CalculatorDesk Blog
Finance guides for India
How Much Home Loan Can I Get on My Salary?
A salary-wise guide to home loan eligibility in India — how much loan ₹50,000, ₹1 lakh and ₹1.5 lakh monthly incomes can get, and how banks decide.
7 min readTaxHow GST Input Tax Credit Works: A Small Business Owner's Guide
ITC eligibility, the GSTR-2B matching, blocked credits, and common errors that trigger notices.
7 min readInvestmentsHow Much Money Do You Need to Retire in India?
A practical framework to estimate your retirement corpus in India — accounting for inflation, the 4% rule, and how much to invest monthly to get there.
8 min readTaxNSC vs Tax-Saver FD: Which Is the Better 80C Option?
Returns, taxation, liquidity, and one quirk that makes NSC more tax-efficient than people realise.
5 min readInvestmentsSukanya Samriddhi Yojana: Complete Guide for Parents
Eligibility, deposit limits, the 8.2% tax-free return, and where SSY fits into your daughter's education plan.
6 min readTaxHow to Save Income Tax in India Beyond Section 80C
Ten legal ways to reduce your income tax in India beyond the ₹1.5 lakh 80C limit — NPS, HRA, home loan interest, health insurance and more.
7 min readInvestmentsHow to Plan Retirement at 30: The 30-Year Compounding Window
Why your 30s are the highest-leverage retirement years, and the exact corpus + SIP you need.
7 min readEducationHow to Plan for Your Child's Higher Education in India
Engineering vs medicine vs foreign — actual cost in 2040 and the SIP needed today.
7 min readInvestmentsHow to Build a ₹50 Lakh Corpus by Age 40
The exact monthly SIP needed at different starting ages, and the asset mix that gets you there.
6 min readLoansCredit Card EMI vs Personal Loan: Which Is Cheaper?
The hidden cost of credit card EMIs, GST on conversion, and when a personal loan actually wins.
6 min readLoansHow to Prepay a Car Loan Smartly
Why prepaying a car loan early can save more than you think — and when it's actually a bad idea.
5 min readInvestmentsNPS vs Mutual Funds for Retirement: The Real Comparison
Returns, tax, lock-in, and the forced annuity rule — which one builds a bigger retirement corpus?
6 min readInvestmentsPPF Withdrawal and Loan Rules: The Often-Missed Liquidity
Partial withdrawals after year 7, loans between year 3-6, and the 5-year extension trick.
5 min readInvestmentsEPF Withdrawal Rules: When You Can Withdraw and How It's Taxed
Partial withdrawal limits, the 5-year continuous service rule, and the new digital UAN-based process.
6 min readLifestyleGratuity Rules in India: Who Qualifies, How It's Calculated, and Tax
The 5-year rule, the 26-day formula, the ₹20 lakh tax exemption — and what changes if you're not under the Gratuity Act.
6 min readTaxLTA Exemption: The Two-Trip Rule and How to Actually Claim It
Leave Travel Allowance rules, eligible expenses, and how often you can claim — explained with examples.
5 min readTaxHRA Exemption Rules: How Much Tax You Can Actually Save
The three HRA formulas, when rent receipts need PAN, and the parents-rent strategy that's still legal.
6 min readInvestmentsFixed Deposit vs Debt Mutual Fund: Which Wins After Tax?
Post-Budget 2024 reality: when an FD actually beats a debt fund — and when it doesn't.
6 min readTaxCapital Gains Tax on Stocks in India: STCG, LTCG and STT
When you buy and sell listed Indian shares — exactly what tax you pay, when, and how to legally reduce it.
6 min readTaxMutual Fund Taxation in India: Latest LTCG, STCG and Indexation Rules
How equity, debt, and hybrid mutual funds are taxed after Budget 2024-25 — with worked examples.
7 min readInvestmentsHow to Start a SIP with ₹1,000 a Month
Step-by-step guide to your first SIP — fund selection, KYC, and what a ₹1,000 monthly SIP becomes in 20 years.
5 min readLifestyleHow Much Emergency Fund Do You Need in India?
Why 6 months of expenses is the starting point, where to park it, and the worst place to keep it.
5 min readLifestyleHealth Insurance in India: How Much Cover and Which Type to Buy
Individual, family floater, or super top-up — and why ₹5 lakh cover is dangerously low for metro families.
7 min readLifestyleTerm Insurance vs Endowment: The ₹20 Lakh Decision
Why term plans beat endowment for most Indians — and the rare case where endowment makes sense.
5 min readLifestyleHow Much Life Insurance Cover Do You Actually Need in India?
The income-replacement method, the HLV method, and a simple formula to decide your term insurance cover.
6 min readTaxNPS Tax Benefits Explained: 80CCD(1), 80CCD(1B) and 80CCD(2)
How to stack three NPS deductions for up to ₹2 lakh extra tax savings — and the one mistake that loses you ₹50,000.
6 min readTaxHow to Save Tax Under Section 80C: The ₹1.5 Lakh Playbook
Every Section 80C option ranked by return, lock-in and risk — and how to pick the right mix for your ₹1.5 lakh limit.
7 min readTaxOld vs New Tax Regime: Which is Better for FY 2025-26?
Complete comparison of India's tax regimes. Find which saves you more tax.
8 min readLoansHow to Reduce Your Home Loan EMI
Practical tips to lower your home loan EMI through prepayment and balance transfer.
6 min readInvestmentsSIP vs Lump Sum: Which is Better?
Compare systematic investment plans with one-time investments.
5 min readInvestmentsPPF vs EPF vs NPS: Which Retirement Scheme is Right for You?
Compare India's top retirement schemes for long-term goals.
7 min readInvestmentsHow Much SIP Do You Need to Reach ₹1 Crore?
Calculate exactly how much SIP needed to reach ₹1 crore.
5 min read