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UPI and credit cards each offer unique advantages for everyday payments. Here are the key differences, benefits, rewards, credit score impact, and practical tips for choosing the right payment method for daily spending, budgeting and long-term financial planning in India.

The Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) offers financial security to an employee's family through widow pension, child pension, nominee pension and dependent parent pension. 

A salary hike is a good opportunity to increase SIP amount, but investors should first review their financial goals, emergency fund and asset allocation. A disciplined annual SIP step-up of 1015% can significantly boost long-term wealth creation.

Check how to apply for a Baal Aadhaar card in 2026, documents required, eligibility, mandatory biometric updates at ages five and 15, enrolment process, and key UIDAI rules. 

Work out how much you can save, push that figure a little higher than is comfortable, and only then spend energy on choosing the funds. Simplicity is not a compromise but the whole point. Save a lot, keep the deployment sensible and dull, and let time do the rest, says Dhirendra Kumar.

A simple rule of thumb is to divide your age by two to determine the percentage of your portfolio that should be invested in gold. Under this rule, a 30-year-old investor would hold 15% in gold, while someone aged 50 would allocate roughly 25% to the precious metal.

As soaring office rents and land prices push companies beyond India's biggest metros, investors are finding stronger yieldsand new risksin emerging commercial hubs such as Jaipur, Coimbatore and Ahmedabad.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a new and improved IRCTC website will be launched by 15 July. The upgraded portal is expected to deliver faster ticket booking, smoother navigation and several new passenger-friendly features. 

Gold and silver prices today, 14 July: Check the latest 24K, 22K gold and 999 silver retail rates across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other major Indian cities, along with MCX market updates.

The Hyderabad Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) has ruled that a gift from a mother cannot be treated as an unexplained investment by the income tax department if the taxpayer proves the donor's identity, relationship and source of funds. 

Taxpayers filing ITR for AY 2026-27 must correctly report Sovereign Gold Bond interest and capital gains. Check how SGB interest, maturity redemption and pre-maturity sales are taxed, which ITR schedules to use, and why the Budget 2026 changes will not apply this year.

The 8th Pay Commission's fitment factor will determine future salary and pension revisions for government employees. Here's how different fitment factor scenarios could impact basic pay, allowances and overall earnings, while highlighting why the final government decision remains crucial.

As the 31 August deadline nears, taxpayers can use the Income-Tax Departments Excel Utility for ITR-5 and ITR-7 on the e-filing portal for FY26. This allows offline preparation of returns before digital submission, ensuring timely processing.

Delhi Lakshmi Yojana: Beneficiary women will get 2,500 per month under the scheme earlier known as Mahila Samriddhi Yojna. Check here for details on eligibility criteria, the monthly benefits and steps for how to apply.

EPFO has automated the PF transfer process for Aadhaar-linked UAN holders when switching jobs. Here's who stands to benefit from this feature and whether it will apply if you changed jobs months or years back but never transferred your balance.

8th pay commission: We take a look at the likely revision in house rent allowance (HRA) for central government employees across level 1 to 5 in X, Y and Z category cities based on suggested fitment factor.

The size of your mutual fund investment depends on two key factors: the rate of return and the amount of SIP. The higher the rate of return, the bigger the corpus.

The income tax return due date for most taxpayers is July 31, 2026. Late filing incurs penalties and addition interest if you have unpaid taxes. Check all other consequences of missing ITR due date here.

ITR filing is now becoming increasingly paperless, but taxpayers must securely retain key digital tax documents. A tax expert explains which records to preserve, why backups matter, and how organised digital files can help during tax verification, assessments and future income tax notices.

Dearness Allowance is a percentage of employees' pay aimed at helping households manage the increased cost of living. For calculation purposes, it is separated into two categories: industrial and variable DA.

While direct plans make up 77.7% of institutional investors' mutual fund AUM, the corresponding share for individual investors is just 30%. Experts say the gap is driven by the need for professional advice and investor behaviour. 

Your provident fund won't move instantly after you switch jobs. EPFO's new mechanism auto-triggers transfer after your new employer's first contribution. Details here.

A buy now, pay later facility can help build a strong credit history when used responsibly. Timely repayments, controlled borrowing, and avoiding defaults are crucial. Learn how BNPL services affect credit scores, borrowing ability, and financial health with key tips for users.

The presumptive taxation scheme offers a simpler way to compute taxable income, but it may not suit every taxpayer. Here's what businesses and professionals should consider before choosing it.

The new rules compress a dozen complicated advance clauses into three broad categories while requiring a mandatory 25% retirement reserve.

