Weekly roundup
Week of 4 August 2026
The RBI held rates, small savings stayed put for a ninth quarter, and the ITR deadline passed. Three things happened, and only one of them needs you to do anything this week.
01 · Home & Property · Affects everyone
RBI holds the repo rate at 5.25% for a third meeting
What this means for youNothing changes on your EMI this month. But at 8.5 percent, a ₹50 lakh loan over 20 years costs about ₹43,400 a month and roughly ₹54 lakh in total interest, more than the loan itself. If your lender is charging above 8.75 percent while the repo rate is flat, you are paying a spread you can negotiate or refinance away. That is the action item, not the rate decision.02 · Banking & Savings · Affects everyone
PPF stays at 7.1% as small savings rates hold for a ninth quarter
What this means for youIf you are in the 30 percent tax bracket, PPF at 7.1 percent tax-free is equivalent to a taxable deposit paying about 10.1 percent, which nothing on the market offers. Fill your PPF before any taxable fixed deposit. One timing detail worth money: deposit on or before the 5th of the month and that month's interest counts, deposit on the 6th and it does not.03 · Tax · Affects some
Missed the 31 July ITR deadline? Here is what a belated return costs
What this means for youFile now rather than in December. On ₹40,000 of unpaid tax, Section 234A interest adds about ₹400 a month, so five months of delay costs roughly ₹2,000 on top of the ₹5,000 late fee. If you are due a refund instead, there is no interest penalty, but every week you wait is a week the government holds your money. Check which regime you should have picked before you file, because the choice is locked once the belated return goes in.
