Start here
The beginner path
Free. Follow it in order. Each lesson teaches one money idea with a rupee example.
1 The magic of compounding
How ₹100 a day can grow into a very large number over time. 2 Inflation eats your savings
Why money sitting still buys a little less every year. 3 The emergency fund
The safety net you build first, so one bad month does not wreck your money. 4 Budgeting, the 50/30/20 way
An easy rule to divide your money between needs, wants, and saving. 5 Mutual funds and SIP: the complete guide
The full plain-words guide to mutual funds and SIPs, from what a fund is to types, costs, risk, returns, tax and how to pick one. 6 Credit cards in India: a complete beginner's guide
How a credit card really works, in plain words: the billing cycle, interest, the minimum-due trap, fees, your credit score, and how to use one without getting burned. 7 Good debt vs bad debt
When borrowing helps you, and when it quietly traps you. 8 What the stock market really is
Shares, in plain words, without the scary jargon. 9 Tax basics and Section 80C
The everyday ways to reduce the income the government taxes. 10 How to actually start
Opening a demat account and finishing your KYC, step by step. 11 New vs old tax regime
The old regime rewards deductions like 80C; the new one gives lower rates but drops most of them. How to tell which fits you. 12 Term insurance
The simplest, cheapest way to protect the people who depend on you. 13 What is an index fund
An index fund copies a market index instead of trying to beat it. Lower cost, less guesswork, and for most people a sensible core. Here is how it works. 14 Active vs passive investing
Active funds try to beat the market; passive funds just copy it. Here is the real trade-off, what the long-run data shows, and how to choose. 15 Types of mutual funds, explained
Equity, debt, hybrid and index funds, with their main sub-types, in plain words so you can tell them apart and match one to your goal. 16 Capital gains tax on your investments
Sell an investment for a profit and that gain is taxed. Here is how capital gains tax works on shares, mutual funds and more, with the current rates and rupee examples. 17 How mutual funds are taxed
How equity and debt funds are taxed in India, holding periods, ELSS and 80C, and the IDCW catch, in plain words. Always verify the current year's figures. 18 Health insurance basics
Health insurance pays your hospital bills so one illness does not wipe out your savings. The basics: sum insured, room rent, waiting periods, cashless, and what to check. 19 How to pick a mutual fund
A plain framework for choosing a mutual fund by goal, cost, risk and consistency, not last year's top performer. Not advice, a way to decide. 20 Needs vs wants, and lifestyle creep
Needs keep you going; wants are nice to have. Here is how to tell them apart, and how lifestyle creep quietly eats every pay rise if you let it. 21 Expense ratio, explained
An expense ratio is the yearly fee a mutual fund charges to run itself. It sounds tiny, but over years it quietly costs you real money. Here is how it works. 22 Direct vs regular mutual fund plans
Every mutual fund comes in two versions, direct and regular. They are the same fund; the direct plan skips the distributor commission, so it costs you less every year. 23 SIP vs lumpsum
A SIP invests a fixed amount every month; a lumpsum puts a large amount in at once. Both can work. Here is how to choose, with the trade-offs in plain words. 24 Why to avoid mixing insurance and investment
ULIPs and endowment plans bundle insurance with investment. That usually means weak cover and weak returns for a high cost. Here is why separate is better. 25 Retirement planning in India: a beginner's guide
A plain-words guide to retiring comfortably in India: why to start now, the main tools (EPF, PPF, NPS and mutual funds), how to split your money, and a simple plan to begin. 26 Setting money goals by time horizon
Match where you keep money to when you need it. Short-term goals stay safe, long-term goals grow in equity. A plain-words guide to planning money goals by time horizon. 27 What is an ETF, and how it differs from an index fund
An ETF is a low-cost fund that tracks an index but trades on the stock exchange like a share. What it is, how it differs from an index fund, and which suits a beginner. 28 How to read a mutual fund factsheet
A fund factsheet looks dense, but only a few numbers matter. The five things to check, what to skip, and how to tell whether a fund actually did well. 29 Gold as an investment: physical, digital and fund routes
Gold holds value and feels safe, but it earns no income and its price swings. Here are the ways to own it in India now, the costs of each, and how to think about how much to hold. 30 Asset allocation: how to split your money across investments
Asset allocation is how you split your money across types of investments like equity, debt and gold. It shapes your returns and your risk more than any single fund choice. Here is how to think about the mix. 31 Risk and return: why higher returns always carry more risk
