A common response to the investment journeys shared by our readers is, Is financial independence impossible on a low salary? We can’t sugarcoat the truth:  Yes, a high-paying job, a sought-after skillset, and an impressive CV make a big difference to the wealth we can build over time. To be precise, If Income minus expenses minus…

It is not pleasant but it has to be said. To get rich, we must stop behaving like the typical retail investor. We must stop calling ourselves the Aam Aadmi or the middle class. Btw no one reading this belongs to the Indian middle class. They may have a middle-class mindset, but that does not…

Every week, a new financial freedom story shows up on YouTube. A new video. A new podcast. A new educator who has “achieved financial freedom” and now wants to teach others how to do the same. Platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and finance apps are full of such stories, many with lakhs of views. And that…

A reader says, “I am retiring next month with a nest egg of Rs. 5 Crores. Please guide me on how to invest this for a peaceful retirement. I am 55 years old. My wife is 56. Our annual expenses are Rs. 11.8 lakhs (including Rs. 20 lakh health insurance cover)”. We shall punch this…

A reader says, “I am part of a private forum of FIRE (financially independent early retirement) seekers.  We share each other’s FIRE journeys from time to time. I recently achieved a 40X corpus (= 40 times annual expenses) and stated that I continue my job as I like what I do”. “Many members disparaged me,…

The road to wealth creation is long and winding. As much as it requires patience, it also needs focus and reference points. Here are a few personal finance milestones that can help you gauge “where you stand today” on the road to wealth. Today, these milestones would appear huge and daunting. With disciplined effort, you…

Excuse me for stating the obvious. Most people will not be financially independent when they retire. Here is why. Forget about early retirement; Most people will not become financially independent at normal retirement (55-60). Unlike early retirement, this is a mandatory retirement. Otherwise, our quality of life will significantly decrease, and we will depend on…

Each time a financially independent person is interviewed on YouTube or the media, many comments go, “Oh, this guy had a huge salary; she went on-site, that is why she can save so much. He says he is financially independent and retired, but his wife is still working so that does not count” and so…

In 2008, my expenses dropped to ‘normal’ levels after my father passed away (post a prolonged battle with cancer). By then, I  had been in a regular position for less than two years, taking stock of my cash flow and investible surplus (money net of all expenses). Immature me, I remember asking my mom a…

A reader says, “I was planning to retire in early 2025. The markets in the last few years have been good to us all, and I was confident about retiring early (I am 45). But now, I am not so sure. I have used your robo-advisor tool for the last four years and, with its…

I have tracked the amount invested for my goals in the same Excel sheet for the last 14 years (2011 to 2024).  This sheet only tracks the amount invested and not its current market value (for this, I use a Google Sheets Tracker). These are some lessons from the journey. Between 2010-11, my retirement planning…

We recently received two questions which would be interesting to discuss together: (1) How much do I need to retire at 40 in India? (2) What should be the portfolio size in terms of x(annual expenses) so that we could maintain 60:40 post FIRE/retirement (at early ages like 35-40)? How big must one have so…

The first step in getting rich is to believe without a doubt that we will be. It is just a matter of effort and time (in that order). Allow me to explain. How does one get rich? What is the first step towards financial independence? Crude as it may seem, the first step to being…