Your first payslip comes with no instruction manual. Here is the order of operations: paperwork, understanding your CTC, picking a tax regime, an emergency fund, insurance, a first SIP, a starter credit card, and filing your ITR on time.
Continue readingAuthor: Sudhir Kumar
Sudhir Kumar writes Finostock, a plain-English personal finance site for India. He is the author of "The Boring Path to Wealth: SIP Starter Guide for Indians" (2026) and has spent his career in Indian banking. He is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and Finostock publishes general financial education only.
You Just Got a Bonus. Here Is the Order to Spend It In (India, 2026)
A bonus is not a discipline problem, it is a sequencing problem. Tax you may still owe, then high-rate debt, then the emergency fund, then cover, then investing — and roughly a tenth spent guilt-free.
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PPF vs EPF vs NPS (2026): Which One Actually Deserves Your Money?
PPF pays 7.1%, EPF pays 8.25%, NPS pays whatever the market gives you. But for most salaried Indians this is not a three-way choice at all — and the tax break every other article sells you is old-regime only.
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Best Performing Mutual Funds of the Last 5 Years — and Why That List Will Not Help You Pick One (India, 2026)
Chasing the best performing mutual funds of the last five years is the most common beginner mistake in India. Here is what those lists really measure, what the SPIVA data shows, and how to choose a fund instead.
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How to Transfer Money From One Debit Card to Another in India (2026)
You cannot really move money card to card in India. Here is what actually works — UPI, IMPS, NEFT and RTGS — what each costs, and the one request that is always a scam.
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NPS in 2026: The New 80% Withdrawal Rule and Whether NPS Is Still Worth It
The pension regulator now lets you take 80% of your NPS corpus as a lump sum instead of 60%. But the tax exemption still stops at 60%, and under the new tax regime most people can no longer claim the deduction NPS is famous for. An honest look at what NPS is worth in 2026.
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Emergency Fund in India (2026): How Much You Need and Where to Keep It
How big an emergency fund should be in India, where to park it in 2026, and how to build one when your salary already feels fully spoken for.
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Best Savings Account in India (2026): How to Choose Without Chasing the Interest Rate
Most people pick a savings account on the headline interest rate. Here is what actually matters in 2026 — penalties, DICGC cover, slab rates and the tax.
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ELSS in 2026: Does Tax-Saving Investing Still Make Sense Under the New Tax Regime?
ELSS only saves tax if you are on the old regime — and the new regime is now the default. An honest 2026 guide to when ELSS still makes sense, how it is taxed, and the four mistakes that cost people money.
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CIBIL Score in 2026: How to Check It Free and Actually Improve It
Your credit report now updates weekly. Here is how to check your CIBIL score for free, what really moves it, and how long a genuine fix takes.
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