Should You Take a Loan for House Downpayment?

Why do we have to make down payments for home purchases? Why can’t the banks lend the full amount for the purchase? Two reasons. Firstly, the banks get a wider security cushion while lending. So, if the bank lends Rs 80 lacs for purchase of Rs 1 crore house, in the event of default, the… Continue Reading

Loan Tenure: Keep it Long or Short?

Want to take out a home loan? What should be the loan tenure? 15 years, 20 years, or 25 years. Similarly, what loan tenure would you choose for your personal loan? 18 months, 36 months, or 60 months? OR What is the ideal tenure for a car loan? As always with personal finance, there is… Continue Reading

How to Manage Debt during Cashflow Crisis?

You have Rs 4 lacs in your bank account. You have 3 loans running and a bit of credit card debt. Home loan of Rs 20 lacs (Remaining Tenure: 17 years, Rate: 8% p.a., EMI: Rs 18,000) Personal loan of 5 lacs (Remaining Tenure: 3 years, Rate: 13% p.a., EMI: Rs 17,000) Personal Loan: Rs… Continue Reading

Good Debt vs. Bad Debt

A good debt is used for purchase of productive or appreciating assets or useful services. Thus, a home loan, an education loan or a business loan can be considered good debt. A housing loan gets you ownership of the house while an education loan or a business loan can improve your employment and income prospects.… Continue Reading

How Can You Use an Overdraft Facility Smartly?

Not all credit is bad. In this post, I will show how an overdraft facility can be useful in certain cases. What Is an Overdraft Facility? An overdraft facility is a revolving credit facility just like a credit card. You pay interest only on the drawn (utilized) amount. You can draw from the facility up… Continue Reading