Systematic Investment Plan — a fixed amount invested automatically into a fund at regular intervals, usually monthly, instead of all at once. The same concept exists elsewhere as a recurring brokerage transfer or automatic investment plan.

Public Provident Fund — an Indian government-backed savings scheme with a 15-year lock-in, currently paying a quarterly-revised interest rate, with contributions, interest, and maturity all tax-free (EEE status). India-only; no direct equivalent elsewhere.

National Pension System — a voluntary, defined-contribution retirement savings scheme in India with tax deductions on contributions and tax-deferred growth. India-only.

Equated Monthly Instalment — the fixed monthly payment on a loan, covering both interest and a portion of principal, calculated so the loan is fully repaid by the end of its tenure.

Debt-to-Income ratio — total monthly debt payments divided by monthly income. Most lenders treat above ~40% as a risk threshold, since it leaves little room for anything unexpected.

Long-Term Capital Gains tax — a (usually lower) tax rate applied to profit from an investment held longer than a specific threshold. The exact rate and holding period vary significantly by country.

Short-Term Capital Gains tax — the (usually higher) tax rate applied to profit from an investment sold before it qualifies for long-term treatment.

Compound Annual Growth Rate — the constant yearly rate that, compounded, would take an investment from its starting value to its ending value over a period, smoothing out the actual up-and-down path it took to get there.

Net Asset Value — the per-unit price of a mutual fund, calculated daily from the fund's total assets minus liabilities, divided by units outstanding.

Fixed Deposit — a lump sum deposited with a bank for a fixed term at a fixed interest rate, similar to a Certificate of Deposit (CD) in the US.

Recurring Deposit — a fixed amount deposited every month for a fixed term, earning a fixed interest rate, similar to a systematic savings plan.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan — automatic, regular withdrawals from an investment fund, commonly used to generate a steady income stream in retirement. The reverse cash-flow direction of a SIP.

A pool of easily-accessible savings — typically 3-6 months of essential expenses — kept in something low-risk and liquid, specifically to cover costs if income is disrupted.