Physical gold costs you 3% GST upfront. Gold ETFs reach LTCG in 12 months. SGBs give 2.5% interest plus full capital gains exemption at maturity. Here is the complete tax and economics comparison for 2026.

NPS gives you Section 124 deductions under the Income Tax Act 2025. But at retirement, 40% of your corpus is locked into an annuity that pays 5.5-7.5% and is fully taxable under Salaries. Here is the real cost nobody calculates for you.

For every Rs 100 Indians put in bank FDs, they now invest Rs 45 in mutual funds and equities. Bank deposits fell below 10% growth in December 2025. SIP inflows hit Rs 31,002 crore monthly. A deep analysis of the war for India's savings.