Writing
Articles
Opinionated long-form posts on Indian personal finance. Each piece links to the calculators that produced its numbers, so you can re-run the math with your own inputs.
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APY vs NPS: an honest, numbers-first comparison
APY guarantees ₹5,000/month. NPS at 9% could deliver ₹21,000 — or half that if markets underperform. The choice is not about returns. It is about who you are.
Read article →
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Govt vs Private vs PSU: Which Pays More at Each Age?
A data-driven comparison of lifetime earnings across three career tracks in India, with the hidden costs and benefits that salary slips do not show.
Read article →
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How to Read Your Indian Salary Slip: A Line-by-Line Guide
Every line on your salary slip has a story: some build your retirement, some save tax, some are just employer optics. Here is the complete decoder.
Read article →
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The True Cost of a Job Switch: What Recruiters Do Not Tell You
A 30% hike sounds great until you account for the lost gratuity, the probation risk, the relocation cost, and the tax slab jump. Here is the full math.
Read article →
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Averaging Down in Stocks: When the Math Works, When It Destroys Capital
Buying more of a falling stock lowers your break-even — but in Yes Bank, every average-down buyer lost more than they saved on paper.
Read article →
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SIF vs PMS vs AIF: an honest comparison for the ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore investor
SIF and PMS both target the sub-₹1-crore investor, but SIF's MF taxation saves 17.5 percentage points of tax on each rupee of long-term gain versus a comparable AIF strategy.
Read article →
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What is a Specialised Investment Fund (SIF): India's new long-short category, explained clearly
SEBI's SIF lets investors with ₹10 lakh access hedge-fund-style long-short strategies with mutual fund tax treatment — here is exactly how it works.
Read article →
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How to declare NSC interest in your ITR: the complete guide
NSC doesn't generate TDS, doesn't appear in your AIS, and doesn't issue Form 16A. If you haven't declared it, you're not alone — here's exactly how to fix it, year by year, for old and new tax regimes.
Read article →
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NSC vs Tax-Saving FD: an honest, numbers-first comparison
Both lock up money for 5 years and both qualify for 80C — but NSC silently generates four more 80C claims after you buy it, which makes it meaningfully better for most investors at 20% and 30% tax slabs.
Read article →
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PPF vs SSY: an honest, numbers-first comparison
Both are EEE, both are sovereign-backed — but at ₹1.5L/year over 21 years, SSY beats PPF by over ₹18 lakh. Here is exactly when each one wins.
Read article →
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SCSS vs Senior Citizen FD: an honest, numbers-first comparison
SCSS pays 8.2%. Senior citizen FDs top out around 7.5–8.0%. The rate gap looks small — until you run the numbers over five years and factor in tax, 80C, and compounding.
Read article →
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EDLI: The free life insurance every EPF member gets — and almost nobody knows about
Every active EPF member is automatically covered by a life insurance scheme that costs them nothing. If you die in service, your family gets between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹7 lakh. Here is exactly how the amount is calculated — and what your family must do to claim it.
Read article →
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EPF withdrawal forms: Form 19, Form 31, Form 10C, Form 10D — which one to use when
Four EPFO claim forms, each for a different purpose. Filing the wrong one delays your claim or gets it rejected. Here is the complete guide.
Read article →
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How to add or update your EPF nominee online — step by step
Without a valid EPF nominee, your family faces months of legal documentation after your death. The EPFO member portal makes updating nominations easy — if you know the exact steps. Here they are, sourced directly from the official EPFO guide.
Read article →
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EPF withdrawal tax rules: the 5-year cliff most people don't know about
When is EPF withdrawal fully tax-free? When does EPFO deduct TDS? Can you get it back? The complete rules, with the exact law behind each point.
Read article →
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EPS pension: the formula, the worked examples, and why the number is smaller than you think
India's 60 million EPS members will get a monthly pension based on a simple formula. Most are surprised how low it is. Here is the exact calculation — and the Higher Pension option the Supreme Court unlocked.
Read article →
-
SSY vs PPF: an honest, numbers-first comparison
Both are government-backed, both are EEE. But the returns, lock-in, and flexibility are very different. Here is the full picture without the sales pitch.
Read article →
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The 2024 IRDAI surrender reforms — what actually changed, with numbers
For two decades the surrender penalty was the worst-kept secret of Indian endowment policies. The IRDAI Master Circular of June 2024 did not abolish it — but it changed the math in a way that quietly transfers thousands of crores back to policyholders who exit early.
Read article →
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Why most LIC endowment policies quietly underperform — and when they don't
An honest look at the math behind India's most-sold savings product. The headline IRR is usually 4–6%, but the picture changes once you separate insurance from investment.
Read article →
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How Much of Your Portfolio Should Be in FDs?
A life-stage guide to FD allocation, with the math behind five major frameworks.
Read concept →
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FD Ladder Strategy
Split your corpus across five staggered tenures — the best of long rates and short liquidity.
Read concept →
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FD Interest Taxation in India
FD interest is ordinary income taxed at your slab rate. No exemption, no special rate.
Read concept →
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NRE vs NRO vs FCNR FD: Which Account for NRIs?
Which FD account is right for NRIs — and why picking the wrong one is a costly mistake.
Read concept →
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Monte Carlo Simulation
How random sampling across thousands of market scenarios gives a probability distribution for your plan.
