A lot of people think they need more income to feel financially secure.

But sometimes the real problem is not income.

It is the lack of a real financial plan.

In this episode of The Long Game, I speak with Vivek about why financial planning is much more than just investing or retirement planning.

Many people earn well, save a little, invest every month, and still feel financially behind. Why? Because they may not have clarity around cash flow, emergency fund, insurance, loans, tax planning, goals, and whether their investments actually match their life.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Why financial planning is not only for wealthy people
• Why financial planning is not just investment planning
• What people in their 20s and 30s should fix before chasing FIRE
• Why employer health insurance may not be enough
• Why fixed deposits may not protect your purchasing power after inflation and taxes
• Why buying a house too early can reduce career flexibility
• Why aggressive home loan repayment is not always the best move
• Why too many mutual funds can create more confusion, not more diversification
• Why FIRE can become an escape plan if you don’t know what you want after retirement
• How childhood money experiences shape financial behavior
• A simple 7-day plan to start organizing your finances

This episode is for anyone who earns decently but still feels financially disorganized.

Before you chase FIRE, early retirement, or the next investment trend, fix the foundation first.

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7 If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com

A high income does not automatically mean financial strength.

Many Indians are earning well, but still feel financially stressed because most of their salary is already committed to EMIs, rent, lifestyle upgrades, loans, and family responsibilities.

In this episode of The Long Game, I speak with Megha Bang about the real money problems Indian households face — especially when people look financially successful from the outside but have very little savings, emergency fund, insurance, or investing discipline.

We talk about:

• Why high income does not always reduce money stress
• How people get trapped in phone EMIs, car EMIs, home loans, and personal loans
• Why total EMIs should ideally stay around 40–45% of income
• Why home loan EMI should ideally stay around 30–35% of monthly in-hand income
• What to check before buying a house
• Why dual income does not automatically mean you should take a bigger home loan
• Why upgrading lifestyle after promotion can become a trap
• The basics every household should fix: budgeting, emergency fund, insurance, and investing
• What money conversations couples should have before marriage
• Why Indian families avoid talking about money with parents
• NRI money mistakes around bank accounts, property, taxation, and compliance
• Why ULIPs often fail as both insurance and investment
• The warning signs that your lifestyle is controlling you

This conversation is not about looking rich.

It is about becoming financially strong.

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7 If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com

A finance professor. A disciplined investor. And one surprising result: his wife’s portfolio became more than 2x his.

In this episode of The Long Game, I speak with Dr. Vidhu Shekhar, who has seen finance from academia, banking, private equity, fintech, and behavioral finance.

But the most powerful lesson from this conversation is surprisingly simple:

Personal finance is not stock picking.

A lot of smart salaried people think investing means finding the next hot stock, chasing IPOs, timing trends, or following what everyone is talking about online. But Dr. Shekhar explains why that approach often hurts people more than it helps.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why personal finance is different from active investing
• Why stock picking is a full-time profession
• How his wife built more than 2x his portfolio through disciplined investing
• Why boring investments often create better long-term wealth
• Why FOMO and loss aversion destroy investor returns
• Why SIP discipline matters more than knowing everything
• What young earners should do first: health insurance, SIP, and simple allocation
• Why Instagram finance advice can be oversimplified or misleading
• How AI may change finance careers
• The one principle he would use to build long-term wealth

This episode is not about getting rich quickly.

It is about building wealth the boring, disciplined, practical way — and avoiding the mistakes that smart people keep making.

If you'd like to share your story with us, please fill out the form: https://forms.gle/Ha9nEbXyJWm3ow4x7 If you would like to connect with us and share your feedback, please drop an email at financewithmihir@gmail.com