10 Reasons You’re Not Rich Yet

10 Reasons You’re Not Rich Yet

As a Investment and insurance agent, I have spent many years helping other people overcome financial stumbling blocks so they can become rich. Ironically, the one person I have had the most trouble helping is myself.

Being “rich” can mean different things to different people, but I believe it means having the financial freedom to achieve your goals and live the life you want. 

I am great at giving advice; I am not always so great at taking my own advice (know anyone like that?). So, when it came to helping my clients understand why they weren’t rich yet, the easy part was explaining the culprits, because I was all too familiar with most of them.

Regardless of our upbringing, education, profession or lifestyle, most of us are not where we want to be financially and our reasons are probably more similar than different. The good news is that it is never too late to become rich if you, like me, are ready to own up to the reasons you’re not and do something about it.

Want to know why you aren’t rich yet? Keep reading.

#1: You spend money like you’re already rich.

Sure, it feels good to buy expensive things, whether it’s a luxury car, designer clothes, a big house in the burbs, or a tropical vacation. Even if you don’t necessarily buy pricey items, if you consistently buy stuff you really don’t need, it still adds up fast (Rs.30000 trip to Target for toothpaste?). But the shopping high only lasts until the guilt and regret set in or the credit card bill arrives. Most of us are guilty of living beyond our means and using credit cards more than we should. The problem is that as long as we continue to spend more than we have, we can’t start building wealth. Chronic overspending and high-interest, revolving credit card debt are your worst enemies when it comes to financial success. Spend like you’re poor and you are much more likely to become rich.

#2: You don’t have a plan.

Without clearly defined short, mid and long-term goals, becoming rich will just seem like an unattainable fantasy. And that turns into your go-to excuse for why you shouldn’t bother saving or stop overspending. As we say in the financial industry: those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Creating a financial plan may seem overwhelming or intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you do-it-yourself or decide to work with a financial professional, the process simply starts with prioritizing your goals and writing them down. Put that list where you can see it on a regular basis. Visual reminders go a long way in helping us stay on track.

#3: You don’t have an emergency fund.

I know, you’ve heard it a hundred times: you need to have at least six months of income saved in an emergency fund. And yes, it’s much easier said than done. However, I’ve seen too many people (including myself) get hit with a major unplanned expense, whether it’s a car or home repair or a medical bill, or an unexpected job loss, accident or illness that’s led to a drastic reduction in income. When these things happen–and they do, more often than you might think–not having a financial safety cushion can make the situation much, much worse. If you’re forced to rely on credit cards, you’ll end up sinking deeper into debt instead of, yes, saving to become rich.

#4: You started late.

With every year or month that goes by without saving, your chances of becoming rich decrease. Time and compounding interest are your two best friends when it comes to growing money, so wasting them really hurts. Just like exercising, the hardest part of saving is starting. Even if you’re in debt, making little money or have a lot of expenses, you can still always save something — even if it is a small amount. The sooner you get yourself into the habit of saving — regardless of how much — the easier it will be for you to continue and eventually increase those savings. I like to think of saving as a muscle you have to work out and build with practice. Even if you start saving late, you can still become rich if you’re committed enough. But you need to start. Now.

#5: You’d rather complain than commit.

“Life is too expensive.” “I’ll never get out of debt.” “I don’t make enough money.” “Investing is too risky.” I’ve probably heard every excuse for why someone isn’t saving, investing or planning in general, and I’ll admit I’ve used a few of them myself from time to time. It’s easier to be lazy and let bad habits fester than to commit to –and follow through on — changing them. It’s no wonder obesity and debt are epidemics in our country, and that millions of Americans have had to push off retirement. As long as the complaining, excuses and finger-pointing persist, so too will not becoming rich. Instead, take responsibility for your bad habits and focus on what you can do to change them. Then do it.

#6: You live for today in spite of tomorrow.

