Plain-English guides to income tax, investing, retirement, loans and savings in India.https://smartfigure.in/en-INhttps://smartfigure.in/blog/gratuity-new-labour-codes-2026/https://smartfigure.in/blog/gratuity-new-labour-codes-2026/Gratuity changed in November 2025: fixed-term staff now qualify after 1 year, and higher basic pay raises payouts. What changed and how to calculate it.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTsalarygratuitylabour codescode on social securitysalaryhttps://smartfigure.in/blog/hra-exemption-new-metro-cities/https://smartfigure.in/blog/hra-exemption-new-metro-cities/Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad now count as metros for HRA, raising the tax-free limit from 40% to 50% of salary. How it works, with examples.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTtaxhrahouse rent allowanceincome taxmetro citieshttps://smartfigure.in/blog/new-upi-charges-2026/https://smartfigure.in/blog/new-upi-charges-2026/NPCI will charge 0.4% on some UPI merchant payments above ₹2,000 from 15 October 2026. Who pays, who is exempt, and why your UPI stays free.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTbankingupinpcimdrdigital paymentsupi chargeshttps://smartfigure.in/blog/nps-withdrawal-rules-2026/https://smartfigure.in/blog/nps-withdrawal-rules-2026/NPS now lets non-government subscribers take up to 80% as a lump sum. See the new exit rules, tax on withdrawals and what they mean for your pension.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTretirementnpsnational pension systempfrdaretirementannuityhttps://smartfigure.in/blog/old-vs-new-tax-regime-2026-27/https://smartfigure.in/blog/old-vs-new-tax-regime-2026-27/Old or new tax regime for 2026-27? Compare slabs, deductions and the exact break-even point for your salary, with worked examples and a free calculator.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTtaxincome taxnew tax regimeold tax regimetax year 2026-27https://smartfigure.in/blog/sip-vs-fd/https://smartfigure.in/blog/sip-vs-fd/SIP or fixed deposit? Compare returns, risk, tax and liquidity with real numbers for 5, 10 and 20 years, and find out which suits your goal.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTinvestingsipfixed depositmutual fundsrecurring deposit