Guides — India
India Personal Finance Guides — Calculator-Backed Explainers
In-depth articles on tax, inflation, loan tenure, and real returns — each linked to a free SmartFinance calculator so you can test your own numbers.
Disclaimer: General education only — not financial, legal, or tax advice. Rules change; verify with a qualified professional before acting.
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FD interest tax simulation — worked example
Worked ₹5L / 7% / 5Y walkthrough. Supports the FD Tax Calculator — open the tool for live slab and inflation.
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SIP calculator with inflation — real corpus in today’s ₹
₹10k/mo walkthrough: corpus → LTCG → inflation. Read real CAGR before you raise the SIP.
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Reduce home loan tenure — simulate interest saved
₹50L · 20Y vs 15Y: EMI up, interest down. Run the tenure slider and prepay scenarios in the EMI calculator.
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PPF vs ELSS for Section 80C — liquidity, risk, and tax
Compare 15-year PPF with 3-year ELSS lock-in — 80C ceiling, EEE vs LTCG, and when each fits salaried investors.
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Why your FD headline rate is not your real return
Income tax on interest, TDS vs slab, and inflation — why brochure rates mislead Indian depositors.
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How to reduce home loan EMI — prepay vs tenure vs invest
Cut EMI or total interest? Compare prepayment with EMI reduction, shorter tenure, and investing your surplus — with Section 24(b) and worked examples.
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SIP: nominal vs real CAGR, and LTCG in plain language
What fund app CAGR hides — tax on gains, inflation, and planning honest mutual fund goals in India.
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RD interest, TDS thresholds, and your real yield
Recurring deposit interest is fully taxable; TDS is not your final tax. Post-slab yield can be far below the quoted rate.
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SSY: 15 years of deposits vs 21 years to maturity
The silent compounding phase after contributions stop — two timelines on one Sukanya Samriddhi passbook.
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Floating vs fixed home loans when rates rise
What +1% does to EMI vs tenure on repo-linked loans — and fixed/hybrid trade-offs for Indian borrowers.
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PPF extension in 5-year blocks without fresh contributions
Compounding on autopilot after year 15 — extend without new 80C deposits and when that makes sense.
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Home loan EMI calculator with extra payment
₹50L simulation: add ₹5k–₹10k every month. See years cut and interest saved — then reduce EMI vs tenure.
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RD tax calculator — worked simulation
₹10k/mo RD: bank maturity → slab tax → inflation. TDS is not your final tax — run the live RD tool.
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SIP vs home loan prepayment — same surplus
₹5L bonus: guaranteed interest saved vs post-LTCG SIP. When each wins — with both calculators.