Every investment trades risk for return. Safe ones pay less; the ones that can grow faster also fall harder. Understanding this trade-off is the base of every sensible money decision. 32 Rebalancing: keeping your investment mix on track
Markets drift your carefully chosen mix out of shape. Rebalancing brings it back to target, so your risk stays where you set it. Here is what it is, when to do it, and how. 33 HRA and common deductions: how salaried people lower tax
If you pay rent and invest, you may be paying more tax than you need to. Here are the common deductions a salaried person can use, including the house rent allowance, and the regime catch behind them all. 34 Nomination: making sure your money reaches your family
A nominee is the person your bank, fund or insurer pays if you die. Adding one to every account is quick and free, and skipping it can leave your family stuck. Here is how it works, and the one thing people get wrong about it. 35 REITs explained: owning rent-earning property in small amounts
A REIT lets you own a slice of large, rent-earning commercial property for a small amount, bought and sold on the stock exchange. Here is how it works, what it pays, and the risks to weigh. 36 How much do you need to retire? A simple way to estimate
The retirement number feels mysterious, but a simple rule of thumb gets you a usable estimate: it is built from your yearly spending, not your income. Here is how to size it, and what moves it up or down. 37 Sinking funds: saving a little at a time for big expenses
A sinking fund is money you set aside a little each month for a big expense you know is coming, like an insurance premium or a festival. It turns a yearly shock into a non-event, and keeps your emergency fund untouched. 38 Bank accounts explained: savings, salary, basic and current
A bank account is a safe place to keep money and move it around. India has four common kinds: savings, salary, basic savings and current. Here is what each one is for, what it costs, and which one most people actually need. 39 Fixed deposits explained: how FDs work, and the fine print
A fixed deposit locks your money with a bank for a set time at an interest rate fixed on day one. Here is how the two payout styles work, what breaking an FD early costs, how tax is cut on the interest, and the simple ladder trick. 40 Debit card vs credit card: how each works, and which is safer
A debit card spends money already in your bank account. A credit card spends the bank's money, which you repay later. That one difference changes what fraud costs you, whether you pay interest, and which card to use where. 41 Protect yourself from online fraud: the habits and your rights
Almost every online money fraud works by getting you to share a code, click a link or act in a panic. Five habits stop most of it. If it still happens, RBI's rules mean that how fast you report decides how much you lose. 42 Bank charges and minimum balance: where the fees hide
Banks earn a lot from small charges: missing the minimum balance, extra ATM visits, card fees and SMS alerts. Each looks tiny. Together they quietly drain your account. Here is where they hide, what RBI allows, and how to avoid most of them. 43 How an EMI works: where your loan payment really goes
An EMI is the same amount you pay every month until a loan is cleared. Early on, most of it is interest; later, most of it repays the loan. Here is how that split works, and why a longer loan costs far more than it looks. 44 Fixed vs floating interest rates: how each loan rate moves
A fixed rate stays the same for the period agreed. A floating rate moves with an outside benchmark, usually the RBI's repo rate. Here is how each works, what happens to your EMI when rates change, and your options at a reset. 45 Before you borrow: a checklist for any loan
Before you take any loan, check five things: the full yearly cost including fees, the Key Facts Statement, whether you can prepay for free, whether the lender is regulated, and whether the EMI fits your budget. Here is how to check each one. 46 How your salary is taxed: from CTC to take-home
Your CTC is not what you're taxed on, and tax is not what you're paid. Here is the path from CTC to gross salary to taxable income to tax to TDS to take-home, with a worked example under the new regime and what to do if too much tax is cut. 47 Tax on interest, gifts and pension: income from other sources
Income that isn't salary, business or capital gains falls into a bucket called income from other sources: savings and FD interest, many gifts, and family pension. Here is how each is taxed, the limits that make some of it tax-free, and how to report it. 48 What is a stock market index? Nifty 50 and Sensex, simply
A stock market index is a single number that tracks how a chosen basket of companies is doing. When people say the market is up, they usually mean an index like the Nifty 50 or the Sensex rose. Here is how one is built and why it matters to you. 49 How share prices move: buyers, sellers and the order book
A share's price is just the last price at which a buyer and a seller agreed to trade. It moves when one side is keener than the other. Here is how the order book works, what pushes prices around, and why the market has brakes for wild days. 50 Investing vs trading: what is the difference?
