FinanceAcademy tools are built on data from official Indian regulatory bodies, statutory authorities and published institutional sources. This page documents every primary source category used across the platform.
In the Indian financial context, regulatory data changes frequently — tax slabs change with each Union Budget, RBI adjusts repo rates multiple times per year, insurance regulations are updated by IRDAI, and fund-specific data is published by AMFI and individual AMCs. Using unofficial or aggregated secondary sources introduces errors that compound across calculations.
FinanceAcademy's policy is to use the most authoritative primary source for each data category and to update that data when official changes are announced.
| Data Category | Primary Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Slabs FY 2025-26 | Finance Act 2024 — Ministry of Finance, Government of India; CBDT Circulars | Old regime, new regime, surcharge, cess |
| TDS Rates | Income Tax Act Sections 192–206C; CBDT notifications | All TDS categories applicable to individuals |
| Capital Gains Tax | Finance Act 2024 — Budget 2024 amendments; Income Tax Act Section 112A, 111A | LTCG at 12.5%, STCG at 20%, grandfathering, indexation rules |
| 80C / 80D / 80CCD Limits | Income Tax Act; Finance Act amendments; CBDT notifications | All deductions applicable to salaried individuals and investors |
| GST Rates | GST Council rate notifications; CBIC official rate schedules | All GST slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, 28%) and exemptions |
| HRA Exemption Rules | Section 10(13A) Income Tax Act; CBDT Circular 08/2013 | Calculation methodology for metro and non-metro cities |
| Stamp Duty Rates | State government schedules — published by respective state revenue departments | State-specific rates for major property transaction states |
| Data Category | Primary Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| PPF Interest Rate 7.1% p.a. | Ministry of Finance quarterly notifications; National Savings Institute | Current rate, historical rates, scheme rules (PPF Scheme 2019) |
| EPF Interest Rate | EPFO Central Board of Trustees annual notification | Current declared rate, contribution rules |
| NPS Returns & Rules | PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority); CRA published data | Tier 1/2 rules, asset class historical returns, withdrawal norms |
| Mutual Fund Returns | AMFI India (Association of Mutual Funds in India); individual AMC factsheets | NAV history, category average returns, AUM data |
| Sukanya Samriddhi / NSC Rates | Ministry of Finance quarterly notification; India Post | Current rates for all Small Savings Schemes |
| ELSS Lock-in & Tax Rules | SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations; Finance Act (80C provisions) | 3-year lock-in, 80C eligibility, LTCG treatment |
| Gratuity Calculation | Payment of Gratuity Act 1972; amendments | Formula, maximum limit, tax exemption |
| Data Category | Primary Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Repo Rate & Policy Rates RBI | Reserve Bank of India — Monetary Policy Committee decisions; RBI website | Current repo rate, reverse repo, CRR, SLR |
| Home Loan Rates | Individual bank websites (SBI, HDFC, ICICI, BoB, Kotak, Axis); published MCLR/RLLR schedules | Current floating and fixed home loan rates by tenure and amount |
| FD Interest Rates | Individual bank published FD schedules; Small Finance Bank rate cards | Rates by tenure across major public, private and SFB institutions |
| Personal Loan Rates | Individual bank and NBFC published rate ranges; RBI regulated MCLR-linked rates | Rate ranges by CIBIL score band and lender type |
| Car Loan Rates | Individual bank published rate schedules | New and used vehicle financing rates |
| Gold Loan Rates | Individual bank and NBFC published rates; RBI LTV guidelines | Interest rates, LTV norms, processing charges |
| CIBIL Score Ranges | TransUnion CIBIL published documentation | Score ranges and their interpretation for lending decisions |
| Data Category | Primary Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance Frameworks | IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) regulations; individual insurer published brochures | Claim settlement ratios, regulatory minimum coverage requirements, portability rules |
| Term Insurance Premium Ranges | Published rate cards from major life insurers (LIC, HDFC Life, Max Life, ICICI Prudential, SBI Life) | Premium ranges by age, cover amount, policy term and health status |
| ULIP Charges & Returns | IRDAI Circular on ULIP charges; individual insurer annual reports and fund factsheets | Charge structures, fund performance, comparison methodology with mutual funds |
| Insurance Claim Settlement Ratios | IRDAI Annual Report — published claim settlement data by insurer | Individual and group claim settlement percentages |
FinanceAcademy's behavioural finance tools are grounded in documented research. The primary research frameworks referenced include:
Financial data — particularly interest rates, tax rules and insurance regulations — changes frequently. While FinanceAcademy updates data when changes are announced, there may be a lag between a regulatory change and its reflection in our tools. Always verify critical rates and rules with the relevant official source (RBI, CBDT, SEBI, IRDAI, AMFI) before making financial decisions. Links to official sources are provided within each relevant tool.
The sources above power every calculator and comparison on the platform.