“Where should I park money for 1–2 years if not in a Fixed Deposit?” The post-tax return on FDs simply isn’t attractive enough for many investors — especially those in the highest tax brackets, who end up losing a large chunk of interest to tax. What’s often missed in this conversation is that FD returns…

Even in 2026, one of the most popular investment options for millions of Indians remains the traditional bank fixed deposit (FD). It’s easy to see why. An FD offers predictable returns, capital stability and simplicity. With interest rates around 6% in many cases, investors often feel that an FD is a better option than equity,…

I recently watched a video where someone was explaining a retirement plan. The example was a 60-year-old with a comfortable corpus. The advice was to start an SWP of ₹1.4 lakh a month from an equity fund. Since he does not need that much for his expenses, the remaining amount goes into a SIP in…

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are increasingly becoming an important component in corporate compensation packages. Most young corporate professionals today receive RSUs as a reward during performance appraisals. Middle- and/or top-level management executives typically receive 30-60% of their compensation in the form of RSUs. Optimising RSU benefits therefore becomes an important part of these individuals’ financial…

This composite case is built from patterns I see repeatedly in practice. Names and numbers are fictional. I show every calculation so you can check it and reuse the method. This is Part 3 of a four-part case study. Read Part 1 here: Retirement Planning Case Study Part 1. Read Part 2 here: Retirement Planning…

The very first verse of the Bhagavad Gita begins with a question. Dhritarashtra, who cannot see the battlefield himself, asks Sanjaya: What is happening out there? (Chapter 1, Verse 1) Many of us quietly ask this question on a difficult day in the market. We check the news. We check our portfolio. And often, the…

AI can already do many things remarkably well when it comes to money. It can explain concepts, calculate scenarios, compare alternatives, and help us understand investments much faster than before. That is enormously useful. But a money decision is not simply a question-answer exercise. We may be deciding what to do with money built over…

This composite case is built from patterns I see repeatedly in practice. Names and numbers are fictional. I show every calculation so you can check it and reuse the method. This is Part 2 of a four-part case study. Read Part 1 here: Retirement Planning Case Study Part 1. About the author: Ajay Pruthi is a…

It usually starts innocently enough: a stock tip from a colleague, a trending news headline, or a weekend spent skimming stock screeners. Fast forward a few years, and you are staring at a chaotic, 50-to-100-stock portfolio sitting deep in the dumps, impossible to track, and thoroughly failing to generate alpha. About the author: Jay Sheth is…

I think we often misunderstand what we should expect from a financial adviser. Ask someone why they hired an adviser, and quite often the answer is: “Tell me which mutual fund I should invest in.” Or: “Which stocks are going to do well?” Or perhaps: “Do you know of any investment that can give me…

This composite case is built from patterns I see repeatedly in practice. Names and numbers are fictional. I show every calculation so you can check it and reuse the method. This is Part 1 of a four-part case study. About the author: Ajay Pruthi is a fee-only SEBI-registered investment advisor. He can be contacted via his…

When we talk about financial freedom, we usually think about income, savings, investments, debt, and returns. But there is another factor that can quietly influence our financial decisions: Trust. Yes, Trust. We trust our bank relationship manager. We trust the insurance agent who has been visiting our family for years. We trust the neighbour who…

When I speak to clients during financial planning, a few questions come up again and again. I thought it might be useful to share how we can approach these questions, because many investors may be wondering the same thing. “I am investing ₹50,000 every month. Is that enough?” Another common question I hear is: “I…

When I review investment portfolios, I often see two very different kinds of investors. Some have most of their money in fixed deposits, savings accounts and other very safe investments. Others have gone almost entirely the other way, with most of their wealth in equity mutual funds, stocks or other growth-oriented investments. These approaches look…

If you go to any Indian wedding or office party when the stock market is high, you will hear the same story. Someone will say, India is the next superpower! The market will only go up! Buy this small company share; it will double by Diwali. It feels good to think positive. But in the…