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The questions a calculator cannot answer: how the arithmetic works, which structure a lender is actually quoting, and where the cost of an offer is hiding. Every article links to the calculator that finishes the job.
Topics
EMIThe mechanics behind the monthly figure: how it is derived, what it is made of, and where the cost hides.4 articlesLoansBorrowing decisions, from what you can get sanctioned to whether paying early is worth it.4 articlesProduct EMIBuying a phone, laptop or appliance on EMI, and what the offer is not telling you.7 articlesCredit CardsCard EMI conversions, and the charges that do not appear in the advertised rate.4 articlesInvesting & DepositsMoney you are putting away rather than borrowing: what the projections assume, and the small mechanical details that move the answer.3 articles
All articles
- How Is EMI Calculated?How Indian lenders work out your monthly instalment, why the interest portion shrinks every month, and what actually changes the number.23 Sept 2026
- The EMI Formula, Explained Line by LineThe reducing-balance EMI formula Indian lenders use, what each symbol means, how to compute it yourself, and how to handle the 0% case.23 Sept 2026
- Reducing Balance vs Flat RateWhy a flat 10% and a reducing-balance 10% are not the same loan, how much more the flat structure costs, and where you meet it in India.23 Sept 2026
- Is No-Cost EMI Really Free?How no-cost EMI is funded in India, the charges that survive the offer, and how to work out whether a particular one is genuinely free.23 Sept 2026
- No-Cost EMI or the Cash Discount?Indian retailers offer either no-cost EMI or a discount for paying upfront, rarely both. How to work out which one leaves you better off.23 Sept 2026
- What Happens If You Prepay a Loan?What a lump-sum prepayment does to an Indian loan, the choice between cutting the tenure and cutting the EMI, and when it is worth doing at all.23 Sept 2026
- How Much Loan Can You Get on Your Salary?How lenders turn your income into a loan amount, what FOIR means, and what else they check before sanctioning anything.23 Sept 2026
- Personal Loan or Credit Card EMI?The real cost in India of converting a card purchase to EMI against taking a personal loan, including the processing fee and the 18% GST on it.23 Sept 2026
- How a Down Payment Changes Your Phone EMIWhat paying part of a phone's price upfront does to the instalment and the interest, and why trading in your old phone does the same job.23 Sept 2026
- iPhone 18 Pro on EMI: What It Really CostsThe instalment on an iPhone 18 Pro at Apple India's listed price, what a card EMI adds over a no-cost plan, and how trade-in changes the maths.23 Sept 2026
- How to Read an Amortisation ScheduleWhat each column of a loan schedule means, how to spot the month your loan turns the corner, and how to check your bank's statement against it.23 Sept 2026
- What Is FOIR, and Why Does It Decide Your Loan?FOIR is the single ratio that caps how much Indian lenders will sanction. What counts towards it, what does not, and how to move it.23 Sept 2026
- Short vs Long Loan Tenure: What It Really CostsA longer tenure lowers the EMI and raises the total by far more than most people expect. The actual numbers, and when the longer term is still right.23 Sept 2026
- GST on Credit Card EMI: What You Actually PayGST applies to the interest and the processing fee on a card EMI conversion. Where it lands, how much it adds, and why the advertised rate hides it.23 Sept 2026
- Why a Card EMI Blocks Your Credit LimitConverting a purchase to EMI does not free up your credit limit. How much stays blocked, how it unwinds, and what it does to your credit score.23 Sept 2026
- How to Close a Credit Card EMI EarlyWhat foreclosing a card EMI costs, when it saves money, and the one mistake that leaves you paying interest on a debt you thought you had cleared.23 Sept 2026
- Phone EMI Without a Credit Card: What Are the Options?Debit card EMI, consumer durable loans and pay-later plans all finance a phone without a credit card. What each actually costs.23 Sept 2026
- Exchange vs Down Payment: Which Cuts Your EMI More?Trade-in value and cash down payment reduce your EMI identically. What differs is what each one costs you, and one of them is often free money.23 Sept 2026
- What Is the Best Tenure for a Phone EMI?Longer phone EMIs cost more and often outlive the phone. How to pick a tenure, and why no-cost and financed plans need opposite answers.23 Sept 2026
- SIP vs Lumpsum: Which Actually Ends Up Ahead?On the same money and the same return, a lumpsum wins on arithmetic. Why a SIP is still the right answer for most people in India.23 Sept 2026
- Why Your PPF Deposit Date Changes Your Maturity ValuePPF pays interest on the lowest balance between the 5th and month end. Depositing a day late costs you a month's interest, every month.23 Sept 2026
- PPF vs FD: Compare Them After Tax, Not BeforeAn FD at 7.5% and PPF at 7.1% are not what they look like. FD interest is taxed at your slab and PPF interest is not.23 Sept 2026
Reviewed by Pradipta Ray, Editor · Last updated