax-free? The rebate and marginal relief

Under the new regime, taxable income up to ₹12 lakh pays no tax, and a salary up to ₹12.75 lakh with it. Just above, marginal relief stops the tax jumping. Here is the arithmetic.

2 min read

After prepaying: lower the EMI or shorten the loan?

When you prepay a home loan, the bank asks whether to cut your EMI or the number of EMIs. Keeping the EMI saves far more interest. Here is by how much, and when lowering the EMI still makes sense.

2 min read

Break-even: the one number to ask for

Whenever you pay more now to save later, ask how many months it takes to get the extra back, counting what that money could have earned.

2 min read

Why ₹1 crore in 15 years is less than it sounds

Future amounts look large because prices rise in the meantime. Converting them to today's rupees makes long-term comparisons honest.

1 min read

Where your EMI goes

In the early years of a home loan most of each EMI is interest. Here is the arithmetic, and what a yearly prepayment does to it.

2 min read