In this edition of the reader story, we meet a 28-year-old who has created an elaborate retirement strategy to navigate the stormy waters of the IT industry. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions are linked at…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet “RK”, who discusses how he lost six months’ income in F&O over a span of three months and then traded it for systematic investing. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Sriram discussing his journey from working as an electronic engineer to running a non-profit library after early retirement. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions are linked at…

In this edition of the reader story, we have a most interesting account of Shankar (not his real name), who was burdened with debt for several years. He is now debt free and rapidly building his equity portfolio. This is quite a different journey compared to the earlier edition: My Journey to a Ten Crore…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Arun, who has most generously volunteered to share his investment journey with the DIY community. I say this because more people with his net worth are usually reticent and unwilling to open up. While sending the draft, he graciously said, ” I have nothing major to share…

The following is an anonymous post in the Facebook group Asan Ideas for Wealth (AIFW) reproduced here after its admin, Ashal Jauhari’s suggestion. “A real-life example to prove that there are only two kinds of people – those who have faced emergencies and those who have not. In the example below, this old friend –…

In April 2022, we met Arka and Rupali, who are trying to balance their personal aspirations, like travelling and exploring new opportunities, with their quest for financial independence. This is a follow-up audit. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of…

In Dec 2022, Mr Alam shared his financial journey: From a net worth of Rs. 6000 to auto-pilot goal-based investing. He has shared specific details of investments in this follow-up. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions…

Hi, this is Sahil. This is the way I track my personal finance-related metrics. This should be helpful for DIY investors and should help them to focus on what and how to measure.   About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some…

Hi, this is Abhineeth. I am a 30-year-old working as an Engineer in the state government service. I joined this position in 2016, and this is my 7th year. This is how I aim to achieve financial independence and buy/construct a decent house for my family. About this series: I am grateful to readers for…

In Feb 2022, a 31-year-old reader named GB shared his financial journey: From 5 lakhs in debt to building a corpus worth six years in retirement. This is an updated audit. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the…

We received an interesting email from Mr Rangarajan a few days: “When I read your article about pension, I remembered my father’s situation. When he was an advocate earning Rs 1,000 per month in 1934, he joined judicial service on a payment of Rs 250 per month”. This is the financial journey (1923-1983) of a…

In this edition of the reader story,  we meet 27-year-old Pretorius. He shares his mistakes, his redefined goals and how he tries to focus on the big picture and keep things simple. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the…

As regular readers may know, we publish an annual personal finance audit every December – our  2022 audit was posted a few weeks ago. Since 2020 regular readers have been sharing their investment journey and portfolio reviews. Suhas was among the first to do this. He has graciously agreed to share the 3rd update on…

In this edition of the reader story, Gayatri takes us through her personal finance journey, and how she has gradually filled the gaps in her financial planning and is on track to achieving financial freedom. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers….