Millionaires - Myths and Misconceptions
For the last two post, we have been talking and sharing lot about Millionaires and their mindset. Particualy in the previous post, I listed few questions which was asked by my friends and even asked myself many times. So I wanted to dwelve into those questions and crack some myths and misconceptions about Millionaires from research/study.
Let's start with something simple.
#1.
I have to become a millionaire/rich person to live happily.
That is not true but many think that way. If you ask me, that's a misconception by many people. It became ingrained in many people minds after looking at rich people, that they can live happily once they become a millionaire/billionaire or rich person.
One person's success in life shouldn't be all about money and how much he/she makes. It is just a part of the puzzle. It is mostly about how you live with what you make and how you help others to get what they want.Studies have for years shown that cash has only a small effect on our well being. One can still lead a miserable even after getting a windfall of money and there are many examples to prove that case.
#2. Millionaires are lavish spenders.
That's totally wrong. If you take Mr.Warren Buffet, he is one among the richest people in the world but he still lives in his old house. He drives his own car which is pretty old too. There are many other rich who lead a conservative and frugal life. Many new millionaires are true frugalers and made to the list by saving and conscious spending. Not everyone makes to millionaire list by winning a lottery. You should check out the book, frugal millionaires(http://www.thefrugalmillionaires.com) and you will understand how millionaires think differently than normal person.
#3. I will be financially free when I become a Millionaire.
Don't count on it not in this current economic situation and expected high inflated one in the future. These days, simply being a (one) millionaire is not enough to be financially free, depending on ones age. Financial freedom is totally independent of being rich person. Not all rich people call themselves financially free. Here is an interesting reportfrom study conducted by Universty of Belgium, UK and Canada about Wealth and well being. Actually money makes you financially dependent. When you have more money, you become more dependent on it for everything and anything.
#4. Only men are up against Million dollar goal.
According to a report, nearly half of all millionaires are all women. There is no big difference among Men or women when it comes to making millions. Here is the listof women billionaires all over the world.
#5. You need to have Millionaire Mindset to be a Millionaire.
Not entirely true but it helps to reach the goal quicker. You can ask, What is millionaire mindset? It is explained in detail in the best selling book wrote by famous network marketer Bob Protector. He shows how an ordinary person can create his/her own economy by using their mind and thought process. You can read more at free ebook copy. I also found this ezinearticleto be more precise and short. To be short, it is about fine tuning your act and mind to decide your own the destiny and move towards as the only goal. I don't truely follow up them since I believe in my simple 3P strategy, Plan, Persist and Perseverance.
#6. I really need a Millionaire goal to be successful.
Not actually. It depends on each individual. Every individual is different in their own approach but many analyst recommend having a higher goal can lead to higher success rate. As I said earlier, success in life is different for each individual and it doesn't have to measured in dollars. Sometimes it is fun to track numbers and dollars to see the progress. But most of the time, it is about pride to say that you are one among list of High networth individual in this world.
Also tracking Many experts from their real life example, "What gets tracked, gets improved?" If you don't track your progress, you won't know where you were and where are you now. Tracking the progress is an important part for financial advancement.
#7. Everyone can't become a Millionaire.
Why not? If school drop outs like Bill gates, David Mudrock(Dole foods CEO) can do it, you can too. You don't need an MBA or doctor to be a Millionaire. Here is the list of all drop out millionaires, and here is one from forbes 2010 list of top ten drop outs.
If this makes you feel better and get you working on your Million dollar goal, go for it.
I have unrevealed some myths about millionaires, now you might ask how can easily become a millionaire?
It is actually a million dollar question and nobody has silver bullet answer for this question. If I had known the exact answer, I would have been a millionaire by now. Obviously, you cannot be a millionaire overnight unless two things happens, winning lottery or waking up with million dollar idea. There are "n" number of ways to become a high networth individual(over 1million).
A very conservative approach many banks suggest is to save a particular dollar amount from your early age like 21 every month and you can be a millionaire when you are 60 years old. It is also not set in stone because it depends on factors like saving rate and economical condition. But there are other ways like starting a new business, inventing some new product, work on multiple investment strategies etc.,
Just hook on to a strategy which works for you according to your comfort level and keep at it. Don't give up, just keep trying...
Image source: westLoh.com
India doubles Millionaires
High Networth Individuals(HNI) or Millionaire lists always grabs my attention any time of the year. Because, I am interested to see who made to the list and get inspired so I can make to the list one day.
I read the below interesting article from Trak.in about the India's Millionaires count doubling in the last year. A developing nation where millions of people still live under poverty line but can still produce more HNI every year only proves the point that Rich are getting rich more and Poor are getting more poorer. The gap is widening and there is no solution on the sight to bridge it. I thought may be you guys would be interested, so posting with the persmission from Trak.in editor. Read on...
According to the World Wealth Report recently released by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, most countries in the world have increased their HNI (High Net-Worth Individuals) count. While, India has more than doubled it – maximum compared to any other country in the world.
|
Indian HNI growth (past 5 years) | |||
| Year of report | India | Asia-Pacific | World |
| 2005 | 70,000 | 2.3 mn | 8.3 mn |
| 2006 | 83,000 | 2.4 mn | 8.7 mn |
| 2007 | 1,00,015 | 2.6 mn | 9.5 mn |
| 2008 | 1,23,000 | 2.8 mn | 10.1 mn |
| 2009 | 84,000 | 2.4 mn | 8.6 mn |
| 2010 | 1,26,700 | 3 mn | 10 mn |
| Source: Capgemini, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management | |||
In 08-09, India had 84,000 HNI’s which grew by 50.9% to take to the number to 1,26,700 HNI Indians !

In Asia Pacific region, Hong Kong saw the maximum rise with 105% growth in number of HNIs followed by India (50.9%) and China (31%).
I think one of the main reasons for such kind of growth in India is appreciation of stock market in India. The market capitalization increased 103 per cent in 2009, compared to a dip of 64 per cent in 2008.
Here are some of the highlights of the Report
- The world’s population of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) grew 17.1% to 10.0 million in 2009.
- The world’s population of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) returned to 10 million in 2009, increasing by 17.1% over 2008.
- HNWI financial wealth increased 18.9% from 2008 levels to $39 trillion. After losing 24.0% in 2008, Ultra-HNWIs saw wealth rebound 21.5% in 2009.Ultra-HNWIs increased their wealth by 21.5% in 2009.
- In terms of the total Global HNWI population remains highly concentrated with the U.S, Japan and Germany accounting for 53.5% of the world’s HNWI population, down slightly from 2008.
- The Asia-Pacific HNWI population rose 25.8% overall to 3.0 million, catching up with Europe for the first time.
- The Asia-Pacific region was home to eight of the world’s ten fastest-growing HNWI populations, led by Hong Kong (104.4%) and India (50.9%).
- Asia-Pacific HNWI wealth surged 30.9% to $9.7 trillion, more than erasing 2008 losses and surpassing the $9.5 trillion in wealth held by Europe’s HNWIs in 2009.
- In India, real GDP growth increased to 6.8% in 2009 from 6.1% in 2008.
- Market capitalization in India and China almost doubled
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