You just got your annual bonus. You want to decide between whether to use the bonus to prepay the home loan. Or put this money away in a bank fixed deposit or any other investment. The approach is simple. If the post-tax cost of your loan is HIGHER than the post-tax return from the supposed… Continue Reading
Loan interest rates have been going down over the past 18 months. It is also evident in the examples that we use for various illustrations in our posts. Earlier, we used 9-10% p.a. for long term loans. Now, we use 7-8% p.a. in the illustrations. If you use Amazon or Flipkart, you would have noticed… Continue Reading
I am a bit paranoid about using credit cards online. Therefore, I prefer to use wallets (such as PayTM) or UPI on new sites or the sites I do not trust much. A problem with this approach is that you cannot use wallets or UPI on international websites. In addition, there are a few minor… Continue Reading
It is a new year. And A new year brings new resolutions. Let us look at some of the credit resolutions for 2021 you can consider. # 1 Reduce Debt This applies to those who are currently struggling with credit burden. There are only two ways to reduce credit burden. Reduce the quantum of debt (Possible… Continue Reading
I spoke to a client a few days ago. She told me that she ended up spending over 5 lacs in the recent Diwali season towards all kinds of purchases including gifts. A few insurance premium payments also came due in the month of November. While she had an idea that she will run a… Continue Reading
How much debt do you have? How do you answer this question? A) Rs 50 lacs for 15 years OR B) EMI of Rs 47,782 per month for 15 years? Both have the same meaning. If you track your loan amount properly, you will answer in terms of the outstanding principal amount. However, when it… Continue Reading
Many of us are worried about fraudulent transactions on our credit card or debit cards. And why not? We keep hearing or reading about new and innovative ways of perpetrating card and UPI frauds on unsuspecting account holders. While the fraudsters are usually a step ahead of us and the regulations, a little bit of… Continue Reading
If you shop regularly from Flipkart or Amazon website/apps, you must already be aware of the instant discount and No-cost EMI offers. These e-tailers run such promotions regularly to attract buyers. In case of an instant discount, if you use a specific credit card or debit card for payment, you get an upfront discount. Suppose… Continue Reading
Question 1: Interest rates have gone down. I want to buy a house. While I can fund the purchase with own funds, I think taking a home loan is a good idea since the interest rates are low. I can earn a higher return than the loan interest rate on my investments. Plus, I will… Continue Reading
The festival season is here. The developers are sharing offers on their real estate projects too. Now, these offers can take any form. Recently, I came across an article in Hindustan Times, where the author listed different types of offers from various builders. What Form Can Such Festive Offers Take? Upfront discount (You won’t see… Continue Reading