Read concept →
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Sequence of Returns Risk
Why the order of returns matters more than the average — especially in the withdrawal phase.
Read concept →
| APY vs NPS: an honest, numbers-first comparison APY guarantees ₹5,000/month. NPS at 9% could deliver ₹21,000 — or half that if markets underperform. The choice is not about returns. It is about who you are. | |
| Govt vs Private vs PSU: Which Pays More at Each Age? A data-driven comparison of lifetime earnings across three career tracks in India, with the hidden costs and benefits that salary slips do not show. | |
| How to Read Your Indian Salary Slip: A Line-by-Line Guide Every line on your salary slip has a story: some build your retirement, some save tax, some are just employer optics. Here is the complete decoder. | |
| The True Cost of a Job Switch: What Recruiters Do Not Tell You A 30% hike sounds great until you account for the lost gratuity, the probation risk, the relocation cost, and the tax slab jump. Here is the full math. | |
| Averaging Down in Stocks: When the Math Works, When It Destroys Capital Buying more of a falling stock lowers your break-even — but in Yes Bank, every average-down buyer lost more than they saved on paper. | |
| SIF vs PMS vs AIF: an honest comparison for the ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore investor SIF and PMS both target the sub-₹1-crore investor, but SIF's MF taxation saves 17.5 percentage points of tax on each rupee of long-term gain versus a comparable AIF strategy. | |
| What is a Specialised Investment Fund (SIF): India's new long-short category, explained clearly SEBI's SIF lets investors with ₹10 lakh access hedge-fund-style long-short strategies with mutual fund tax treatment — here is exactly how it works. | |
| How to declare NSC interest in your ITR: the complete guide NSC doesn't generate TDS, doesn't appear in your AIS, and doesn't issue Form 16A. If you haven't declared it, you're not alone — here's exactly how to fix it, year by year, for old and new tax regimes. | |
| NSC vs Tax-Saving FD: an honest, numbers-first comparison Both lock up money for 5 years and both qualify for 80C — but NSC silently generates four more 80C claims after you buy it, which makes it meaningfully better for most investors at 20% and 30% tax slabs. | |
| PPF vs SSY: an honest, numbers-first comparison Both are EEE, both are sovereign-backed — but at ₹1.5L/year over 21 years, SSY beats PPF by over ₹18 lakh. Here is exactly when each one wins. | |
| SCSS vs Senior Citizen FD: an honest, numbers-first comparison SCSS pays 8.2%. Senior citizen FDs top out around 7.5–8.0%. The rate gap looks small — until you run the numbers over five years and factor in tax, 80C, and compounding. | |
| EDLI: The free life insurance every EPF member gets — and almost nobody knows about Every active EPF member is automatically covered by a life insurance scheme that costs them nothing. If you die in service, your family gets between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹7 lakh. Here is exactly how the amount is calculated — and what your family must do to claim it. | |
| EPF withdrawal forms: Form 19, Form 31, Form 10C, Form 10D — which one to use when Four EPFO claim forms, each for a different purpose. Filing the wrong one delays your claim or gets it rejected. Here is the complete guide. | |
| How to add or update your EPF nominee online — step by step Without a valid EPF nominee, your family faces months of legal documentation after your death. The EPFO member portal makes updating nominations easy — if you know the exact steps. Here they are, sourced directly from the official EPFO guide. | |
| EPF withdrawal tax rules: the 5-year cliff most people don't know about When is EPF withdrawal fully tax-free? When does EPFO deduct TDS? Can you get it back? The complete rules, with the exact law behind each point. | |
| EPS pension: the formula, the worked examples, and why the number is smaller than you think India's 60 million EPS members will get a monthly pension based on a simple formula. Most are surprised how low it is. Here is the exact calculation — and the Higher Pension option the Supreme Court unlocked. | |
| SSY vs PPF: an honest, numbers-first comparison Both are government-backed, both are EEE. But the returns, lock-in, and flexibility are very different. Here is the full picture without the sales pitch. | |
| The 2024 IRDAI surrender reforms — what actually changed, with numbers For two decades the surrender penalty was the worst-kept secret of Indian endowment policies. The IRDAI Master Circular of June 2024 did not abolish it — but it changed the math in a way that quietly transfers thousands of crores back to policyholders who exit early. | |
| Why most LIC endowment policies quietly underperform — and when they don't An honest look at the math behind India's most-sold savings product. The headline IRR is usually 4–6%, but the picture changes once you separate insurance from investment. | |
| How Much of Your Portfolio Should Be in FDs? Concept A life-stage guide to FD allocation, with the math behind five major frameworks. | |
| FD Ladder Strategy Concept Split your corpus across five staggered tenures — the best of long rates and short liquidity. | |
| FD Interest Taxation in India Concept FD interest is ordinary income taxed at your slab rate. No exemption, no special rate. | |
| NRE vs NRO vs FCNR FD: Which Account for NRIs? Concept Which FD account is right for NRIs — and why picking the wrong one is a costly mistake. | |
| Monte Carlo Simulation Concept How random sampling across thousands of market scenarios gives a probability distribution for your plan. | |
| Sequence of Returns Risk Concept Why the order of returns matters more than the average — especially in the withdrawal phase. |
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