If you have bought a car worth more than 10 lakh, you would have paid a TCS of 1% to the dealer. This is not an additional tax but a tax credit that can be adjusted against your total income tax liability or claimed as a refund while filing the ITR. 

From reporting income from two house properties to furnishing additional details for donations and rental income, the latest ITR-1 utility brings several changes. Here's what taxpayers need to know before filing.

Every SIP should be linked to a specific financial goal, such as retirement, a child's education, buying a house, or wealth creation. The expert suggested that the number of funds you own or their recent returns matter less than whether each SIP is aligned with a clear financial objective.

The new Income Tax Act largely simplifies presumptive taxation rules, but one change could restrict taxpayers from setting off certain losses against presumptive income.

The new framework empowers the ombudsman to issue interim, non-binding advisories to the regulated entity, requiring it to take action for full or partial resolution to enable quicker settlement.

India's largest large cap mutual fund shuffled its portfolio in June by adding three stocks and exiting four. Tata Steel saw the biggest increase in holdings, while GAIL featured among the complete exits.

Taxpayers can face late filing fees, interest and penalties for different types of income tax defaults. Here's a simple guide to the key provisions under the Income Tax Act and what they could cost you.

From 15 July, the India-UK Double Contribution Convention Agreement will allow eligible Indian professionals on temporary UK assignments to continue building EPF savings in India instead of paying towards UK social security contributions. 

While EPFO calculates interest on your provident fund every month, it credits the accumulated amount only after the end of the financial year.

Gold and silver prices today, 13 July: Check the latest 24K, 22K gold and 999 silver retail rates across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other major Indian cities, along with MCX market updates, along with other important geopolitical updates.

West Bengal may soon allow corrections for 27.8 lakh rejected Annapurna Yojana applications. The proposed edit facility will help applicants fix Aadhaar, mobile and data errors, resubmit forms and improve chances of receiving welfare benefits under the state scheme.

The 8th Pay Commission is about much more than a salary hike. From allowances and pensions to performance incentives and gratuity, these five key Gazette provisions could reshape the pay and retirement benefits of Central government employees. Check the complete details, including FAQs. 

While most of the changes to capital gains taxation were implemented in FY24-25 or AY25-26, taxpayers filing returns this year for AY26-27 still need to navigate a detailed reporting framework, particularly for equity transactions.

Families can save on school fees through tax exemptions for education and hostel allowances from employers. Tuition fees may also also qualify for deductions under Section 80C. Here's everything you need to know about these tax benefits.

Income-tax returns: The I-T department has released excel utility of its ITR-1 (Sahaj), ITR-2, ITR-3, and ITR-4 (Sugam) forms for AY27. Today we lay out the numbers and key things to know for senior and super senior citizens looking to file their returns.

A Bengaluru homebuyer has been waiting over six years for promised amenities after paying 40 lakh for an apartment. He approached Karnataka RERA for relief and partly won the case. Here's what you can do if it happens to you.

8th CPC: The 8th pay commission has invited eligible candidates to fill vacancies for consultant roles. Here are details on job openings, qualifications required, salary and the deadline for applications.

The EPFO member portal now allows salaried employees to transfer their EPF balance from previous employers to current ones more easily, aiming to reduce paperwork. Here's how the process works and what all you need to know.

DA hike: Amid expectations that the Indian government will announce dearness allowance increase in July 2026. we take a look at the trend of past DA hike announcements during the 7th central pay commission.

Taxpayers earning over 1 crore must file additional disclosures about assets and liabilities under Schedule AL when submitting their income tax returns. Details here.

The Orissa High Court has ruled that unauthorised absence from work, by itself, is not grave misconduct that justifies compulsory retirement or denial of pension. The court restored a railway employee's retirement benefits after finding the punishment disproportionate.

The Nasdaq 100 emerged as the biggest long-term wealth creator over the last 20 years, with 21.3% returns. Among Indian equity benchmarks, the Nifty Midcap 150 TRI delivered the highest annualised return over the same period at 16.3%.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has this month migrated entire member database to the Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES) project. The overhaul of its digital infrastructure aims to make services faster, transparent and more citizen centric.

Gifts from family can be tax-exempt, but not always. Tax treatment varies based on the giver, value, and occasion. Here's when a gift is tax-free when it becomes taxable.

Quant Small Cap added five new stocks to its portfolio in June while making complete exits from nine companies, including Reliance Industries. The fund also sharply increased holdings in RBL Bank, Sona BLW Precision Forgings and Anand Rathi Wealth while trimming exposure to several existing stocks.