Zebu blog

Tag: financial security

  • What is a Contingency Fund and How Important Is It?

    A savings account designated expressly for unforeseen costs or crises is known as a contingency fund. It is a crucial component of personal finance that may offer stability and comfort in the face of unforeseen catastrophes.

    Typically, it’s advised to save 3-6 months’ worth of income in a contingency fund. This is because it takes time to change jobs or for a company to recover from a loss. In the case of a job loss, unanticipated medical costs, or other emergency, having 3-6 months of income set up will help you stay afloat financially.

    Having a contingency fund can assist avoid the need to incur debt to pay for unforeseen expenditures, which is one of its main advantages. For instance, if you lose your job and don’t have a backup plan, you could have to charge unforeseen costs to your credit card, which might result in high-interest debt. The money in your contingency reserve, on the other hand, may be used to pay for unforeseen costs without putting you in debt.

    The peace of mind it may bring is another advantage of having a contingency fund. The anxiety that comes with unforeseen catastrophes might be lessened by knowing that you have a financial safety net.

    There are several approaches to creating a contingency fund. One strategy is to save a specific sum of money each pay period by depositing it into a savings account. Setting up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account is an additional option. Making ensuring the money is simple to get to in case of an emergency is crucial.

    Keeping a contingency fund distinct from other savings or investment accounts is also crucial to remember. This will make it more likely that the funds will be accessible when needed and won’t be spent for non-emergency costs.

    In conclusion, having a contingency fund is crucial for maintaining financial security and peace of mind in the event of unforeseen circumstances. A contingency reserve of three to six months’ worth of income is often advised to cover unforeseen costs or crises. Creating a contingency fund might provide you peace of mind and help you avoid going into debt. It’s crucial to set aside some cash from each paycheck and put it into a savings account, or set

    Make sure the money is available in case of an emergency and set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account. To ensure that the money is not spent for non-emergency costs and is available when required, it is also crucial to maintain the contingency fund distinct from other savings or investment accounts. Making a contingency fund a priority in your overall financial plan is essential because it can be the difference between a slight inconvenience and a serious financial problem.

  • Should You Invest In The National Pension Scheme?

    If you’re looking for assets that can lower your tax bill, the National Pension Scheme (NPS) should be at the top of your list. In addition to the tax benefit, NPS is a great way to invest if you want to increase your wealth and build up a strong retirement fund. This article will talk about the tax benefits of the National Pension Scheme and why it should be on your list of investments that save you money on taxes.

    The main goal of the NPS is to make sure that account holders continue to get a steady income after they retire, even if their investments have made a lot of money.

    What is the NPS program and how does it work?

    Before we look at the tax benefits of the NPS scheme, let’s take a closer look at how it works. People who have an NPS account can make regular payments to their account while they are working.

    If you are a Tier I subscriber, you must give at least Rs. 6,000 per year. If you are a Tier II customer, there is no minimum amount you must give. If you do decide to give, you may contribute Rs 250. A person with an NPS account can take out about 60% of the money in their account after they retire. With the remaining 40% of the total amount invested, an annuity should be bought so that there is a steady source of income after retirement.

    What are the basic parts of NPS tax savings?

    Not sure if investing in the NPS plan will be worth it? NPS has many benefits, such as being a cheap way to save for retirement and invest. It is important and helps you plan for retirement, and it also gives you stable long-term returns and a good income after you retire.

    Here are some more reasons why NPS is good:

    It’s up to the investor to decide where to put their money.
    Investments in the NPS are handled by people who are qualified to do so.
    The person who uses the account can decide how much to give each month.
    Accounts in the NPS can be managed from anywhere in India.
    NPS gives you a tax break.

    Let’s look at the NPS Income Tax Benefit in more depth. Under Section 80CCD, NPS gives tax breaks of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs (1). Also, Section 80CCD(2) of the Income-Tax Act says that the employer’s contribution to the NPS can only be deducted from taxes up to 10% of the employee’s salary (base plus DA).

    Salary people who have already claimed the tax exemption of Rs. 1.5 lakh under Section 80C can save more money on taxes through NPS. Section 80CCD lets people who have NPS accounts and invest up to Rs 50,000 get a tax break. This is true for both salaried and self-employed people (1B). Section 80CCD allows this extra deduction, but only for owners of Tier I NPS accounts (1B). Unlike Tier I NPS accounts, Tier II NPS accounts are not affected by Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.

    Another thing to remember about the NPS tax benefit is that the deduction under Section 80CCD is available to both salaried and non-salaried people (1). But under Section 80CCD (1), the most a paid professional can deduct is 10% of their income for the year. Those who don’t get a salary, on the other hand, pay 20% of their gross annual income.

    An important point

    The government has also agreed to raise the costs of the NPS fund manager from 0.01% to 0.09%. This is a small raise to make sure that the pension fund’s management can pay for it. IPOs and more than 200 stocks are now available to NPS fund managers.