September 17, 2025

Earning a salary of ₹3 lakh every month might sound like hitting the jackpot, but does it really mean you are free? Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik warns it might be just a "golden cage". This means you may have comfort but no real freedom if you can't quit your job tomorrow. How? Because relying only on active income makes you work forever. Kaushik says real wealth comes when your money works for you. He explains that true financial freedom means having enough passive income — money earned from investments— to cover your living costs. For example, if your family spends ₹1 lakh monthly, your investments should generate at least that much income regularly. How much money do you need to build this treasure chest? It depends on how well your investments perform. If your investments give you 6% a year, you need around ₹2 crore to cover that ₹1 lakh monthly expense. But if you are smarter and get 10% returns, just ₹1.2 crore would do! The message is clear: chasing a bigger paycheck alone won’t set you free. Investing wisely is the golden key. On another note, CA Abhishek Walia shakes up old ideas about retirement goals. Remember when ₹1 crore was the big dream to retire safely? As inflation eats away at money’s value every year (about 7%), real worth of one crore drops dramatically. In 20 years, it’s like having only ₹25 lakh today! Just imagine: school fees costing ₹1 lakh today could balloon to ₹4 lakh in two decades, and medical bills can skyrocket from ₹5 lakh to nearly ₹19 lakh. So, saving ₹1 crore as a retirement target today is like chasing a mirage. You need to fight inflation with smart, growth-focused investments like stocks, balanced with safer options, to truly protect and grow your wealth. In summary, Nitin Kaushik urges us to stop dreaming only about fat salaries. Instead, build a strong asset base that pays you passively. And don’t get fooled by that ₹1 crore target—it’s just the beginning of your money journey, not the finish line. Want lasting freedom? Make your money work harder than you do!

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Tags: Financial freedom, Passive income, Nitin kaushik, Retirement planning, Investment, Inflation,