Taxes substantially impact investment returns. But do you know that you can reduce their effect and boost returns by using the time value of money (TVM) ? Intrigued? Let’s dive in. As a corollary of the time value of money, tax that is payable in the …

“Earn the highest returns” is how the goal of investing is often defined. But if you step back to reconsider, you will realize high returns themselves are not the end; they are just a means to achieving your financial goals. You will also notice that …

SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans) are one of the best ways to achieve your financial goals. But, unfortunately, most people don’t increase their SIP contributions enough when there is an increase in income. Taking an aggressive approach to …

All the jargon in the world of investing like “equity”, “debt”, “index funds” etc. can seem quite intimidating, but they don’t have to! Last week, as part of Microsoft annual giving campaign, I gave a talk on the basic of investing to help demystify …

Having sufficient health insurance coverage is critical to ensure financial security for you and your family. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a high sum insured, especially to cover the elderly, the premiums can be quite expensive. Recently, my …

Whether it’s a one-time conversation with a prospective customer, or a delivery person, the need to save the phone number to send a WhatsApp message is a hassle. It wastes time and leads to a cluttered contacts list. That’s why I made …

Money market funds used to be my preferred choice to park idle cash, but recent changes in tax policy have made these funds less appealing. In this post, we explore a more tax-efficient alternative: arbitrage funds. What are Arbitrage Funds? …

Retirement planning is an essential aspect of managing one’s finances. Yet it is often ignored. This is not surprising though. Neglecting retirement planning is like chain smoking. It is harmful but you don’t notice the negative effects right away. …

Most folks intuitively understand the risks that accompany a concentrated portfolio. If asked to bet 60-70% of their net worth on a single company, most would refuse, citing it as too risky. Yet many inadvertently do the same by letting their vested …

Putting all investments in a mutual fund in a single folio can negatively affect post-tax returns. I learnt this the hard way. All mutual fund redemptions in India follow the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle i.e., at the time of withdrawal, the …