A reader asks, “Can you please explain why health insurers suddenly hike premiums? I was shocked to see my premium increase by almost 50%. I thought premiums would increase only if we moved from one age band to another.” An insurance company makes money if its customers rarely make claims. Insurers will do everything in…
Continue reading →A reader says, “I was listening to the Let’s Get Rich With Pattu podcast last Sunday, and there was a discussion about what happens when your son inherits your portfolio. Can you help me understand the difference between adding a nominee to a mutual fund and keeping your family as a second unit holder?” “In…
Continue reading →Background of the case: For the financial year 2023-24, a rebate of Rs. 12,500 was available under Sec.87A for the old regime and Rs. 25,000 for the new regime. However, from July 5 onwards, this rebate was not made applicable to special rate incomes in the new tax regime, following a software update. Budget 2025…
Continue reading →We publish a list of stocks with low volatility and momentum each month. We provide data for BSE 500 and BSE 100 stocks. There are now three different screener files available. (1) Stocks with low volatility and momentum from the BSE 100 large cap universe are available as a separate file (2) Stocks with low…
Continue reading →We have released a free New Tax Regime (new slabs) vs Old Tax Regime Calculator after Budget 2025. We now discuss FAQs. 1. Is income up to 12L or 12.75L tax-free? Both. It is 12L for non-salaried and 12.75L for salaried employees, including the standard deduction. 2. Does this mean 12L is the new tax-free…
Continue reading →My name is Aditya, and I’m 36 years of age— currently a Cfo in a listed company. Today, my wealth stands at five crores, broken down into an equity portfolio of 3.25 cr and a bank balance of 25 lacs. Real estate of 1cr and a side hustle business with a valuation of 50 lacs….
Continue reading →NPS Vatsalya is a contributory pension scheme regulated and administered by the PFRDA for all minor Indian citizens. Just like PPF, the account will be opened in the name of the minor and operated by Guardian with the minor as the sole beneficiary. Read our earlier review: What you need to know before considering NPS Vatsalya…
Continue reading →Budget 2025 has further reduced the tax burden in the new tax regime. Use this free calculator to compare the old and new tax regimes (calculations for past new tax regime slabs are also available). This comparison table was originally prepared by Vinay Vittal, modified by Balasubrahmanyan, and then by me after budget 2024. This…
Continue reading →Why did various Fixed-Fee RIAs choose to give up a more lucrative career path to pick a less lucrative career path? SEBI RIA Avinash Luthria asks this question to three Fixed Fee RIAs. About the author: Avinash is a part of freefincal’s curated list of fee-only financial advisors and a Fee-only India member. He was…
Continue reading →Excuse me for stating the obvious. Most people will not be financially independent when they retire. Here is why. Forget about early retirement; Most people will not become financially independent at normal retirement (55-60). Unlike early retirement, this is a mandatory retirement. Otherwise, our quality of life will significantly decrease, and we will depend on…
Continue reading →A reader says, ” I am a 41-year-old self-employed person. I have been following your blog for 2 years. I wish to retire by age 55. I am following a rebalancing and derisking strategy in my retirement portfolio. My debt portfolio is 10% in constant duration gilt fund, 15% in dynamic gilt fund, rest in…
Continue reading →Now that the gazette notification for the Unified Pension Scheme is out (look for CG-DL-E-25012025-260482 at https://egazette.gov.in/), or download a copy here now may be a good time to revisit the NPS vs UPS decision for government employees, especially given that they must exercise their choice, and it’s a one-time non-modifiable choice! About the author:…
Continue reading →The Jan 2025 Gazette Notification has explained the workings of the Unified Pension Scheme. We have updated our free NPS vs UPS calculator, considering these changes. In this article, we provide a simple explanation of the formula used to compute the pension using the same terminology used in the notification. UPS pension = (P/2) x…
Continue reading →Use this free calculator to determine if you can stay invested in the National Pension Scheme or consider switching to the Unified Pension Scheme. This is an updated version of the calculator first published in Aug 2024, incorporating the Jan 2025 Gazette Notification. We have tried to incorporate all the UPS essential features into the…
Continue reading →Many Freefincal readers have shown interest in becoming a SEBI Registered Investment Advisor to offer unbiased advice to clients and earn a decent income from this. Investment Advisory can be a second career for many DIY investors passionate about helping others manage their finances. As per old SEBI regulations, a postgraduate qualification in finance and…
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