Investing means owning a share of businesses for years and letting their growth do the work. Trading means buying and selling often to profit from short price moves. Here is how they differ on time, cost and tax, and what SEBI's own data says about how traders actually do. 51 P/E ratio and valuation basics: what a share's price is paying for
The P/E ratio tells you how many rupees you are paying for each rupee of a company's yearly profit. It is the most quoted valuation number in investing, and the most misread. Here is how it works and why a low P/E is not automatically cheap. 52 How to buy your first share: accounts, orders and settlement
To buy a share in India you need a demat account to hold it, a trading account to place orders, and completed KYC. Then you place an order, and the trade settles the next working day. Here is each step, the two order types, and the paperwork you should check. 53 How insurance works: pooling, premiums and claims
Insurance is a shared pot. Many people pay a small, certain amount called a premium, and the few who suffer a big, uncertain loss are paid from that pot. Here is how premiums, claims, deductibles and co-pay fit together, and which risks are worth insuring first. 54 Motor insurance explained: third-party, own damage and IDV
Every vehicle on a public road must have third-party insurance by law. Own-damage cover is optional and pays for damage to your own vehicle, up to its IDV. Here is how the two fit together, what IDV and no claim bonus mean, and what add-ons like zero depreciation change. 55 Home insurance basics: covering the building and what's inside
Home insurance pays for damage to your house and the things in it after fire and other listed disasters. You can cover the building if you own it, the contents if you rent, or both. Here is what is covered, what needs an add-on, and how the claim works. 56 Travel insurance basics: what it covers and when you need it
Travel insurance is a short-term policy for one trip or a year of trips. Its main job is paying for a medical emergency abroad, where your Indian health policy usually doesn't reach. Some countries, like the Schengen states in Europe, require it for a visa. Here is what it covers and what to check. 57 Money after marriage: accounts, nominees and shared goals
Marriage changes your money in quiet ways: who pays for what, which accounts you share, and who gets your savings if something happens. The legal part is easy to miss. Under the 2026 EPF scheme, marriage cancels your old PF nomination. Here is the simple order to sort it all out. 58 Planning for a baby: costs, health cover and maternity leave
A baby brings costs you can see coming and a few you can't. The money planning starts before pregnancy: many health policies cover maternity only after a waiting period, or not at all. Here is how to check your cover, what the law says about maternity leave, and how to save for the first year. 59 If you lose your job: the money steps for the first 30 days
Losing a job is a shock, but the first 30 days follow a clear order: check your final dues, protect your health cover, make your emergency fund last, talk to lenders before you miss an EMI, and treat your EPF as the last resort. Here is each step. 60 Rent vs buy a home: a fair way to compare
Renting and buying a home are both reasonable choices. The trap is comparing the rent with the EMI and stopping there. A fair comparison counts the down payment, stamp duty, interest, maintenance and flexibility on both sides. Here is how to set it up with your own numbers. 61 Writing a will: what it does that a nominee can't
A will is a written document that says who gets your money and property after you die. A nominee only collects money on behalf of your heirs; the will decides who those heirs are. Here is what a valid will needs, why registration is optional, and what changed about probate. 62 Managing an irregular income: freelancers and gig workers
When your income swings from month to month, the fix is to stop spending it as it arrives. Pool it, pay yourself a fixed monthly salary, keep a bigger buffer, and set aside tax as you earn. Here is how, plus how advance tax and the presumptive scheme work under the new tax law. 63 Tracking your spending and your net worth
Tracking spending shows where your money actually goes each month. Your net worth, what you own minus what you owe, shows where you stand overall. Here is how to work out both in simple steps, and what to watch over time. 64 Building a credit history from zero
With no loans or cards, you have no credit history, and lenders have nothing to judge you by. Here is how a first record gets built, from a secured card or a small loan to on-time payments, and how RBI's reporting rules now update it faster. 65 Pay yourself first: automate your saving
Paying yourself first means your savings leave your account on payday, automatically, and you spend what's left. Here is how to set it up with a standing instruction or an e-mandate, and what RBI's 2026 rules say about auto-debits. 66 Money in your 20s: a checklist for the decade
