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Before you invest anything

You have some savings and are wondering what to do with them.

3 steps · about 44 minutes · all published

  1. Comes first. Investing without a buffer means selling at the worst moment.

    18 min · reading age 13

    Try: Emergency Fund Calculator
  2. Work out what a return is actually worth after tax and inflation.

    13 min · reading age 13

    Try: Real Return Calculator (post-tax, post-inflation)
  3. Then, and only then, the arithmetic of growth.

    13 min · reading age 13

    Try: Goal SIP Calculator

Why this order

Protection before growth. An emergency fund, then health cover, then clearing expensive debt, and only then investing. Not caution for its own sake — arithmetic. A card balance can charge around 50% a year, which is more than ordinary investments earn.

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