Money basics

Understand what money does, how banks work and how borrowing differs from saving.

Where should a beginner start?

Start with income, spending, saving and borrowing. Then connect each idea to a decision you recognise, such as paying for travel or saving for a purchase.

Read the lessons

• What money actually is
• Income vs wealth
• Inflation
• Budgeting without making it a chore
• Good debt vs bad debt
• The emergency fund
• Lifestyle creep
• Why time beats money (when investing)
• How banks actually make money off you
• Savings vs current accounts
• Fixed deposits
• Sweep-in deposits
• Recurring deposits
• What happens if a bank fails (DICGC, ₹5L insurance)
• Nominees & joint accounts
• FD tax
• Small finance banks
• Breaking an FD early
• CIBIL score
• Your first credit card
• The "minimum due" trap
• Rewards & cashback
• Credit utilization & why <30% matters
• Why closing a card can hurt your score
• Old vs new tax regime
• Tax slabs
• Section 80C
• HRA
• Capital gains
• Tax on mutual funds
• TDS
• Filing your first ITR
• Why young people need insurance
• Term insurance
• Health insurance
• ULIPs, why they're usually a bad deal
• Endowment plans
• Critical illness riders

Put the idea into practice

Explore the related MarketPlay experience, or try a public learning tool.

Primary reading

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