Finance Guides & Money Explainers
266 guidesPlain-English guides on debt, loans, investing, tax, and everyday money — written by the Anyday Calculator team and backed by our calculators.
InvestingProvident Fund Explained: EPF, GPF, and PPF in Plain English
India has three types of provident funds — knowing which one applies to you is the first step to maximising your retirement savings.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingEPF vs VPF: Should You Increase Your Provident Fund Contribution?
VPF lets you earn EPF's 8.25% guaranteed rate on any extra savings you park — but there are tax and liquidity trade-offs to weigh.
Priya·3 min·
InvestingNPS Tier 1 vs Tier 2: What's the Difference and Which Should You Use?
NPS Tier 1 locks your money until retirement for maximum tax savings; Tier 2 is a flexible add-on that works like a mutual fund with no tax perks.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingWhat Is ELSS Mutual Fund? The Shortest Lock-In in Section 80C
ELSS offers the only Section 80C investment with a market-linked return potential and just a 3-year lock-in — but it comes with equity risk.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingPPF vs ELSS: Which Is the Better 80C Investment for You?
PPF guarantees 7.1% tax-free; ELSS potentially delivers 12%+ with equity risk — your choice depends on when you need the money and how much volatility you can stomach.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingTypes of Mutual Funds in India: A Complete Guide for 2025-26
India has over 40 SEBI-defined mutual fund categories — here is a plain-English map of every type and who should invest in them.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingDirect vs Regular Mutual Funds: Which Plan Saves You More?
The same fund, two plans — one quietly takes a commission cut every single year.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingWhat Is NAV in Mutual Funds? How It Works and Why It Matters
A ₹10 NAV fund is not cheaper than a ₹500 NAV fund — and confusing the two can cost you returns.
Priya·4 min·
InvestingWhat Is Expense Ratio in Mutual Funds? The Silent Return Killer
You never write a cheque for the expense ratio — it silently drains your returns every single day.
Priya·3 min·
InvestingWhat Is XIRR in Mutual Funds? How to Measure Your Real SIP Returns
Your fund app shows 18% returns — but your XIRR might tell a very different story about what you actually earned.
Priya·3 min·
Saving & InvestingWhat Is CAGR in Investing? The Only Return Metric That Matters for Lump Sums
An investment that "doubled in 5 years" sounds great — CAGR tells you whether it actually was.
Maya·3 min·
InvestingWhat Is a Step-Up SIP? How Annual Increases Supercharge Your Corpus
What if your SIP grew every time your salary did? That is exactly what a step-up SIP does.
Priya·3 min·
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