Fee-only financial planning · SEBI Registered Investment Adviser

Financial Planning for IT Professionals

A software salary grows fast, arrives partly as stock, and can stop at short notice. Most of our working-age clients are in technology, and the same questions come up on nearly every call: what to do with RSUs, how big an emergency fund a layoff needs, and how to invest a surplus that doubles every few years without the lifestyle doing the same.

What is different about an IT income

RSUs and ESOPs: a tax event you did not choose

RSUs are taxed as salary when they vest and ESOPs when they are exercised, at your marginal rate; the gain after that is a capital gain when you sell. Foreign shares have to be reported in your return. Holding on because the shares might rise leaves salary tax paid and a concentrated bet on one employer.

A layoff buffer, not just an emergency fund

Hiring cycles in technology are sharp. We size the emergency fund at six to twelve months of expenses and EMIs, depending on how specialised your role is and whether both partners earn, and keep it where it can be reached within a day or two.

Salary jumps and lifestyle creep

Each switch brings a 30 to 50% raise and, often, a bigger flat and a bigger car. The plan fixes the share of every raise that goes to goals before it reaches the lifestyle, so the surplus compounds.

EPF, NPS and job changes

EPF accounts left behind at old employers stop earning interest after a while and are easy to forget; the plan consolidates them under one UAN. Corporate NPS, when offered, is weighed on its tax benefit and its lock-in rather than taken by default.

Onsite stints and returning

A year abroad can change your tax residency, what you can invest in and which account your Indian money must sit in. The plan handles the transition both ways, and our NRI guide covers the longer stay.

How we plan for IT professionals

A policy for vested stock: how much employer stock to hold as a share of net worth, and a schedule to sell the rest into the diversified portfolio.
The emergency fund and the goals funded in order, with each raise, bonus and vesting split by rule rather than by mood.
Investments split between equity and debt in the mix your risk profile and goals call for, with the specific holdings named in your plan.
Insurance sized for the family, not the employer: life, health and accident cover at the amounts your plan works out, on top of the group policy.
Tax planning across old and new regimes, Section 80C and 80D, NPS and the timing of stock sales. Filing is done by your CA.
A review after six months and email support through the year, which is when the next vesting, switch or layoff question arrives.

See what a finished plan looks like, section by section

What the engagement includes

₹15,000 for the first year, including GST, per couple with dependent children and parents. Renewal is ₹7,500 a year, including GST.

A free 30-minute discovery call, then a data sheet and risk-profile questionnaire.
A written financial plan, usually within two weeks of the data being complete, walked through on a video call.
A review after six months and email support for the whole 12 months.
Advice only: you keep control of your accounts and investments. No commissions, no percentage of assets, no products sold.
Not included: income-tax return filing, direct stock tips, cryptocurrency, PMS or other complex products, or holding your money.

The plan and the fee in detail · How the engagement runs · All questions

Questions it professionals ask us

Should I sell my RSUs as soon as they vest?

Tax has already been paid on the vesting value, so holding is a fresh decision to invest in one company. Most plans set a cap on employer stock as a share of net worth and sell above it, in a schedule that manages capital gains tax.

How large should my emergency fund be?

Six to twelve months of expenses and EMIs, at the higher end if you are the only earner or in a specialised role. It is kept where it can be reached within a day or two and is replenished when used.

Is my employer's health insurance enough?

Group cover is often ₹3 to ₹5 lakh, ends with the job and may exclude parents. Most plans we write add the family's own health cover, bought while everyone is healthy.

Do you give stock tips or help me trade?

No. We do not recommend direct stocks or cryptocurrency and we do not execute transactions. The plan sets out the equity and debt mix for your goals and tells you what to do with the stock you already hold.

What does it cost?

₹15,000 for the first year and ₹7,500 a year to renew, both including GST, per couple with dependent children and parents. No percentage of assets, no commission.

Other guides

Investment in securities is subject to market risk. The rules described here are general and change; the plan applies the rules in force to your situation. SahajMoney does not file tax returns or give legal advice.

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