How solid are your foundations?
Seven things every household needs before investments matter. Move the sliders to your own numbers and see what is in place and what is not.
Missing
Score 49 of 100. One of the seven foundations is in place so far. Start with the first two items below, before investments.
1 of 7 foundations in place
Term insurance
2 of 15 points2.1 times annual income in term cover; our thumb rule is twenty times plus loans.
A pure term policy, sized to income and loans, closes the gap at a small premium.
Term insuranceHealth cover
4 of 15 pointsSum insured of ₹5 lakh for 4 people; the yardstick is about ₹20 lakh.
Aim for about ₹20 lakh for 4 people; a super top-up is a low-cost way to get there.
Health insuranceRetirement provision
6 of 15 points0.8 years of income set aside; the yardstick at 35 is about 2.
Run the retirement calculator to see the monthly SIP that closes the gap, and start it this month.
Retirement calculatorEmergency fund
8 of 15 points3.0 months of essential expenses in reach.
Build it to six months, about 3,00,000 rupees, before adding to investments.
Nominations and will
6 of 10 pointsNominations in place; no will yet.
A simple will, signed before two witnesses, settles who inherits. An afternoon’s work.
Will & estate solutionsInvestment / saving rate
13 of 20 points20% of income is saved or invested each month.
Pay yourself first: a standing instruction on payday for at least 30% of take-home income, before spending decides.
SIP calculatorDebt load
10 of 10 points15% of income goes to loan instalments.
Within a comfortable range.
A yardstick, not a verdict. The check uses common rules of thumb, names no product and is not investment advice. Nothing you enter leaves your browser unless you choose to share it.
What the hundred points are made of
The investment / saving rate carries the most weight because it is the habit that builds the rest. The emergency fund, health cover, term insurance and retirement provision follow with fifteen each; debt and paperwork round it off.
20points
Investment / saving rate
30% of take-home income or more saved or invested each month.
15points
Emergency fund
Six months of essential expenses within a day’s reach.
15points
Health cover
Cover for a serious hospitalisation, ₹10 lakh today, or twice that for a family of four or more.
15points
Term insurance
Term insurance cover of twenty times annual income, plus loans.
15points
Retirement provision
Savings against a yardstick that rises with age: one year of income at 30, three at 40, six at 50 and ten at 60.
10points
Debt load
Loan instalments within a third of income.
10points
Nominations and will
Nominations on every account, and a signed will.
Ready to redefine your financial freedom?
India is among the world’s top saving nations. But savings alone aren’t enough — your money has to work as hard as you do, spread across asset classes so it keeps pace with inflation and protects the purchasing power of the rupee.