// guides
Financial Guides
Long-form, original content on the most-searched corners of Indian personal finance — PPF, EPF, FD, RD, mutual funds, taxation and retirement. Each guide pairs with a calculator on tick2trade.
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Interest rate
PPF Interest Rate — Historical Trend & Calculation Logic
How the PPF rate is set, current notification and historical movement.
Guide
PPF Tax Benefits — EEE Status, 80C and Section 10(11)
Why PPF is exempt-exempt-exempt and how to claim the deduction.
Guide
PPF Withdrawal Rules — Partial, Loan & Premature Closure
Rules for partial withdrawal, loan against PPF and premature closure.
Compare
PPF vs FD — Returns, Tax Treatment & Liquidity Compared
Which is better for a long-term debt allocation: PPF or bank FD?
Compare
PPF vs EPF — Two Tax-Free Retirement Buckets Side by Side
PPF vs EPF on returns, lock-in, employer share and withdrawal.
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Guide
EPF Withdrawal Guide — Online Claim, Forms & Eligibility
Step-by-step EPF online claim process and partial withdrawal rules.
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EPF vs PPF — Salaried Person's Decision Guide
Detailed EPF vs PPF comparison for a salaried investor.
Guide
EPF Contribution Calculator — Employee + Employer Split
Compute monthly EPF/EPS contributions from basic + DA.
Guide
EPF Pension (EPS) Calculator — Monthly Pension Estimate
Estimate the monthly EPS pension using pensionable salary & service.
Guide
EPF Interest Calculator — Year-wise Compounding Schedule
Monthly running balance and interest applied at notified EPF rate.
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// fd cluster
// rd cluster
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Guide
Capital Gains Tax in India — Complete Guide (Post Budget 2024)
How STCG and LTCG are taxed across equity, debt, property and gold after the Budget 2024 reform.
Guide
Cost Inflation Index (CII) — Year-Wise Table & Usage
The CBDT-notified CII series from 2001-02 to date, with how to use it in indexation.
Guide
Long-Term Capital Gains Tax (LTCG) — Rates & Examples
12.5% LTCG on equity above ₹1.25L and on non-equity assets — worked examples.
Guide
Short-Term Capital Gains Tax (STCG) — Rules Across Assets
20% on equity STCG and slab-rate on non-equity short-term gains.
Guide
Capital Gains Tax on Property Sale — Indexation, Exemptions & 54/54F
Calculating LTCG on house property and the available reinvestment exemptions.
Guide
Capital Gains Bonds (Section 54EC) — REC, PFC, IRFC
How to save LTCG on property sale by investing in 54EC bonds.
Guide
Capital Gains Exemption — Sections 54, 54B, 54EC, 54F
Reinvestment routes that exempt long-term capital gains from tax.
Guide
Capital Gains Tax on Shares — Listed vs Unlisted Treatment
STCG and LTCG on listed and unlisted shares after the Budget 2024 update.
Guide
Capital Gains Tax on Mutual Funds — Equity, Debt & Hybrid
How equity, debt and hybrid mutual fund gains are taxed in India.
Compare
LTCG vs STCG — Holding Period & Tax Rate Comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of long-term vs short-term capital gains taxation.
// investing cluster
Guide
ELSS Mutual Funds — Tax-Saving Equity Funds Explained
ELSS mutual funds — 3-year lock-in, 80C deduction and equity LTCG treatment.
Compare
Index Funds vs Actively Managed Funds — Cost & Returns Analysis
Why index funds win on cost and why active funds may still earn their fee.
Compare
ETF vs Mutual Fund — Liquidity, Cost & Tax Compared
Exchange-Traded Funds vs traditional mutual funds — pick the right wrapper.
Compare
Direct vs Regular Mutual Funds — The Cost of Distribution
Why direct plans beat regular plans by 0.5–1.5% per year, compounded.
Compare
Growth vs Dividend Plan in Mutual Funds — Which Option to Choose
Growth vs IDCW (Dividend) option — tax efficiency and behaviour compared.
Guide
Liquid Mutual Funds — Better Than Savings Account?
Park surplus cash in liquid funds at 6–7% with T+1 redemption.
Guide
Debt Mutual Funds — Categories, Risk & Return Profile
SEBI's 16 debt fund categories — duration, credit and accrual strategies.
Guide
Hybrid Mutual Funds — Aggressive, Conservative & Multi-Asset
Hybrid fund categories and when to prefer them over pure equity/debt.
Guide
Expense Ratio in Mutual Funds — What You Really Pay
How the expense ratio is deducted and why 0.5% extra hurts over 20 years.
Compare
STP vs SWP — Systematic Transfer vs Withdrawal Plans
STP for lump-sum deployment vs SWP for monthly income — how to use each.
Guide
IPO Investing in India — How to Apply, Allotment & Listing Gains
IPO process from RHP filing to listing day — bidding, allotment, ASBA.
Guide
Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) — Better Than Physical Gold?
RBI-issued SGBs — 2.5% interest, capital gain link to gold and tax-free maturity.
Compare
Bonds vs NCDs vs Debt Funds — Which Fixed-Income Vehicle Wins?
Direct bonds, listed NCDs and debt mutual funds compared on risk, yield and tax.
Compare
REITs vs InvITs — Real Estate & Infra Investment Trusts Explained
Indian REITs and InvITs — yield, taxation and how they fit a portfolio.
Guide
Demat & Trading Account — Setup, Charges & DP Comparison
Opening a Demat + Trading account, DP charges and CDSL vs NSDL.
Guide
Futures & Options in India — Contract Mechanics, Margins & Lot Sizes
Indian F&O contracts — lot sizes, SPAN+exposure margins, settlement.
Guide
Options Greeks — Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, Rho Explained
What each Greek measures and how to use them in option strategy selection.
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Intraday vs Positional Trading — Strategy, Tax & Risk
Intraday speculation vs swing/positional trading — taxation and capital requirements.
Guide
Margin Trading in India — MTF, Leverage & Risk
Margin Trading Facility (MTF) — how leverage works in Indian cash equity.
Compare
CAGR vs XIRR — When to Use Which Return Metric
Why XIRR is the right metric for SIPs and CAGR for lump-sum investments.
Guide
Sharpe Ratio — Measuring Risk-Adjusted Return
What Sharpe Ratio tells you about a fund's per-unit-risk performance.
Guide
Alpha & Beta in Mutual Funds — Reading Fund Factsheets
How Alpha and Beta describe a fund vs its benchmark.
Guide
Standard Deviation in Investing — How Volatile Is Your Fund?
Standard deviation as the most-used volatility metric — what it means in practice.