Your twenties are when small habits matter most, because time does so much of the work later. Here is a decade-long checklist, in order: the system, the buffer, the protection, the credit record and the investing habit, with links to each lesson. 67 Debt funds explained: how they earn, and the two risks to know
A debt fund is a mutual fund that lends your money to governments and companies by buying their bonds, and passes the interest on to you. It is steadier than a share fund but not risk-free. Here is how it earns, the two risks that move it, and how the gains are taxed. 68 Hybrid funds explained: shares and bonds in one fund
A hybrid fund holds a mix of shares and bonds, and sometimes gold or other assets, in a single fund. The mix decides how much it swings and how it is taxed. Here are SEBI's hybrid categories in simple words, and why the share of equity matters so much. 69 Bonds and government securities, explained simply
A bond is a loan you give to a government or a company. It pays you interest and returns your money on a fixed date. Here is how coupon and yield differ, why bond prices fall when rates rise, and how you can buy government bonds and T-bills directly from the RBI. 70 Investing abroad from India: the basics, limits and currency risk
Investing abroad means owning shares or funds of companies outside India, so your money isn't tied only to one economy. You can do it through an Indian international fund or a foreign broker. Here are the limits, the tax collected when you send money, and the currency effect that can help or hurt. 71 Planning for your child's education: size the goal, then match the money
A child's education is one of the biggest goals most families save for, and it has a fixed date. Here is how to put a realistic future number on it, how much a month that takes, and how to match each part of the goal to the right kind of saving. 72 Teaching kids about money: simple steps by age
Children learn money by handling it, not by being told about it. Here is a simple age-by-age approach, how pocket money can work as practice, and what RBI's rules allow for a child's own bank account. 73 Caring for ageing parents: the money side
Looking after ageing parents has a money side that is easier to sort out early. Here is a simple checklist: health cover, safe income, the tax rules for senior citizens, nominations and a power of attorney, and the legal right to maintenance. 74 Drawing income in retirement: turning savings into a monthly pay
Retirement flips the question from how to build savings to how to live on them. Here is how the main ways of drawing income work, from government schemes and annuities to systematic withdrawals, how the current NPS exit rules work, and why the withdrawal rate matters so much.
How ₹100 a day can grow into a very large number over time. 2 Inflation eats your savings
Why money sitting still buys a little less every year. 3 The emergency fund
The safety net you build first, so one bad month does not wreck your money. 4 Budgeting, the 50/30/20 way
An easy rule to divide your money between needs, wants, and saving. 5 Mutual funds and SIP: the complete guide
The full plain-words guide to mutual funds and SIPs, from what a fund is to types, costs, risk, returns, tax and how to pick one. 6 Credit cards in India: a complete beginner's guide
How a credit card really works, in plain words: the billing cycle, interest, the minimum-due trap, fees, your credit score, and how to use one without getting burned. 7 Good debt vs bad debt
When borrowing helps you, and when it quietly traps you. 8 What the stock market really is
Shares, in plain words, without the scary jargon. 9 Tax basics and Section 80C
The everyday ways to reduce the income the government taxes. 10 How to actually start
Opening a demat account and finishing your KYC, step by step. 11 New vs old tax regime
The old regime rewards deductions like 80C; the new one gives lower rates but drops most of them. How to tell which fits you. 12 Term insurance
The simplest, cheapest way to protect the people who depend on you. 13 What is an index fund
An index fund copies a market index instead of trying to beat it. Lower cost, less guesswork, and for most people a sensible core. Here is how it works. 14 Active vs passive investing
Active funds try to beat the market; passive funds just copy it. Here is the real trade-off, what the long-run data shows, and how to choose. 15 Types of mutual funds, explained
Equity, debt, hybrid and index funds, with their main sub-types, in plain words so you can tell them apart and match one to your goal. 16 Capital gains tax on your investments
Sell an investment for a profit and that gain is taxed. Here is how capital gains tax works on shares, mutual funds and more, with the current rates and rupee examples. 17 How mutual funds are taxed
How equity and debt funds are taxed in India, holding periods, ELSS and 80C, and the IDCW catch, in plain words. Always verify the current year's figures. 18 Health insurance basics
Health insurance pays your hospital bills so one illness does not wipe out your savings. The basics: sum insured, room rent, waiting periods, cashless, and what to check. 19 How to pick a mutual fund
A plain framework for choosing a mutual fund by goal, cost, risk and consistency, not last year's top performer. Not advice, a way to decide. 20 Needs vs wants, and lifestyle creep