I get it. It is really hard to think about retirement and other distant fantasies when we have needs and plenty of wants now. The bills have to get paid, the family must be fed, momma needs a vacation — and a new wardrobe to go along with it. The problem is that impulsive and overly-indulgent behavior commonly lead to credit card debt, spending money you might have otherwise saved and, yes, not becoming rich. Do yourself a favor: Ditch the “buy now, worry later” mindset and instead, adopt a “save now, get rich later” mindset.

#7: You’re a one-trick investor.

You might be lucky enough to become rich by betting all your money on one type of investment. Just like you might be lucky enough to win the lottery. But that’s not a strategy for getting rich (at least, not one I’d ever recommend).

One of the worst financial mistakes you can make is putting all your money eggs in one basket. Doing so puts you at too much risk, whether it is being too conservative or too aggressive. Sure, the stock market is on a run and real estate is on an upswing again, but are you prepared for when the tides turn? Because they will. And if you are invested in all fixed-income securities like CDs, bonds and annuities and think you’re safe, inflation should make you think again. Your investment portfolio needs to include a good mix of investments with varied levels of risk and return potential and liquidity (so you can get your money when you need it).

#8: You don’t automate.

Here’s the secret to saving: Automation. Saving is seamless when it’s automatic. Unfortunately, we are not born to be savers. We are impulsive and greedy by nature. Being responsible requires much more discipline. However, automation forces us to be responsible without too much effort. And all it requires is setting up regular transfers from a salary or bank account to a savings or Mutual investment account. Without it, we are much more likely to spend money we could be saving. Even if it is a seemingly small amount that you automate, those steady investments can make a big difference over time. Automate whatever you can whenever you can; just be careful to avoid overdrafting your account and try to increase your savings amount periodically.

#9: You have no sense of urgency.

You might think you don’t need to worry about getting out of debt or saving because someone, or something else will save you. Maybe it’s a pay raise, a new job, an inheritance, a rich spouse, or the lottery you’re counting on. Whatever “it” is, you use it as an excuse to put off taking steps on your own to become rich. The problem is that very little in life is certain. Who knows what will actually happen, or not happen, so why not focus on what you can control now? Save now and save yourself — just in case something, or someone, else won’t.

#10: You’re easily influenced.

Maybe you live with a chronic overspender or a typical day out with your girlfriends involves shopping. Or maybe it’s your inner “Real Housewife” that you sometimes can’t control. We all have negative influences in our lives that threaten our chances of becoming rich. The superficial, materialistic, sensational culture in which we live is probably the biggest one. The suffocating swirl of media that goes along with it makes it ten times worse. The trick is not giving in to temptation. How? Some of it is making conscious choices to avoid putting yourself in vulnerable positions. But most of it is having the willpower to keep the goal of becoming rich in the front of your mind, especially when you are tempted to sabotage yourself.

How to choose the right health insurance policy

Most financial planners say that having a health insurance plan is the starting point of all financial plans.

Even before one starts investing towards one's goals, getting an adequate health insurance cover for self and family helps.

Here, I look at the various important features and factors of a health insurance policy that may help you zero-in on the right policy.

Why you should get health cover

According to few studies done in the past, the medical inflation in India is around 17 per cent annually, much above the general inflation level. The need for adequate health insurance is increasingly becoming important and so is choosing the right health insurance plan.

Now, at the moment you might be in the pink of health, however, health insurance is not only about illnesses and diseases. It's a universal truth that accidents may occur anytime and at any age. A health cover could come handy in such an event.

Further, at times, certain ailments remain unknown to us until their symptoms are visible later on in life. Although, not a mandate, a policy bought at an early age and renewed for quite some years without any claim, may help in better claim experience as and when it arises.

See what kind of health cover is required

Health insurance plans are broadly categorised as 'indemnity plans' and 'defined-benefit plans'. While, indemnity plans reimburse the hospital expense, defined-benefit plans pay a lump sum amount irrespective of the actual hospital expense.

