Why I Always Ask “Why?” Before Filing Anything Every time a colleague walks up to me saying “bhai, PF nikalna hai” — my first question is not “what’s your UAN?” My first question is “why?” PF is the single biggest financial asset most PSU employees are building. And they are building it mandatorily, whether they … Read more
The “Sarkari” Medical Illusion In every PSU office across India, there is a silent consensus about healthcare. When a new joinee asks a senior colleague, “Should I buy a private health insurance policy?” the answer is almost always the same: “Why? The company will bear all your medical expenses.” This is the “Sarkari Medical Illusion.” … Read more
What Is HBL for PSU Employees and How Is It Different from a Normal Home Loan Most people outside the public sector think “Home Loan” means standing in line at SBI or HDFC. But for many PSU employees, there is a much better alternative: the Departmental Home Building Loan (HBL). In my PSU, this isn’t a … Read more
What Is DA and Why Does It Matter More Than Your Increment, DA Hike explained DA stands for Dearness Allowance. On paper, it is defined as a cost-of-living adjustment — compensation for inflation, revised twice a year to protect your salary’s purchasing power as prices rise. In reality, for PSU employees, DA is far more … Read more
I Had Never Heard of Any of These Rules — And That’s the Problem I had never heard of any of these rules until I started researching for this blog. Not one. Not the 50/30/20 budgeting rule, not the 40% EMI limit, not the 6-month emergency fund guideline, not the 20/4/10 car buying formula. And … Read more
Two Questions Before Any Investment Advice Every time a colleague stops me in the corridor and asks where to invest their money, I never answer immediately. You might also have the same question, how to invest your PSU salary. I ask two questions first. First — how much can you actually set aside every month … Read more
It Feels Like Another EMI. I Did It Anyway. Yesterday I set up two fortnightly SIPs. ₹500 fortnightly in ICICI Prudential Nifty Next 50 Index Fund — Direct Growth. ₹500 fortnightly in Motilal Oswal Nifty Smallcap 250 Index Fund — Direct Growth. Total: approximately ₹2,000 per month. First payments already made. Next due date: 15th … Read more
I Want to Tell You Something Nobody in Personal Finance Will Admit Most personal finance blogs are written by people who got everything right. They started their SIP at 22. They never touched F&O trading. They maxed their PPF every year. They retired early and now teach others how to do the same. Good for … Read more
Wait for Form 16 — Everything Starts Here Every ITR filing season starts with one thing — waiting for Form 16. And with this the question arises, How to file ITR ? Form 16 is the document your employer issues after the financial year ends. It contains everything the Income Tax Department needs to know … Read more
The Fact That Surprised Me After 11 Years I have been a PSU employee for 11 years. I checked my salary slip every month. But one fact about my PF took years to actually sink in. My employer contributes 12% of my Basic Pay toward PF every month — matching my own contribution exactly. I … Read more