Needs keep you going; wants are nice to have. Here is how to tell them apart, and how lifestyle creep quietly eats every pay rise if you let it. 21 Expense ratio, explained
An expense ratio is the yearly fee a mutual fund charges to run itself. It sounds tiny, but over years it quietly costs you real money. Here is how it works. 22 Direct vs regular mutual fund plans
Every mutual fund comes in two versions, direct and regular. They are the same fund; the direct plan skips the distributor commission, so it costs you less every year. 23 SIP vs lumpsum
A SIP invests a fixed amount every month; a lumpsum puts a large amount in at once. Both can work. Here is how to choose, with the trade-offs in plain words. 24 Why to avoid mixing insurance and investment
ULIPs and endowment plans bundle insurance with investment. That usually means weak cover and weak returns for a high cost. Here is why separate is better. 25 Retirement planning in India: a beginner's guide
A plain-words guide to retiring comfortably in India: why to start now, the main tools (EPF, PPF, NPS and mutual funds), how to split your money, and a simple plan to begin. 26 Setting money goals by time horizon
Match where you keep money to when you need it. Short-term goals stay safe, long-term goals grow in equity. A plain-words guide to planning money goals by time horizon. 27 What is an ETF, and how it differs from an index fund
An ETF is a low-cost fund that tracks an index but trades on the stock exchange like a share. What it is, how it differs from an index fund, and which suits a beginner. 28 How to read a mutual fund factsheet
A fund factsheet looks dense, but only a few numbers matter. The five things to check, what to skip, and how to tell whether a fund actually did well. 29 Gold as an investment: physical, digital and fund routes
Gold holds value and feels safe, but it earns no income and its price swings. Here are the ways to own it in India now, the costs of each, and how to think about how much to hold. 30 Asset allocation: how to split your money across investments
Asset allocation is how you split your money across types of investments like equity, debt and gold. It shapes your returns and your risk more than any single fund choice. Here is how to think about the mix. 31 Risk and return: why higher returns always carry more risk
Every investment trades risk for return. Safe ones pay less; the ones that can grow faster also fall harder. Understanding this trade-off is the base of every sensible money decision. 32 Rebalancing: keeping your investment mix on track
Markets drift your carefully chosen mix out of shape. Rebalancing brings it back to target, so your risk stays where you set it. Here is what it is, when to do it, and how. 33 HRA and common deductions: how salaried people lower tax
If you pay rent and invest, you may be paying more tax than you need to. Here are the common deductions a salaried person can use, including the house rent allowance, and the regime catch behind them all. 34 Nomination: making sure your money reaches your family
A nominee is the person your bank, fund or insurer pays if you die. Adding one to every account is quick and free, and skipping it can leave your family stuck. Here is how it works, and the one thing people get wrong about it. 35 REITs explained: owning rent-earning property in small amounts
A REIT lets you own a slice of large, rent-earning commercial property for a small amount, bought and sold on the stock exchange. Here is how it works, what it pays, and the risks to weigh. 36 How much do you need to retire? A simple way to estimate
The retirement number feels mysterious, but a simple rule of thumb gets you a usable estimate: it is built from your yearly spending, not your income. Here is how to size it, and what moves it up or down. 37 Sinking funds: saving a little at a time for big expenses
A sinking fund is money you set aside a little each month for a big expense you know is coming, like an insurance premium or a festival. It turns a yearly shock into a non-event, and keeps your emergency fund untouched. 38 Bank accounts explained: savings, salary, basic and current
A bank account is a safe place to keep money and move it around. India has four common kinds: savings, salary, basic savings and current. Here is what each one is for, what it costs, and which one most people actually need. 39 Fixed deposits explained: how FDs work, and the fine print
A fixed deposit locks your money with a bank for a set time at an interest rate fixed on day one. Here is how the two payout styles work, what breaking an FD early costs, how tax is cut on the interest, and the simple ladder trick. 40 Debit card vs credit card: how each works, and which is safer
A debit card spends money already in your bank account. A credit card spends the bank's money, which you repay later. That one difference changes what fraud costs you, whether you pay interest, and which card to use where. 41 Protect yourself from online fraud: the habits and your rights
