Author: Ashish Kumar

Quick AnswerUPI payment failed money debited cases must be auto-reversed by T+1 (the next day) for person-to-person transfers and by T+5 for merchant payments, as per RBI’s 2019 turnaround time rules. If the bank misses this deadline, it must pay you ₹100 for every day of delay without you asking. If your bank doesn’t resolve the complaint within 30 days, you can file free at cms.rbi.org.in under the new RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026. You typed your UPI PIN, the screen spun for a few seconds, and then came the red “Payment Failed” message. A minute later, your bank sends…

PPF vs Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a comparison that trips up a lot of parents, because both schemes get recommended in almost the same breath, government-backed, tax-free, safe. But they’re built for genuinely different purposes, and picking the wrong one for your specific goal means either locking money up longer than necessary or missing out on a meaningfully higher return. Quick AnswerAs of the July-September 2026 quarter, PPF offers 7.1% interest and is open to any Indian resident, with a 15-year tenure extendable in 5-year blocks. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana offers a higher 8.2% interest but can only be opened for…

RBI UPI 2FA rules 2026 are the reason your UPI app has been asking for an extra tap, a fingerprint, or a device confirmation lately, on top of the PIN you’re used to entering. If you’ve noticed payments feeling slightly different since earlier this year and wondered whether something broke, nothing broke. This is a deliberate, mandatory security upgrade, and it’s worth understanding exactly what it does. Quick AnswerEffective April 1, 2026, the RBI’s UPI 2FA rules require every digital payment in India, UPI, credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets, to use two independent authentication factors instead of relying…

Quick AnswerUnder the Income Tax Act 2025, the Tax Year replaces both Previous Year and Assessment Year with one unified 12-month period, April 1 to March 31, effective from April 1, 2026. Income earned in Tax Year 2026-27 is now reported and assessed in that same Tax Year 2026-27, instead of the old system where FY 2025-26 income was assessed in a separate AY 2026-27. Tax slabs, rates, deductions, and filing due dates remain unchanged, this is a naming and reference reform, not a change to how much tax you pay. Tax Year Income Tax Act 2025 is the reform…

Growth Enterprises Market Definition: A growth enterprises market is a dedicated stock exchange segment for small and medium-sized companies that don’t yet meet main-board listing rules. The best-known example is the Hong Kong Growth Enterprise Market, which has helped 267+ companies raise HKD 40+ billion since 1999. India’s equivalent is NSE Emerge and BSE SME, operating under SEBI’s SME listing framework. Quick AnswerA growth enterprises market is a stock exchange segment built for young, fast-growing companies that don’t yet meet the profitability, size, or track-record requirements of a main board. The Hong Kong Growth Enterprise Market (GEM), opened in 1999,…

Last updated: August 2026 | Written by Ashish Kumar, Founder at BusinessBuilts Quick AnswerThe fastest way to learn how to invest in US stocks from India is through a GIFT City IFSCA-regulated platform, starting from as little as $1 with digital PAN-based KYC. Four routes exist in total: GIFT City platforms, direct foreign brokers, Indian mutual funds or ETFs, and GIFT City feeder funds. Under RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), Indian residents can remit up to $250,000 per financial year for this purpose. Popular Indian broking apps like Groww and Zerodha do not offer direct US stock purchases, they route…

Quick Answer A family opportunity mortgage lets you buy a home for an aging parent or a disabled adult child and finance it at primary residence pricing, even though you will not live there yourself. Minimum down payment is 5% (0% with VA/USDA), minimum credit score is typically 620, and debt-to-income ratio can go up to 45-50% with strong compensating factors. There is no distance requirement between your home and theirs, unlike a second home loan. If you have looked up “family opportunity mortgage” and come away more confused than when you started, you are not alone. Most articles on…

Quick Answer A salary saving scheme is a system that automatically sets aside a fixed portion of your salary, typically 10 to 20 percent, into a savings or investment account before you ever get a chance to spend it. In the US, this usually means a 401(k) or a payroll savings plan tied directly to your paycheck. In India, it usually means EPF, PPF, or an ELSS SIP. The core idea stays the same everywhere: save first, spend what remains. Last updated: August 2026 | Written by Ashish Kumar, Founder at BusinessBuilts Most people do not have a spending problem.…

Quick Answer A joint account is a bank account owned by two or more people who share ownership of the funds and the right to operate it, based on a mandate chosen at opening. Under an either or survivor mandate, any one holder can transact independently, and the surviving holder gets instant control after a death. Each unique joint account combination also qualifies for a separate ₹5 lakh DICGC insurance cover in the same bank. Last updated: August 2026 | Written by Ashish Kumar, Founder at BusinessBuilts Ever tried splitting rent with your roommate through five different UPI transfers every…

Quick Answer: Income Tax Return Filing Last Date AY 2026-27 31 July 2026 — Salaried employees, pensioners, non-audit ITR-1/ITR-2 filers (deadline passed) 31 August 2026 — Freelancers, professionals, small business owners, non-audit ITR-3/ITR-4 31 October 2026 — Businesses requiring tax audit 30 November 2026 — Transfer pricing report cases 31 December 2026 — Last date for belated return, if you already missed your deadline No CBDT extension has been announced as of publish date. Check incometax.gov.in for real-time updates before you file. Every year, as July approaches, one question keeps coming up: what is the income tax return filing last…