The 'indemnity' plans, which could be an individual health insurance (popularly known as mediclaim or family floater policy), should form the core of one's health insurance portfolio. Top it up with a critical illness plan which is a defined-benefit plan and thereafter one may add Hospital Daily Cash plan to meet incidental costs during hospitalisation.

See which indemnity cover suits you

Once someone gets convinced that a health insurance plan is a must-have even before starting to invest for life goals, the conundrum to either go for an 'individual health plan' or a 'Family Floater' (FF) arises. "One should consider an individual plan over a family floater cover if one wants an extensive coverage. This also ensures that adverse experience in one policy does not affect others in the family. Balance sum insured for other members may not be adequate at time in case of a family floater policy," 

The 'individual health plan' has to be bought in the name of each individual spouse, children, parents etc. This means, the premium will be as per each individual's age and respective sum insured. Insurer's, however, provide a 10 percent discount on the total premium if more than one member of the family is insured simultaneously. In case of a claim by one member, the sum insured of other members remains intact.

In a 'Family floater' health insurance plan, more than one member can be covered under the same plan. For instance, both parents and their children can be covered together and only one single premium is to be paid. Under an FF health plan, the entire sum insured can be availed by any or all members and is not restricted to one individual, as is the case in an individual health plan. An FF plan takes advantage of the fact that the possibility of all members of a family falling ill at the same time or within the same year is low.

Estimate how much of cover is required

Although there is no fixed rule as to how much health insurance you should have; the coverage should ideally depend on one's residential city, history of family illnesses etc. "For people living in Class A cities (cities like Mumbai), the cover amount should at least be Rs 10 lakh given the high cost of living in metro cities. Not only standard of living, medical treatment is also quite expensive in metro cities compared with smaller towns. For people living in Class B and C cities, the sum insured should be at least Rs 4- 5 lakh," says Mondal.

Check sub-limit in the plan

Nowadays, most health insurance plans have sub-limits in them. Sub-limit refers to capping the re-imbursement limit under each or some of such cost-heads. For example, the room-rent may be capped at 1 per cent of the sum insured. So, irrespective of the total sum insured of the policy, one may have to pay out-of-pocket hospital bills unless one sticks to the limit. Some health plans do not have any such sub-limits while few others offer an option to add sub-limits at the time of buying the plan.

See from when pre-existing ailments are covered

All health insurance plans cover pre-existing ailments but after a period of 48 months. Few cover them even after 36 months or lesser. However, at the time of buying, it is equally important to disclose the pre-existing ailment, for a smooth claims settlement process. Further, coverage of certain defined and specific ailments have a 'waiting period' of 12 or 24 months, post which they are covered for claim.

Check for co-payment feature

It's not necessary that there will be a co-payment feature in all plans but in a senior citizen health insurance plan it could be a mandatory feature. In higher age groups as the premium rates are higher, a co-payment may provide some relief in terms of affordability, as it helps to keep the premium low. Some plans, however, ask for as much as 20 per cent co-payment if the treatment is done at a non-network provider or in a city different from where the plan was bought.

What you should do

While choosing a health cover, one should ideally start by comparing plans from 2-3 preferred insurers. Have a close look at the inclusions and exclusions in the most basic plan being offered by them. Do not base your decision solely on the premium, instead prefer simple plans with fewer conditions and restrictions. And remember, every member of the family, irrespective of the age, needs health insurance cover to tide over unforeseen medical exigencies anytime in the future.

I believe that every family should be financially prepared for medical emergencies.

Getting yourself and your family insured for medical emergencies is the first step toward building your financial future. 

*Bajaj Allianz GIC New Health guard is just Click Away*

Download Boucher for undustanding terms of coverage: 

https://www.bajajallianz.com/download-documents/health-insurance/health-guard/Health-Guard-Brochure-print.pdf

*Buy health plan Protect your family today. Just click on below link fill the details and pay the amount and get Health insurance covered*

https://general.bajajallianz.com/Insurance/healthGuard/loadHgDtls.do?src=CBM_0534909

For detail discussion you can call or chat any time on 9930444099 Ritesh Sheth CWM®