Money & Work

Personal Finance

Spend less than you earn, invest the rest

Novice

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Novice

Note. Education, not financial advice. Tax rules, regulations and product specifics change, for real money decisions, talk to a SEBI-registered advisor whose incentives don't depend on selling you a product.

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Automation and Habits

Set-and-forget systems that move money before you can touch it. SIPs, sweep accounts, and standing instructions beat willpower every month.

Set up a salary-day SIP into an index fund before any spending happens.
Split income across separate accounts for spending, bills, and savings.
Review your money once a month, not once a day.

Concepts (1)

Pay yourself first (automate it)
A budgeting discipline that routes a fixed percentage of income into savings and investments automatically on or just after payday, before any discretionary spending decisions are made.
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All Personal Finance glossary

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Emergency fund
3-6 months of essential expenses kept liquid and accessible.
SIP
Systematic Investment Plan, automatic monthly investment into a mutual fund.
Expense ratio
Annual % a fund deducts to run itself. Lower = better, all else equal.
Index fund
Fund that tracks a market index (e.g. Nifty 50). Low fee, no stock-picking.
Term insurance
Pure life-cover for a fixed term. No payout if you survive, that's the point.
Inflation
General rise in prices, the silent tax on cash.
Compounding
Earning returns on past returns. The longer the runway, the bigger the effect.
ELSS
Equity-Linked Savings Scheme, tax-saving mutual fund under Section 80C in India, with a 3-year lock-in.