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98 articles · 6 subjectsAnswersEvery article leads with a short answer and shows the arithmetic. Nothing here recommends a product.
Salary & tax
Topic pageLoans & EMI
Topic pageHome & rent
Topic pageSave & plan
Topic pageProtect
Changing jobs
Topic pageTax on IPO listing gains: what you pay if you sell on day one (FY 2026-27)
If you sell IPO shares on listing day, or any time within 12 months of allotment, the whole gain is a short-term capital gain. It is taxed at a flat…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxIs EPF withdrawal taxable before 5 years? Tax and TDS explained
If you withdraw your EPF before 5 years of continuous service, it is taxable. If the payout is ₹50,000 or more and your PAN is linked, 10% TDS is cut…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxHow is the gain on shares and equity funds taxed in India? (FY 2026-27)
In FY 2026-27, a gain on listed shares or equity funds held for more than 12 months is taxed at 12.5%, but only on the part above ₹1,25,000 a year.…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxAnthropic IPO from India: what it would really cost a salaried investor in rupees (FY 2026-27)
Sending ₹1 lakh abroad under LRS in FY 2026-27 attracts no TCS, because TCS on investment remittances starts only above ₹10 lakh in a year, at 20% of…
7 min readRead →Loans & EMIOPPO Find X10 on EMI: monthly cost and salary needed
At an example 15% over 12 months, the ₹1,39,999 OPPO Find X10 costs ₹12,636 a month. Over the year you hand over ₹1,51,632, and ₹11,633 of that is…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMIiPhone Duo EMI calculator: monthly cost and salary needed
The 256GB iPhone Duo lists at ₹2,99,900 in India. At an example 15% over 12 months, the EMI is ₹27,068 a month. You repay ₹3,24,816, of which ₹24,916…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMIRenault Duster hybrid on EMI: cost by trim and salary needed
The Renault Duster strong hybrid starts at ₹16,99,000 ex-showroom. With an example 20% paid down, the ₹13,59,200 loan at 9% over 5 years costs…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMITwo-wheeler on EMI this Dussehra: cost and salary needed
On an example ₹1,00,000 two-wheeler loan at 12% over 3 years, the EMI is ₹3,321 a month. Over the term you repay ₹1,19,556, of which ₹19,556 is…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxHRA exemption in Mumbai: the 50% rule worked out (FY 2026-27)
Mumbai counts as a 50% city for HRA in FY 2026-27: the exemption is the lowest of the HRA you receive, rent paid minus 10% of basic + DA, and 50% of…
2 min readRead →Loans & EMIiPhone 16 EMI: monthly cost, down payment and salary needed
iPhone 16 ki EMI: Apple India lists the 128GB iPhone 16 at ₹89,900 (apple.com/in, checked 2 Nov 2026). At an example 15% over 12 months, with no down…
6 min readRead →Save & planWhat is an FD worth at maturity, at every deposit amount?
A cumulative FD compounds quarterly: ₹1,00,000 for 5 years is ₹1,41,478 at the 7% example rate, and ₹5,00,000 is ₹7,07,389. The table covers every…
5 min readRead →Save & planWhat does a SIP become, at every monthly amount?
A SIP's value depends on the amount, the years and a rate nobody knows in advance. At the 10% example rate (illustrative, not a prediction), ₹5,000 a…
6 min readRead →Changing jobsHow much gratuity at every basic salary?
Gratuity is 15/26 of your last-drawn monthly basic + DA for every completed year of service, capped at ₹20,00,000. On ₹25,000 basic that is ₹1,44,231…
5 min readRead →Loans & EMIFestival gold on EMI: cost, salary and the RBI rule
Banks and other RBI-regulated lenders may not give a loan to buy gold jewellery or coins. If a festival bill still ends up on borrowed money, an…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMIHyundai Bayon EMI calculator: monthly cost and salary needed
Hyundai Bayon EMI: the base HX2 lists at ₹9,99,900 ex-showroom (Hyundai India, launched 26 Oct 2026). With ₹2,00,000 down, the ₹7,99,900 loan at an…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much is every CTC from 3 LPA to 50 LPA per month in hand?
