“Sir, I’m doing fine — I have savings, SIPs, and insurance… yet, I still feel anxious about money.”
It’s a line I hear more often these days — not from the financially struggling, but from people who seem
to be doing well. They earn good salaries, live in their own homes, take vacations, and still — worry constantly about the future.
Welcome to the age of wealth anxiety — where financial comfort doesn’t guarantee financial peace.
Still restless?
India has more wealth than ever before — record mutual fund folios, rising per capita income, and a thriving middle class. Yet, many professionals feel more insecure today than their parents ever did.
Why? Because the definition of “enough” keeps shifting.
Earlier generations had fewer choices — one steady job, one home, one LIC policy, and clear goals. Today, the choices are infinite — and with them, the comparisons.
We don’t measure progress against our goals anymore. We measure it against someone else’s Instagram feed.
The question has changed from “Do I have enough?” to “Do I have as much as others?”
Comparison woes
The root of modern financial stress isn’t always money — it’s comparison. Social media has made wealth visible — the car someone drives, the home they bought, the holiday they took, the business they started. What was once private is now public, and what was once aspiration is now pressure.
Even investors are affected. You hear someone made 40% in small-caps, and your 12% SIP return feels “average.” You see peers buying luxury homes, and your debt-free rented apartment feels “incomplete.”
The problem isn’t how much we have. It’s how much happier others appear.
Paradox of progress
The data tells an interesting story.
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According to a 2025 survey by ET Wealth, 74% of Indians earning above ₹25 lakh per year still worry about their financial future.
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A recent DSP Mutual Fund study found that even investors with over ₹1 crore of investments report moderate-to-high anxiety about returns and goals.
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Mental health experts report that money-related anxiety is now one of the top three causes of stress for urban professionals in their 30s and 40s.
This is the paradox of progress — we’ve advanced materially, but emotionally, we’re more fragile.
Our financial planning has grown more complex — but our sense of safety hasn’t.
Case study
A few months ago, I met an engineer in his mid-40s — let’s call him Ankit. He earned ₹60 lakh a year, owned a ₹2 crore apartment, had ₹1.5 crore in mutual funds, and no debt.
Yet, he said something that stayed with me: “I know I’m fine. But every time I see the markets fall, I panic. Every time I scroll LinkedIn, I feel I’m behind. And every time I think I’m doing well, someone younger seems to be doing better.”
Ankit’s numbers were fine. His mindset wasn’t.
That’s wealth anxiety in action — the silent, invisible pressure of comparison and uncertainty.
Causes of wealth anxiety
Lifestyle inflation: As income rises, so do expenses — bigger homes, better cars, private schools, frequent travel. Comfort turns into commitment, and suddenly, the “basics” cost a fortune.
Information overload: Every headline, tweet, and expert view adds to confusion. Too much knowledge creates decision paralysis — “Am I doing it right?”
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The constant parade of success stories — IPOs, crypto, property — makes investors fear they’re not making the “smart” move.
Economic uncertainty: Layoffs, global wars, inflation — the modern professional has more variables to worry about than ever before.
Misaligned goals: Many people invest without defining why. They chase returns without purpose, creating wealth but not direction.
Find financial peace
Define “Enough”: Peace begins when comparison ends. Write down your personal goals — retirement corpus, children’s education, experiences, or causes. When you have a number that’s yours, you’ll stop chasing others’.
Automate and Forget: The best investors don’t think about money daily. They automate SIPs, review annually, and live life. You don’t need to micro-manage success.
Maintain a “Peace Portfolio”: Always keep a liquidity cushion — 6–12 months of expenses — to sleep peacefully during volatility. Financial security isn’t about returns; it’s about control.
Avoid the “Noise Diet”: Limit exposure to market news and social media. Financial well-being depends as much on your inputs as your investments.
Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Celebrate consistency over cleverness. If you’re saving, investing, and staying debt-free — you’re already ahead of most.
Redefining success
For years, we’ve equated wealth with net worth. But true wealth is freedom — freedom from fear, comparison, and chaos.
It’s not about the car you drive or the market return you chase. It’s about whether you can spend time with family without checking the Sensex, or sleep peacefully knowing you’re secure.
Financial well-being isn’t a number — it’s a feeling.
Final thought
Wealth anxiety is real — but it’s also curable. It doesn’t need another mutual fund or a new asset class. It needs perspective.
We don’t need to earn endlessly. We need to live intentionally.
In the end, the richest person isn’t the one with the biggest portfolio. It’s the one whose peace of mind compounds faster than their wealth.
