Salary & Wealth
CTC, in-hand pay, salary hikes, and net worth — the real numbers behind your paycheck.
Guides
September 15, 2026 · 5 min read
The Rule of 72: How Fast Your Money Actually Doubles
Divide 72 by your return rate and you know, in seconds, how long your money takes to double. Here's the full doubling table by return rate — and how the same trick catches unrealistic investment promises.
September 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Why a 20% Salary Hike Doesn't Mean 20% More In-Hand Pay
An ₹8L to ₹9.6L CTC hike is 20% on paper. The real guaranteed monthly increase can be as low as 8% or as high as 20% — depending entirely on one number most people never check.
September 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Does a Relocation Job Offer Actually Pay Off? The Real Break-Even Math
₹60,000 to ₹85,000 in-hand looks like a clear win — until ₹15,000/month extra cost of living and a ₹60,000 relocation bill are factored in. Here's how many months it actually takes to break even.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
How Many Months Until a Job Switch Pays for Itself
A ₹15,000/month improvement sounds simple until ₹90,000 in relocation, notice-period loss, and setup costs are subtracted — that's still just 6 months to break even, but the number isn't always this clean.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
What Working From Home Is Actually Worth in Rupees
Commuting costs ₹8,500/month in fuel, food, and parking. Working from home costs ₹2,000 in extra electricity and internet. That gap is a real ₹6,500/month, 9.3% effective salary boost — and 7.5 hours of commute time back every week.
September 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Salary vs Freelancing: Which Actually Nets You More?
₹90,000/month freelance revenue sounds like a clear win over a ₹70,000 salary — until expenses, a 20% tax reserve, and ₹8,000 of lost employer benefits bring it down to ₹64,000. Here's the real comparison.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
The ₹20 Lakh Gratuity Ceiling That Catches Long-Tenure Employees Off Guard
At ₹1,50,000 basic and 30 years of service, the formula gives ₹25.96 lakh — but you only get ₹20 lakh. Here's exactly where the statutory ceiling starts costing long-tenure senior employees real money.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
How Big Should Your Emergency Fund Actually Be?
₹40,000 in monthly essential expenses means a ₹2,40,000 to ₹4,80,000 emergency fund, depending on how much income stability you actually have. Here's how to pick the right number for your situation.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Leave Encashment: The ₹25 Lakh Exemption That Only Applies When You Leave
The exact same ₹57,692 leave encashment payout can be fully taxable or fully tax-free — the only difference is whether you're encashing it during service or at exit. Here's why timing matters this much.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
How Much SIP You Actually Need for a ₹50 Lakh Goal
A ₹50 lakh goal 20 years out needs just ₹5,004/month at 12% returns. The same goal 5 years out needs ₹60,616/month — over 12x more. Here's the full table by timeline.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
What Today's ₹60,000 Expense Actually Costs in 15 Years
₹60,000 today becomes ₹1,43,793 in 15 years at 6% inflation — more than double, without a single rupee of real spending increase. Here's the full table, and why the assumption you pick matters so much.
September 9, 2026 · 6 min read
CTC to In-Hand Salary: How Much of Your CTC You Actually Take Home
Your CTC and your bank credit are two very different numbers — here's exactly what happens in between, and a table showing real take-home at different CTC levels.
September 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Is This Job Switch Actually Worth It? A Financial Gut-Check
A bigger offer letter number doesn't automatically mean a better deal — here's how to properly compare a new job against your current one, costs included.
August 26, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Calculate Your Net Worth (With a Real Example)
Net worth isn't your salary or your savings account balance — it's everything you own minus everything you owe. Here's how to actually calculate it.
August 24, 2026 · 6 min read
PF Calculator: What Your EPF Actually Grows To By Retirement
You've watched "PF" get deducted from your salary for years without knowing what it adds up to. Here's the real number, by basic salary.