A reader asks,

I’m being offered an upfront joining bonus by my new employer. How should I go about investing this money? There is one condition though. I will be required to give back this money if I leave the job within 6 months.

Given the payback condition, I’d recommend that the joining bonus be kept in a 6-month fixed deposit — don’t even think of investing it right now. If you do leave the job within 6 months, you can break the fixed deposit and give back the money to your employer. And if you don’t, the money is fully yours and unencumbered and you need to use/save/invest it to meet your financial goals.

What do you think?