Almost every online money fraud works by getting you to share a code, click a link or act in a panic. Five habits stop most of it. If it still happens, RBI's rules mean that how fast you report decides how much you lose. 42 Bank charges and minimum balance: where the fees hide
Banks earn a lot from small charges: missing the minimum balance, extra ATM visits, card fees and SMS alerts. Each looks tiny. Together they quietly drain your account. Here is where they hide, what RBI allows, and how to avoid most of them. 43 How an EMI works: where your loan payment really goes
An EMI is the same amount you pay every month until a loan is cleared. Early on, most of it is interest; later, most of it repays the loan. Here is how that split works, and why a longer loan costs far more than it looks. 44 Fixed vs floating interest rates: how each loan rate moves
A fixed rate stays the same for the period agreed. A floating rate moves with an outside benchmark, usually the RBI's repo rate. Here is how each works, what happens to your EMI when rates change, and your options at a reset. 45 Before you borrow: a checklist for any loan
Before you take any loan, check five things: the full yearly cost including fees, the Key Facts Statement, whether you can prepay for free, whether the lender is regulated, and whether the EMI fits your budget. Here is how to check each one. 46 How your salary is taxed: from CTC to take-home
Your CTC is not what you're taxed on, and tax is not what you're paid. Here is the path from CTC to gross salary to taxable income to tax to TDS to take-home, with a worked example under the new regime and what to do if too much tax is cut. 47 Tax on interest, gifts and pension: income from other sources
Income that isn't salary, business or capital gains falls into a bucket called income from other sources: savings and FD interest, many gifts, and family pension. Here is how each is taxed, the limits that make some of it tax-free, and how to report it. 48 What is a stock market index? Nifty 50 and Sensex, simply
A stock market index is a single number that tracks how a chosen basket of companies is doing. When people say the market is up, they usually mean an index like the Nifty 50 or the Sensex rose. Here is how one is built and why it matters to you. 49 How share prices move: buyers, sellers and the order book
A share's price is just the last price at which a buyer and a seller agreed to trade. It moves when one side is keener than the other. Here is how the order book works, what pushes prices around, and why the market has brakes for wild days. 50 Investing vs trading: what is the difference?
Investing means owning a share of businesses for years and letting their growth do the work. Trading means buying and selling often to profit from short price moves. Here is how they differ on time, cost and tax, and what SEBI's own data says about how traders actually do. 51 P/E ratio and valuation basics: what a share's price is paying for
The P/E ratio tells you how many rupees you are paying for each rupee of a company's yearly profit. It is the most quoted valuation number in investing, and the most misread. Here is how it works and why a low P/E is not automatically cheap. 52 How to buy your first share: accounts, orders and settlement
To buy a share in India you need a demat account to hold it, a trading account to place orders, and completed KYC. Then you place an order, and the trade settles the next working day. Here is each step, the two order types, and the paperwork you should check. 53 How insurance works: pooling, premiums and claims
Insurance is a shared pot. Many people pay a small, certain amount called a premium, and the few who suffer a big, uncertain loss are paid from that pot. Here is how premiums, claims, deductibles and co-pay fit together, and which risks are worth insuring first. 54 Motor insurance explained: third-party, own damage and IDV
Every vehicle on a public road must have third-party insurance by law. Own-damage cover is optional and pays for damage to your own vehicle, up to its IDV. Here is how the two fit together, what IDV and no claim bonus mean, and what add-ons like zero depreciation change. 55 Home insurance basics: covering the building and what's inside
Home insurance pays for damage to your house and the things in it after fire and other listed disasters. You can cover the building if you own it, the contents if you rent, or both. Here is what is covered, what needs an add-on, and how the claim works. 56 Travel insurance basics: what it covers and when you need it
Travel insurance is a short-term policy for one trip or a year of trips. Its main job is paying for a medical emergency abroad, where your Indian health policy usually doesn't reach. Some countries, like the Schengen states in Europe, require it for a visa. Here is what it covers and what to check. 57 Money after marriage: accounts, nominees and shared goals
Marriage changes your money in quiet ways: who pays for what, which accounts you share, and who gets your savings if something happens. The legal part is easy to miss. Under the 2026 EPF scheme, marriage cancels your old PF nomination. Here is the simple order to sort it all out. 58 Planning for a baby: costs, health cover and maternity leave
