Personal finance
Budgeting, protection, credit and the money habits that compound over decades. Pick the stage you are in and start there.
A rough map by life stage
22 to 27
- Emergency fund of one to three months
- Small SIP, ₹1,000 or more
- Term and health cover
- A clean credit history
28 to 35
- Choose your tax regime on purpose
- Review insurance after any life change
- Plan the home purchase before you shop
- Raise your SIP every year
36 to 45
- A separate fund for children's education
- Add retirement-focused investing
- Rebalance every year
- Update will and nominees
46 to 60
- Move gradually towards debt
- Map retirement income
- Reduce or clear the home loan
- Keep strong health cover
Every life is different. Use the ages as a prompt, not a deadline.
Personal finance articles
All articles- 9Oct 2026
How much do you need to retire? A worked example with Indian inflation
Today's ₹50,000 a month will not feel like ₹50,000 in 25 years. Here is how to size your retirement corpus and the monthly SIP that gets you there.
- 2Oct 2026
Emergency fund: how much to keep, and where to keep it
The unglamorous pot of money that stops one bad month from turning into a loan. A practical way to size it, build it and park it.
- 25Sep 2026
How to check an investment adviser before you trust them with money
Advisers, distributors, research analysts and social media 'gurus' are different things. A few minutes of checking can save you years of regret.
- 11Sep 2026
Health insurance: the terms that decide whether your claim gets paid
Sum insured, room rent caps, waiting periods, co-pay and super top-ups. How to read a policy before you need it.
- 4Sep 2026
Your credit score, explained: what moves it and how to fix a bad one
A plain walk through what lenders see in your credit report, the habits that matter most, and a six-month plan to recover a low score.
- 21Aug 2026
How much home loan can you really afford?
What the bank will lend and what you can comfortably repay are two different numbers. Here is how to find yours, and whether to prepay or invest.
- 14Aug 2026
The 50-30-20 rule, adjusted for Indian salaries
A simple split for your take-home pay, and what to change when rent, EMIs and money sent home don't fit neatly into it.
- 7Aug 2026
Term insurance: how much cover, which plan, and what voids a claim
A term plan is the cheapest way to protect people who depend on your income. Getting the amount and the paperwork right matters more than the brand.
- 31Jul 2026
Debt avalanche or snowball: which clears your loans faster?
Two well-known ways to pay off several debts at once, tested on a realistic Indian example with a credit card, a personal loan and a bike loan.
- 17Jul 2026
NPS explained: what it is, who it suits, and the trade-offs
A low-cost, market-linked pension account with tax perks and strings attached. How it works and how it compares with EPF, PPF and mutual funds.
- 3Jul 2026
How to calculate your net worth (and why to track it)
One number that tells you more about your finances than your salary does. How to work it out in an hour and keep it honest.
Rules of thumb worth keeping
- Split pay roughly 50-30-20Needs, wants, savings. Adjust the shares for your city and obligations. How
- Hold three to six months of expenses in cashMore if your income is irregular. How
- Cover dependants with term insuranceTen to fifteen times income is a start; work from needs. How
- Invest before you spendAutomate on salary day so the decision is already made.
A yearly money check-up
- Update your net worthCompare it with last year. How
- Pull your credit reportsLook for errors. They are free once a year. How
- Review insurance and nomineesHas your family or your income changed?
- Rebalance and raise your SIPBring your mix back to plan. How
- Choose your tax regimeCompare both before you submit declarations to your employer.
One money note, every Sunday.
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