Imagine this, May 14 -- you and your friend go to the same bank branch to apply for a home loan. Both of you have a cost-to-company (CTC) package of Rs.15 lakh. To your surprise, your friend is offered a home loan of Rs.75 lakh, while your eligibility caps out at Rs.60 lakh. You're confused. After all, your CTCs are the same.

So, what went wrong?

Well, your friend's salary probably has a higher share of fixed income, while yours is packed with reimbursements. This seemingly minor detail could make a big major difference on your eligibility for a loan or a credit card.

While the two CTCs are the same, lenders don't treat all components equally. Reimbursements such as fuel, mobile bills, meal coupons or travel expenses are included in yo...