Meera Nair

You have a credit card you no longer use — one that charges a fee every year, earns you nothing, and sits in a drawer collecting dust. Closing it seems like the obvious move. But then you read something about CIBIL scores dropping after card cancellation, and now you are not sure. Do you close […]

When credit card dues pile up — through missed payments, minimum-due traps, or sudden income loss — settlement can start to look like a way out. The bank calls. A recovery agent visits. They offer to close your account if you pay a lower amount. It feels like relief. But credit card settlement impact on

Your credit card app just flashed a message: “Congratulations! You are pre-approved for an instant loan of ₹1,50,000. No documents needed.” It sounds like easy money — and it might be. But a credit card loan is still a loan, with interest, fees, and real EMIs that land on your card statement every month. Whether

UPI is one of the most trusted payment habits in India — you scan, you pay, done. So when a “Credit Line on UPI” option appears inside your banking or UPI app, it looks like just another way to pay. It is not. A credit line on UPI changes the source of your payment from

You are looking at a ₹1 lakh purchase — a smartphone, a laptop, a medical bill, or a home appliance — and you have two options sitting in front of you. Your credit card app is offering to convert the amount into monthly instalments. Your bank is offering a personal loan with a similar EMI.

No-cost EMI has quietly become one of the most popular ways to buy a ₹50,000 smartphone, a ₹1.2 lakh laptop, or a ₹80,000 refrigerator in India. The offer sits right at checkout — split into six easy monthly payments, zero interest. It sounds like the bank is doing you a favour. Sometimes it is. But

You are at checkout, or inside your card app, and a message appears: “Convert your purchase into easy EMIs.” The monthly amount looks manageable. But that number — the EMI — is only one part of what you will actually pay. Credit card EMI can make a large purchase easier to absorb in your monthly

UPI is one of the most trusted payment tools in India — and most users have never once worried about where the money comes from. It comes from your account. That is the whole point. So when a banking or payment app suddenly shows you a “credit line on UPI” option, it is natural to

If you have tried to apply for a credit card in India and received a rejection, you are not alone. Banks routinely turn down first-time applicants who have a thin credit file, no CIBIL score, or a salary that does not meet their internal minimum. The result is frustrating: you need a credit card to

Your first credit card statement arrives and suddenly there are two dates on it — a statement date and a due date — and you are not sure which one actually matters. Then a charge appears for a purchase you thought you made last month. Then you see “minimum amount due” and wonder if that