A baby brings costs you can see coming and a few you can't. The money planning starts before pregnancy: many health policies cover maternity only after a waiting period, or not at all. Here is how to check your cover, what the law says about maternity leave, and how to save for the first year. 59 If you lose your job: the money steps for the first 30 days
Losing a job is a shock, but the first 30 days follow a clear order: check your final dues, protect your health cover, make your emergency fund last, talk to lenders before you miss an EMI, and treat your EPF as the last resort. Here is each step. 60 Rent vs buy a home: a fair way to compare
Renting and buying a home are both reasonable choices. The trap is comparing the rent with the EMI and stopping there. A fair comparison counts the down payment, stamp duty, interest, maintenance and flexibility on both sides. Here is how to set it up with your own numbers. 61 Writing a will: what it does that a nominee can't
A will is a written document that says who gets your money and property after you die. A nominee only collects money on behalf of your heirs; the will decides who those heirs are. Here is what a valid will needs, why registration is optional, and what changed about probate. 62 Managing an irregular income: freelancers and gig workers
When your income swings from month to month, the fix is to stop spending it as it arrives. Pool it, pay yourself a fixed monthly salary, keep a bigger buffer, and set aside tax as you earn. Here is how, plus how advance tax and the presumptive scheme work under the new tax law. 63 Tracking your spending and your net worth
Tracking spending shows where your money actually goes each month. Your net worth, what you own minus what you owe, shows where you stand overall. Here is how to work out both in simple steps, and what to watch over time. 64 Building a credit history from zero
With no loans or cards, you have no credit history, and lenders have nothing to judge you by. Here is how a first record gets built, from a secured card or a small loan to on-time payments, and how RBI's reporting rules now update it faster. 65 Pay yourself first: automate your saving
Paying yourself first means your savings leave your account on payday, automatically, and you spend what's left. Here is how to set it up with a standing instruction or an e-mandate, and what RBI's 2026 rules say about auto-debits. 66 Money in your 20s: a checklist for the decade
Your twenties are when small habits matter most, because time does so much of the work later. Here is a decade-long checklist, in order: the system, the buffer, the protection, the credit record and the investing habit, with links to each lesson. 67 Debt funds explained: how they earn, and the two risks to know
A debt fund is a mutual fund that lends your money to governments and companies by buying their bonds, and passes the interest on to you. It is steadier than a share fund but not risk-free. Here is how it earns, the two risks that move it, and how the gains are taxed. 68 Hybrid funds explained: shares and bonds in one fund
A hybrid fund holds a mix of shares and bonds, and sometimes gold or other assets, in a single fund. The mix decides how much it swings and how it is taxed. Here are SEBI's hybrid categories in simple words, and why the share of equity matters so much. 69 Bonds and government securities, explained simply
A bond is a loan you give to a government or a company. It pays you interest and returns your money on a fixed date. Here is how coupon and yield differ, why bond prices fall when rates rise, and how you can buy government bonds and T-bills directly from the RBI. 70 Investing abroad from India: the basics, limits and currency risk
Investing abroad means owning shares or funds of companies outside India, so your money isn't tied only to one economy. You can do it through an Indian international fund or a foreign broker. Here are the limits, the tax collected when you send money, and the currency effect that can help or hurt. 71 Planning for your child's education: size the goal, then match the money
A child's education is one of the biggest goals most families save for, and it has a fixed date. Here is how to put a realistic future number on it, how much a month that takes, and how to match each part of the goal to the right kind of saving. 72 Teaching kids about money: simple steps by age
Children learn money by handling it, not by being told about it. Here is a simple age-by-age approach, how pocket money can work as practice, and what RBI's rules allow for a child's own bank account. 73 Caring for ageing parents: the money side
Looking after ageing parents has a money side that is easier to sort out early. Here is a simple checklist: health cover, safe income, the tax rules for senior citizens, nominations and a power of attorney, and the legal right to maintenance. 74 Drawing income in retirement: turning savings into a monthly pay
Retirement flips the question from how to build savings to how to live on them. Here is how the main ways of drawing income work, from government schemes and annuities to systematic withdrawals, how the current NPS exit rules work, and why the withdrawal rate matters so much.