On a typical structure — basic at 40% of CTC, the employer’s provident fund inside the package, ₹200 a month of professional tax and the new regime …
6 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much income tax at every salary from ₹5 lakh to ₹50 lakh?
In FY 2026-27, salary income is tax-free under the new regime up to ₹12,75,000 gross, thanks to the ₹75,000 standard deduction and the Section 87A…
8 min readRead →Loans & EMIWhat is the EMI on a home loan of ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore?
At 8.5% over 20 years, every ₹10 lakh of home loan costs about ₹8,678 a month: ₹30 lakh is ₹26,035, ₹50 lakh is ₹43,391 and ₹1 crore is ₹86,782. A…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much tax does health insurance save under Section 80D?
In FY 2026-27, Section 80D lets you deduct health insurance premium only in the old regime: up to ₹25,000 for yourself and family below 60, or…
3 min readRead →Salary & taxIs dividend income taxable in India?
Yes. An interim or final dividend is added to your income and taxed at your slab rate in FY 2026-27. On a ₹15,00,000 salary, ₹20,000 of dividend adds…
3 min readRead →Salary & taxIs education loan interest tax deductible?
Yes, in the old regime. Section 80E lets you deduct all the interest you pay on a loan for higher education, with no upper limit, for the year…
2 min readRead →Salary & taxHow is HRA exemption calculated? A worked example
The exempt part of your HRA is the lowest of three amounts: the HRA you actually receive, the rent you pay minus 10% of basic plus DA, and 50% of…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIWhat is the EMI on a ₹5 lakh personal loan?
At 12% over 3 years, a ₹5,00,000 personal loan costs ₹16,607 a month. Over the full term you repay ₹5,97,852, of which ₹97,852 is interest. Over 5…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIWhat is the EMI on a ₹10 lakh car loan?
At 9% over 5 years, a ₹10,00,000 car loan costs ₹20,758 a month. Over the full term you repay ₹12,45,480, of which ₹2,45,480 is interest. Over 7…
3 min readRead →Salary & taxIs savings account interest taxable in India?
Yes. Savings account interest is added to your income and taxed at your slab rate. In FY 2026-27 the old regime lets you deduct up to ₹10,000 of it a…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxWhat is the standard deduction for salaried employees?
In FY 2026-27 every salaried employee and pensioner deducts a flat ₹75,000 from salary in the new regime, or ₹50,000 in the old regime, automatically…
3 min readRead →Salary & taxIs the employer’s NPS contribution tax-free in the new regime?
Yes. In FY 2026-27 the employer’s contribution to your NPS account is deductible under Section 80CCD(2) in the new regime, up to 14% of basic pay…
3 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much income tax does a senior citizen pay in India?
In FY 2026-27, age changes only the old regime. A resident aged 60 to 79 pays nothing on the first ₹3,00,000 instead of ₹2,50,000, and at 80 or over…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMIAfter a part payment, lower EMI or shorter tenure?
Keeping the EMI and shortening the loan saves far more interest; lowering the EMI gives monthly room instead. On ₹30,00,000 at an example 8.5% with…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMICan I close my home loan early, and is there a charge?
Yes. RBI does not allow lenders to charge a fee for closing early a floating-rate home loan taken by an individual for a non-business purpose; a…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIPre-EMI or full EMI on an under-construction home: which costs less?
Pre-EMI is interest only, charged on the part of the loan already disbursed while the home is being built. On ₹30,00,000 disbursed at an example…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIIs a home loan balance transfer worth it?
It depends on three things: the rate gap, the balance and the years left. Moving ₹40 lakh with 15 years left from 9.25% to 8.5% cuts the EMI by…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIWhat does paying only the credit card minimum due really cost?
