Arthokotha (“artho” means money and “kotha” means talk in Bengali) is a free personal finance guide for Indian students and young professionals who are studying, working or planning to build a career in the United States.
Why we started
Every year, lakhs of students from India, including many from West Bengal and eastern India, move to the USA with an education loan, a suitcase and a lot of questions. How can I earn legally on an F-1 visa? How do I get an SSN? Why does nobody care about my CIBIL score here? How should I send money home? Most answers are scattered across forums, WhatsApp forwards and seniors’ advice that is sometimes outdated or wrong.
Arthokotha brings these answers together in clear, simple English, written with the Indian student’s situation in mind.
What we cover
- Student jobs, CPT and OPT
- Credit and banking
- US taxes for F-1, OPT and H-1B
- Sending money to India and NRI accounts
- Health and car insurance
- Budget and cost of living
- Investing and retirement
Our editorial approach
We explain rules using official sources such as the IRS, USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration and the Reserve Bank of India, and we update articles when important rules change. We do not accept payment to rank products, and we clearly mark anything that is opinion.
Our content is educational. It is not legal, immigration, tax or investment advice. Please read our Disclaimer.
Get in touch
Have a question or found something outdated? Visit our Contact page.