A running index of everything I’ve written on markets, money, and the decisions around both. Use the links below to jump to a section, or scroll through.
Thoughts on Investing
Gold
On using gold to hedge against uncertainty & inflation. How does it compare to equities?
Farming money
Planting the seeds of investing: a quick-start guide.
Envy and Us
On how envy affects our trading and investment strategies.
IPO Basics
How the primary market actually works, from allotment to listing.
How IPO Allotment Works in India
Why most retail applicants don’t get shares, and how the SEBI lottery actually works.
What is GMP in IPO
Grey Market Premium explained, and how much weight you should actually give it.
OFS vs Fresh Issue in IPO
Two very different things in an IPO, and why the distinction matters for investors.
How to Apply for an IPO Using UPI
Step-by-step: from opening your broker app to accepting the UPI mandate.
What is a DRHP
The most important IPO document most investors never read, and what’s actually worth reading in it.
SME IPO vs Mainboard IPO
The differences that matter: exchange, disclosure, liquidity, and risk.
What is Cut-Off Price in IPO
When to tick cut-off price on your application, and the rare case where you might not.
IPO Listing Gains
How to think about Day 1 gains versus holding, and the data on base rates.
What Happens If an IPO Is Not Fully Subscribed?
The 90 percent SEBI rule, underwriter devolvement, and what undersubscription signals.
How to Check IPO Allotment Status
All registrars: KFintech, Link Intime, Bigshare, in one guide.
What is ASBA
How Application Supported by Blocked Amount protects your money in IPOs.
Demat Account in India
What it is, NSDL vs CDSL, DP charges, and what to check before opening one.
Bonds & Fixed Income
Everything beyond the savings account: G-Secs, NCDs, SGBs, and how to build a debt portfolio.
SGB vs Gold ETF vs Physical Gold
Three very different ways to own gold, returns, tax, and liquidity compared.
Sovereign Gold Bond: Complete Guide
How SGBs work, 2.5% annual interest, 8-year tenure, and the tax-free maturity gain.
NCD vs FD
Higher returns, higher risk. What Non-Convertible Debentures offer vs a bank FD.
What Are NCDs
Non-Convertible Debentures explained: coupon, ratings, and how to apply.
How to Invest in G-Secs via RBI Retail Direct
Complete guide to opening an RBI Retail Direct account and buying government securities.
What Are 54EC Bonds
How to save LTCG tax on property sale by investing in NHAI and REC bonds.
SDL: State Development Loans Explained
State government bonds: safety, yield premium over G-Secs, and how to buy.
Fixed Income Investing in India
The complete landscape: FDs, G-Secs, NCDs, SGBs, and how to build a debt portfolio.
What Are Bonds in India
Plain English: how bonds work, who issues them, and how retail investors can access them.
REITs & InvITs
Owning real estate and infrastructure without the headaches of direct property.
What Are REITs in India
How Real Estate Investment Trusts work, the listed REITs, and who they’re suited for.
What Are InvITs
Infrastructure Investment Trusts: toll roads, pipelines, and power assets for retail investors.
REIT vs InvIT vs Direct Real Estate
What makes sense for the aam aadmi investor when comparing liquid and illiquid real estate.
Personal Finance
The fundamentals: where to start, how to allocate, and what the rules of thumb actually mean.
The 100 Minus Age Rule
Does this old equity allocation thumb rule still hold up in 2025?
How to Build an Emergency Fund in India
How much is enough, where to keep it, and what NOT to invest it in.
Nifty 50 ETF
The simplest investment most Indians aren’t making, and why that’s a mistake.
How Much of Your Portfolio Should Be in Gold?
The case for gold as a hedge, how much is reasonable, and which form makes sense.
Investing vs Trading
Why most retail participants should not be trading, and the data behind that claim.
How to Start Investing in India with ₹5,000 a Month
A simple, practical framework to get your money working from day one.
Inflation in India
How India’s inflation rate erodes savings accounts, FDs, and what actually protects you.
What Are NFOs
New Fund Offers aren’t cheap just because the NAV starts at ₹10. Here’s why.
P2P Lending in India
High returns or high risk? An honest look at default rates and what platforms don’t tell you.
Startup Investing for Retail Investors in India
What SEBI’s accredited investor framework opened up, and what the real risks are.
Investing Psychology
The behaviour that costs most investors more than bad stock picks.
Why You Always Buy at the Top and Sell at the Bottom
The psychology behind recency bias, panic selling, and why SIPs mechanically fix this.
FOMO Investing
How the fear of missing out shows up in IPOs, crypto, and rallies, and what it costs you.
Why Checking Your Portfolio Every Day Is Bad for Your Wealth
Myopic loss aversion, the research behind it, and how to check less without losing control.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy in Investing
Why you hold bad stocks too long, and the one question that breaks the trap.
Tax & Efficiency
Keeping more of what you earn.
LTCG Tax on Equity in India
What changed in Budget 2024, the Rs 1.25 lakh exemption, and how to plan redemptions.
How SGB Is Taxed
Interest is taxable; maturity gains are tax-free. The complete picture.
Tax-Saving Investments Beyond 80C
80CCD(1B), 80D, 80E, HRA, and other deductions most taxpayers miss.
How to Do Tax-Loss Harvesting in India
Set-off rules, carry-forward for 8 years, and how to execute before March 31.
India & Macro
The bigger picture that shapes every investment decision.
How RBI Repo Rate Decisions Affect Your Investments
Tracing repo rate changes from EMIs to bond prices to equity valuations.
India Primary Market Boom
What is driving record IPO volumes, who benefits most, and how retail should approach it.
The Aam Aadmi Investor Guide to Reading Market News
How financial media makes money on your attention, and how to read it without getting played.
Experiments
Things I’ve tried, built, or lived — and what they taught me.
Going Bananas
Planted 1200 banana saplings in 2019. On tracking their growth.
Back to school
On running a village school in Jharkhand.
Chilling
On building low-cost desi air coolers.
Countdown
On time, and how it is running out.
What Planting 1,200 Banana Trees Taught Me About Long-Term Investing
On patience, compounding, and the parts of investing no finance textbook covers.
Why I Run a School in Jharkhand
And what it has to do with who gets to participate in India’s financial markets.
Building a Low-Cost Air Cooler
What jugaad engineering teaches you about frugality and spending less without sacrificing comfort.