Paying only the minimum keeps the card in good standing but leaves the rest of the balance charging interest. At an example 3.5% a month, ₹1,00,000…
3 min readRead →Changing jobsLaid off? What money you are owed in the final settlement
A final settlement usually carries salary for days worked, notice pay where you are not asked to serve notice, encashment of unused leave, any bonus…
4 min readRead →Save & planHow many months of savings do I need for a career break?
Multiply what will still leave your account each month, EMIs and insurance included, by the months you plan to be off plus the time a job search may…
3 min readRead →Loans & EMIAfter a repo rate cut, lower home loan EMI or shorter tenure?
Both are arithmetic, not a verdict. On ₹50 lakh with 20 years left, a cut from 8.5% to 8% can lower the EMI from ₹43,391 to ₹41,822, saving ₹3,76,560…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxMissed the ITR deadline? What a belated return costs
For the tax year that ended on 31 March 2026, a belated return can still be filed until 31 December 2026. The late fee is ₹5,000, or ₹1,000 if total…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxDo I need my landlord’s PAN to claim HRA?
Only if the rent you pay in the year is more than ₹1,00,000, which is about ₹8,333 a month. Above that, your employer needs the landlord’s PAN to…
4 min readRead →Loans & EMIIs no-cost EMI really free?
Not quite. On a no-cost EMI the seller discounts the price by the interest, so the interest itself is covered, but 18% GST on that interest and any…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxWill the new labour code reduce my take-home salary?
Only if your basic pay was below half your package and your employer pays provident fund on full wages. The Code counts at least half your pay as…
5 min readRead →Home & rentHome loan on a ₹50,000 salary: about ₹28.8 lakh, worked out
A ₹50,000 monthly take-home services a loan of about ₹28,80,771 at an example rate of 8.5% over 20 years. That assumes no other EMIs and a lender…
4 min readRead →Changing jobs₹50,000 in-hand salary means how much CTC? And ₹50,000 CTC in hand
₹50,000 in hand a month needs a CTC of about ₹6.85 lakh. The other way round, a ₹50,000 monthly CTC (6 LPA) gives about ₹43,800 a month in hand. On…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much tax on a Diwali bonus?
A Diwali bonus is part of your salary, so it is added to the year’s pay and taxed at the slab rate where it lands; there is no separate bonus rate.…
6 min readRead →Salary & taxIs Bengaluru a metro city for HRA in 2026-27?
Yes. From 1 April 2026, Rule 279 of the Income-tax Rules 2026 gives Bengaluru the 50% HRA limb, alongside Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad…
6 min readRead →Save & planWhich money calculators can I use without signing up or sharing my data?
Any question that is arithmetic on figures you already know can be answered without an account: an EMI, the tax on a salary, an HRA exemption…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxCan I claim HRA and home loan together?
Yes, you can claim HRA and home loan together, in the old regime. The HRA exemption turns on rent you actually pay for the home you live in, and the…
8 min readRead →Salary & taxIs Section 80C gone under the new Income-tax Act?
No. Section 80C has been renumbered, not removed. Under the Income-tax Act 2025, in force from 1 April 2026, the same ₹1.5 lakh deduction is Section…
5 min readRead →Loans & EMIHow much EMI can I afford each month on my salary?
Lenders usually cap total EMIs at about 40 to 50 per cent of net monthly income. On a ₹50,000 take-home that is ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 a month; on…
4 min readRead →Home & rentHow much down payment do I need for a home loan in India?
For a home loan in India, the down payment is at least 10, 20 or 25 per cent of the property’s value, because RBI caps bank lending at 90 per cent…
6 min readRead →Save & planHow long would my savings last if I lost my job?
Divide the money you could reach quickly — cash, deposits, shares and fund units — by everything that leaves your account in a month, loan EMIs…
4 min readRead →ProtectHow much life cover does my family actually need?
