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September 2026
Rules
The PF wage ceiling moves to ₹25,000 — the first change since 2014
The Union Cabinet cleared the increase on 16 September and the Labour Ministry notified it the next day, so ₹25,000 a month replaces ₹15,000 as the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage from 17 September 2026. The ceiling had sat at ₹15,000 since September 2014. The government expects it to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees into mandatory provident fund, pension and EDLI cover, at an annual outgo of about ₹11,339 crore and roughly ₹56,696 crore over five years. The pension side moves with it: the employer’s 8.33% EPS diversion is now computed on wages up to ₹25,000, which is about ₹2,083 a month at the full ceiling against ₹1,250 before.
Effective 17 September 2026 — Cabinet approval on 16 September, Gazette notification the following day
The old ceiling of ₹15,000 had been unchanged since September 2014
More than 51 lakh more workers come under mandatory EPF, EPS and EDLI cover
EPS contribution at the full ceiling rises from about ₹1,250 to about ₹2,083 a month
Being paid above ₹25,000 does not throw an existing member out of the scheme
Why it matters If your basic plus DA sits between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 and your employer was contributing only on ₹15,000, more of your salary now goes into the PF account and less reaches your bank. That is a bigger retirement balance and a bigger eventual pension, but it is also a real cut in take-home pay — and if PF sits inside your CTC, the employer’s share comes out of the same package. Read the October payslip line by line before assuming a deduction is a mistake.
A 2019 gold bond redeemed at ₹15,173 a gram — which is also what your jewellery is now worth
The RBI opened the premature redemption window for Sovereign Gold Bond 2019-20 Series IV on 17 September at ₹15,173 per unit. The price is the simple average of the closing price of 999-purity gold published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association for 11, 15 and 16 September. The series was issued at ₹3,840 a gram for online applicants, so the redemption works out to roughly 295% over about six years, before counting the 2.5% annual interest the bond paid on the issue price.
Redemption price ₹15,173 per unit, set on the IBJA 999-purity average for 11, 15 and 16 September
Issue price was ₹3,840 a gram for the online, digitally-paid tranche
Premature redemption on an SGB is only available from the fifth year, on interest payment dates
The same ₹15,173 is roughly what a lender values a gram of your pure gold at today
Why it matters That number matters even if you never bought a gold bond. Gold loan limits are worked out on the metal value of what you pledge, so a chain valued two years ago supports a materially larger loan today without anyone buying a gram more. Under the rules in force since 1 April 2026, a loan up to ₹2.5 lakh can go to 85% of that value.
Flipkart's festive sale opens 9 October; Amazon hasn't announced its dates yet
Big Billion Days opens to everyone on 9 October, with member early access on 8 October. Flipkart has announced a 10% instant discount on two partner banks' cards. Amazon's Great Indian Festival had no official dates as of 18 September.
Why it matters Bank discounts usually carry a per-order cap, and card and EMI payments can get different terms. Read the offer before you pick how to pay.
UPI stays free for you; big merchant payments get a fee from 15 October
NPCI announced a 0.4% merchant discount rate, capped at ₹300, on specified person-to-merchant payments above ₹2,000. Transfers between people and payments up to ₹2,000 stay free, and small merchants within ₹1 lakh a month stay at zero.
Why it matters The fee is the merchant's. The Finance Ministry says banks have been told to make sure merchants don't pass it on — a "UPI charge" on your bill is not part of the rule.
FASTag becomes portable: change the issuing bank, keep the same sticker
OneTag lets NETC FASTag users move to another issuer bank through NHAI's Rajmargyatra app. The Tag ID and vehicle registration number stay the same, so nothing on the windscreen changes. IHMCL and NPCI built it. More than 13 crore tags have been issued, of which about 6 crore are active.
Why it matters Your balance does not travel with you. The old bank still handles the earlier wallet, its refunds and any pending transactions, so empty it before you switch.
Samsung's Galaxy S26 FE lands at ₹79,999 with seven years of updates
One version only at launch — 8GB RAM with 256GB storage — on sale from 18 September. The launch offers (card cashback, an exchange bonus, or up to 18 months of no-cost EMI) can't be combined.
Why it matters Seven years of security updates matters for a phone you bank on. When offers are either-or, set the cashback against what the EMI route really costs.
RBI proposes a 60-day cap on banks' own holds on suspected mule accounts
The draft covers holds a bank places on its own suspicion, on flagged transactions of ₹1,000 or more. Comments close on 2 October; it is proposed to apply from 1 April 2027.
Why it matters It does not cover freezes ordered by police after a cyber complaint. Those follow the Home Ministry's grievance route, which starts at your branch.
Each brief links to its original source — follow it for the full story. Figures were correct when the brief ran; rules change, so check the source before acting on an older item.