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Guru Purnima & Financial Wisdom: Learning from the Masters of Wealth

Guru Purnima is a time to pause and express gratitude for the mentors who guide us—whether in life, learning, or wealth. In the realm of money, too, we all need gurus. Be it through books, financial advisors, or seasoned professionals, the pursuit of financial wisdom begins with humility and a willingness to learn.

As financial literacy grows in importance, more individuals are realising that financial education is not just about filing taxes or picking the right mutual fund. It’s about understanding risk, cultivating patience, and making informed decisions across decades. That’s where the guidance of a financial expert—or a financial ‘guru’—can transform how we view and manage money.

For beginners, books like “Let’s Talk Money” by Monika Halan or “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel offer excellent starting points. But if you’re an advanced investor, you might enjoy titles that go beyond personal finance, such as:

  • “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman – a deep dive into cognitive biases that affect investment decisions.
  • “Fooled by Randomness” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – explores how luck, probability, and uncertainty impact financial outcomes.
  • “Poor Charlie’s Almanack” by Charles T. Munger – a compilation of worldly wisdom from one of the most disciplined investors.
  • “Antifragile” by Taleb – ideal for those thinking beyond resilience and toward strategies that thrive under stress.

And of course, one must not overlook the real-life gurus—financial advisors—who offer personalised wealth management tips, portfolio reviews, and strategic guidance aligned with your financial goals.


Financial wisdom is not a milestone—it’s a lifelong practice. This Guru Purnima, honour the teachers who shape your financial journey, and continue investing in the one asset that grows with age: your knowledge.

Demystifying ITR Filing for Salaried Individuals: A Step-by-Step Guide for AY 2025-26

If you’re a salaried professional and the word “ITR” makes you nervous—don’t worry, you’re not alone! Filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) isn’t as daunting as it seems, especially when you understand the basics. Whether you’re in your first job or a few years into your career, here’s a simple guide to help you file your ITR for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26.

✅Which ITR Form Should You Use?

ITR-2: For those with income above ₹50 lakh or who have capital gains, more than one house property, or foreign assets.

ITR-1 (Sahaj): For salaried individuals with total income up to ₹50 lakh. It covers income from salary, one house property, and other sources like interest income.

📄 Documents You’ll Need

  1. Form 16 – Issued by your employer, it summarises your salary and the TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) already paid.
  2. Form 26AS – A tax credit statement showing TDS deducted by all sources. Match it with Form 16 to ensure accuracy.
  3. Annual Information Statement (AIS) – Reflects all your financial transactions like salary, interest, stock trades, etc.
  4. Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) – A simplified summary of your AIS for easier reference.
  5. Bank account details, investment proofs (if claiming deductions under 80C, 80D, etc.), and rent receipts (if claiming HRA).

🧾 Filing Made Simple

  1. Log in to https://www.incometax.gov.in.
  2. Choose the right ITR form.
  3. Prefill details using your PAN – the portal fetches most of the data automatically.
  4. Cross-check with your documents.
  5. Claim deductions under relevant sections.
  6. Submit and e-verify using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or other options.

OR

Simply get in touch with your tax consultant!


Pro Tip: File before 31st July 2025 (or 15th September 2025 – just for this year!) to avoid penalties. And remember, even if no tax is payable, filing helps build your financial history—a smart move for future loan approvals.

Your first few years of work are the best time to build good tax habits. Start now—and stay ahead!

Get More from Your ELSS Funds

Equity-Linked Savings Scheme or ELSS funds are widely known for the tax benefits they over. That is why, majority investors wake up to the fact of under-investing in this instrument towards the end of the financial year, as is amply clear from this chart. It shows the net inflows (+) and net outflows (-) for each month in ELSS funds from April 2022 to November
2024.

(Data sourced from monthly reports released by AMFI)

It is not surprising, therefore, that the potential of ELSS funds to generate wealth over long periods is widely overlooked. Rolling 5-year returns, rolled over a period of 10 years from 15/12/2014 to 16/12/2024, show the performance of top 3 ELSS funds plotted against their benchmark, Nifty 500 (in green). For this period, these funds have generated average returns between 14% and 17%.


(Data sourced from PrimeInvestor.in)

Given that these are equity-oriented funds with a lock-in of 3 years, it only makes sense to stay invested in these funds for as long as possible to get maximum returns. The ideal approach to invest in these funds is identical to the approach followed for investing in any other equity-oriented fund – SIP or lumpsum – throughout the year!

As for tax benefits, there are other ways to avail them, too. Besides, the benefits of investing post tax surplus far outweighs the benefits of spending/investing the tax saved.