Work it from what your family would have to find, not from a multiple of your income. Add the loans that would need clearing to the living costs they…
3 min readRead →Home & rentWhat are stamp duty and registration charges?
Stamp duty is a state tax on the transfer of property, and registration is the separate fee for recording that transfer in the government register.…
3 min readRead →Home & rentWhat does it really cost to buy a house in India?
The listing price is only the start. On top of it come stamp duty and registration, brokerage, the cost of furnishing the place, the interest on the…
3 min readRead →Changing jobsHow is gratuity calculated in India?
Gratuity is 15 days of your last-drawn wages for every completed year of service, using a 26-day month — so 15/26 × wages × years, capped at…
6 min readRead →Salary & taxHow do I save tax in the new regime?
Most deductions do not exist in the new regime — 80C, 80D, HRA and self-occupied home-loan interest are all unavailable. Employer contributions under…
6 min readRead →Home & rentWhat salary do you need for a ₹50 lakh home loan?
There is no single figure. A ₹50,00,000 loan at 8.5% over 20 years costs ₹43,391 a month, needing about ₹86,782 of net income where a lender allows…
5 min readRead →Home & rentIs renting throwing money away?
Not straightforwardly. In the first year of a ₹57,60,000 loan at 8.5% over 20 years, ₹4,85,202 of the ₹5,99,844 paid goes to interest — about 81%…
6 min readRead →Home & rentHow much home loan can I get on my salary?
Two separate ceilings decide it and the lower one is your answer. Your income fixes the largest EMI a lender will grant, and so the largest loan.…
6 min readRead →Salary & taxIs a ₹12 lakh salary really tax-free?
Taxable income up to ₹12,00,000 pays nil tax under the new regime in FY 2026-27, because of the Section 87A rebate. The ₹75,000 standard deduction…
6 min readRead →Loans & EMIWhich loan should I pay off first?
Two orders are commonly used. Highest interest rate first costs the least in total interest. Smallest balance first clears individual loans sooner…
5 min readRead →Save & planHow much should I save each month to reach a goal?
Work backwards from two things you choose: the amount and the date. Divide what is still to go by the months remaining for a floor figure, then…
5 min readRead →Save & planHow much do I need to retire in India?
Start from what you spend, not what you earn. Divide a year of spending by the withdrawal rate you assume: at 3.5%, ₹50,000 a month (₹6,00,000 a…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxHow much PF is deducted from my salary?
Your EPF contribution is 12% of PF wages, matched by 12% from your employer. PF wages are basic plus DA, but never less than half your total pay…
7 min readRead →Salary & taxCTC, gross and in-hand salary: what each term means
CTC is everything your employer spends on you, including their PF contribution and any gratuity accrual. Gross salary is CTC minus those…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxHow do I calculate in-hand salary from CTC?
Take your CTC, subtract the employer's PF contribution and any other employer-paid components to reach gross salary. From that gross, subtract your…
6 min readRead →Save & planHow much emergency fund do I need in India?
Six months of your essential monthly expenses is the common starting point, and the default Muktify uses — on ₹50,000 a month of essentials, EMIs…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxAdvance tax due dates and penalty — what happens if I miss one?
Advance tax is payable in four instalments — 15 June, 15 September, 15 December and 15 March — reaching 15%, 45%, 75% and 100% of your liability…
5 min readRead →Loans & EMIShould I prepay my home loan or invest the money?
It comes down to two numbers: the after-tax cost of your loan, and the return you assume on the alternative. Prepaying saves interest with certainty…
5 min readRead →Salary & taxOld vs new tax regime — which is better for me?
The new regime costs less unless your deductions are large, because its slabs are wider and its standard deduction is ₹75,000. The old regime only…
4 min readRead →Salary & taxCan I claim HRA if I pay rent to my parents?
Yes, under the old regime. Rent paid to a parent qualifies for the HRA exemption if your parent owns the home, the rent is genuinely paid (ideally by…
7 min readRead →