Post-tax Yield Comparator

FD, debt fund, equity fund or PPF — who actually wins after tax?

Amount to invest₹

Investment horizon yrs

Your income tax slab%

Inflation (to show today's-money value)%

Fixed deposit rate (assumed) %

Debt fund return (assumed) %

Equity fund return (assumed) %

PPF / SSY rate (current) %

This compares like-for-like post-tax, inflation-adjusted outcomes — not just headline rates. FD interest and debt fund gains are taxed at your slab rate (debt funds annually via the fund's accrual in practice, approximated here as a single effective haircut for simplicity). Equity fund LTCG assumes a single redemption at the end of the horizon, taxed at 12.5% above a ₹1,25,000 exemption — in practice the exemption resets every financial year, so staggered withdrawals can do better than shown here. PPF/SSY assumes the current government-notified rate holds for the full horizon, which real rates rarely do (they're revised quarterly). Actual fund returns are never guaranteed — equity and debt fund rates here are assumptions you can and should adjust.

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Frequently asked questions

What is CAGR and how is it different from average return?

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is the single steady annual rate that would take your starting value to your ending value over the period, accounting for compounding. A simple average of yearly returns can be misleading -- a 50% gain followed by a 50% loss averages to 0%, but you'd actually be down 25%. CAGR reflects what actually happened to your money.Read more: Your Retirement Number Ignores the One Cost Growing Twice as Fast

Is SIP better than a lump sum investment?

Neither is universally better -- a SIP (spreading investment across regular installments) reduces the risk of investing everything right before a downturn and suits regular income, while a lump sum captures more time in the market if invested when prices are relatively low. For most people investing from salary, SIP is the practical default; a lump sum windfall is often still better invested promptly rather than staggered indefinitely.Read more: Your “Financial Advisor” Is Probably Just a Salesperson on Commission

How does compounding actually grow money over time?

Compounding means your returns start earning their own returns, not just your original investment. The effect is small in early years and accelerates sharply later -- which is why starting early matters more than almost any other single investing decision, even more than the exact return rate.Read more: SEBI’s SCORES Portal Promises a 21-Day Fix — Here’s What That Timeline Doesn’t Tell You

What's a realistic long-term return to assume for equity investments?

Long-term equity returns vary a great deal by market and period, and past performance never guarantees future results. Most long-term financial plans use a conservative, inflation-aware assumption rather than recent bull-market numbers -- this calculator lets you test your own assumption and see how sensitive the outcome is to it.Read more: Your Retirement Number Ignores the One Cost Growing Twice as Fast

Estimates only, not financial advice. See our Disclaimer.