Are you about to buy a life insurance policy or put money in a five-year fixed deposit just to exhaust your section 80C deduction of Rs.1.5 lakh? As soon as the human resources (HR) department sends an email with a deadline to submit proofs of expenses and tax-saving investments, you may be tempted to buy the first life insurance policy that comes your way. In fact, 30% of about 300 respondents admitted to making the mistake of running around at the last minute to save taxes, in a survey by BigDecisions.com, a financial planning portal (see Haste makes waste).