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A reading guide to investing, in the right order
Plain-language articles, grouped the way we explain money to families who sit with us for the first time. Pick the path that matches where you are today. Every article uses worked numbers, states its assumptions and ends with questions people actually ask.
How to use this page
If you are new to investing, read the first path from top to bottom — it takes about an hour in total and covers everything you need before your first SIP. If you already invest, jump to the path for the decision in front of you: a child's education, retirement, taxes, or a market fall that is making you nervous.
Each article links to a calculator where you can put in your own numbers. Nothing here is a recommendation of a particular fund; it is the thinking that comes before choosing one. When you want a plan for your own family, we are a message away.
New to investing
The ideas that matter most, in the order we explain them to first-time investors.
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What is a SIP? The complete beginner’s guide for Indian familiesHow a Systematic Investment Plan works, what it costs, how long to stay, how it is taxed and how to start —…
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Where to keep your emergency fund (and where not to)An emergency fund has one job — to be there, in full, on the worst day of your year. Here is how…
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Term and health insurance first: the order that protects your SIPsInvestments grow wealth; insurance protects it. Without term and health cover, one illness or death can wipe out years of SIPs. Here…
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10 mistakes new SIP investors make (and how to avoid them)A SIP is the simplest way to invest, yet small mistakes in the first few years cost lakhs later. From stopping in…
Growing your SIP
Small decisions that change the final number the most.
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Step-up SIP: why raising your SIP by 10% a year can double your resultA ₹10,000 SIP for 20 years at an assumed 12% grows to about ₹92 lakh. Raise it by 10% every year and…
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The real cost of waiting five years to start your SIPWaiting five years to start a ₹10,000 SIP does not cost you ₹6 lakh of missed instalments. Over 25 years it can…
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SIP or lump sum? A simple way to decideIn a market that rises steadily, a lump sum usually ends ahead; in a market that dips first, a SIP often wins.…
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How much SIP do you need for ₹1 crore? Tables for 10, 15, 20 and 25 years₹1 crore is the goal everyone talks about. Here is exactly what it takes — monthly SIP, step-up SIP or lump sum…
Understanding funds
How to read what a fund is, what it owns and what it costs.
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How to read a mutual fund factsheet in 10 minutesA factsheet tells you what a fund owns, what it costs, how risky it has been and who runs it — on…
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Index fund or active fund? What each is good atIndex funds copy the market at low cost; active funds try to beat it and charge more for the effort. Here is…
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Hybrid funds explained: aggressive, balanced advantage, multi-asset and moreHybrid funds mix equity, debt and sometimes gold in one portfolio. SEBI defines seven kinds, from conservative hybrids with a small equity…
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Direct plan or regular plan? What you really pay forEvery mutual fund comes in two versions. The direct plan has a lower expense ratio; the regular plan pays a distributor like…
Planning family goals
Turning goals into amounts, dates and monthly SIPs.
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Your first mutual fund portfolio: a step-by-step planFrom protection to goals to fund categories: a practical sequence for building a first portfolio you will actually stick with, worked through…
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Planning your child’s education: why 10% inflation changes everythingA degree that costs ₹10 lakh today could cost about ₹42 lakh in 15 years if fees rise 10% a year. Here…
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How a small SIP can pay back every rupee of your home-loan interestA ₹50 lakh home loan at 8.5% for 25 years costs about ₹70.8 lakh in interest. A SIP of roughly ₹4,160 a…
Retirement
How much is enough, and how to draw a steady income from it.
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How much do you need to retire in India? A worked exampleOne family's retirement numbers worked step by step: inflation, the corpus, the monthly SIP, the cost of waiting and a stress test,…
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SWP explained: turning a lump sum into a monthly incomeA Systematic Withdrawal Plan pays you a fixed amount every month from a mutual fund while the rest stays invested. How long…
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Retirement income with the three-bucket SWP methodThe three-bucket method splits a retirement corpus by when you will need the money: two years in near-cash, five years in a…
Tax and paperwork
The rules and records that protect your returns and your family.
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How mutual funds are taxed in 2026-27: a plain-language guideEquity funds, debt funds, hybrids, gold and international funds are all taxed differently, and the holding period decides the rate. Here are…
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Old or new tax regime in 2026-27? Three salaries, worked outFor most salaried people the new regime now wins. We work through ₹10 lakh, ₹15 lakh and ₹25 lakh salaries, explain marginal…
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Nominees, documents and the family binder: the gift nobody talks aboutMost families spend years building investments and minutes thinking about how the family will find and claim them. Here is how nominations…
Staying calm in markets
What history teaches about falls, patience and balance.
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Understanding risk: why a 30% fall is normal for equity fundsVolatility is not the same as losing money. What the riskometer means, how deep past falls in Indian markets have been, and…
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The market just fell 10%. What should a SIP investor do?Falls of 10% or more are a normal part of investing in equity, not a sign that something is broken. Here is…
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How ordinary people actually become richNot lottery wins or stock tips. The unglamorous pattern behind most self-made wealth: earning power, the gap, ownership, time and avoiding disasters,…
Articles are for education and are not investment advice. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully. Read how we write and check articles in our editorial policy.