Vinay Mundhe

A Software Developer Writing on Tech, Money, and Life

Tag: personal finance

  • Reflecting on missed opportunities

    Reflecting on missed opportunities

    10 Years Later, I Finally Get It: Why I Didn’t Grow Like I Could Have.

    By 2014, I was working as a freelance graphic designer as well as doing my engineering.
    It’s been over 10 years now, and when I look back, there’s this weird mix of pride and guilt.

    Pride that I started early.
    Guilt that I didn’t build anything out of it.

    I see fresh college grads today doing freelance work, building global clients, growing audiences online. And I can’t help but think, I was doing this 12 years ago. Back when social media was still young. Back when Jio hadn’t even arrived and changed the game.

    I was there, right in the middle of all of it, working in social media marketing. I had the context. I had the timing. But I didn’t have the system.

    And that’s where I failed.

    Why I think I Couldn’t Capitalise

    • I was serious, but distracted.
      I was always buried in the task at hand, never looking at the bigger picture. Always executing, never planning.
    • I didn’t document anything.
      Had I shared what I was learning, what I was building, what I was struggling with, I could’ve built an audience. An identity. Maybe even a business.
    • I never built on top of what I already had.
      Everything valuable in life compounds. Skills, knowledge, connections, reputation. But only if you stay on one path long enough. I kept starting over.
    • I didn’t leave anything behind.
      No savings. No content. No trail of what I worked on.
      And here’s a harsh truth:

    If you’re doing work that leaves you with nothing at the end of the month…no savings, no assets, no learnings…then you’re just doing donkey work.

    Whatever you save, you build.
    Day by day, something should be stacking…money, knowledge, experience, content. Otherwise, 10 years will pass and you’ll look back to… nothing.

    If you’re reading this, I’ve got one simple message:
    Push yourself just enough.

    Enough to challenge yourself.
    Enough to stack new skills.
    Enough to build something that lasts.

    But not so much that you’re too drained to even enjoy or document the journey.

    So What Now?

    Now I’m choosing to document everything.
    I’ve started showing up consistently on Twitter and LinkedIn.
    And I’m focusing on just three pillars:

    1. My Career – Software Development
    2. My Business – Social Media + Marketing
    3. My Personal Brand – Who I am, what I stand for

    So that when I’m 40, I don’t just have money in the bank…
    I have a body of work to show. A story to tell.
    And a life that actually compounded.

  • Indian Banks: The Biggest Legal Robbers No One Talks About

    Indian Banks: The Biggest Legal Robbers No One Talks About

    Let’s start with a simple question — when you open a savings account, who do you think is doing a favor? You, by trusting them with your money? Or them, by “letting” you be their customer?

    If you said “them,” congratulations, you just described the Indian banking system’s mindset.

    How Indian Banks Are Robbing You Silently

    Let’s talk about facts, not feelings.

    According to a report from The Hindu Business Line, public sector banks (PSBs) alone collected around ₹8500 crore between FY20 and FY24 just by penalizing people for not maintaining minimum balance.

    Yes, you read that right.

    In the middle of a pandemic, inflation, job cuts — our “saviours” were busy fining people for not keeping enough money in their accounts. The same people who probably couldn’t make ends meet were slapped with penalties because their account balance wasn’t up to the banks’ “standards.”

    Imagine punishing a drowning man for not swimming properly.

    And it doesn’t end there.

    As per another report by Moneylife, banks have written off ₹1.635 lakh crore of bad loans in just the past ten years.

    You and I are being fined for not keeping ₹5000 in our account. Meanwhile, the big boys — companies and corporates — default on crores, and the banks just “write it off.” It’s like you lending money to someone, they ghost you, and you just shrug and say, “Forget it.”

    But if your balance falls by ₹50, you’re a criminal in their eyes.

    Who Are Banks Actually Working For?

    It’s clear — banks in India seem to work for the big corporates, not the common man.

    They squeeze the small guy dry with penalties, fees, hidden charges, service tax, and then calmly “forgive” massive loans of rich borrowers. No follow-ups. No stress. No shame.

    And you know what’s worse?

    Despite this robbery model, they are still some of the “top” companies in India.

    Compare This: India vs USA

    Let’s look at the latest top 10 companies by market cap.

    US Top 10 (April 2025):

    • Apple
    • Microsoft
    • Nvidia
    • Alphabet (Google)
    • Amazon
    • Meta (Facebook)
    • Berkshire Hathaway
    • Eli Lilly
    • Broadcom
    • Exxon Mobil

    Almost all are tech, innovation, or healthcare-driven, except Berkshire and Exxon.

    India Top 10 (April 2025):

    • Reliance Industries
    • TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
    • HDFC Bank
    • ICICI Bank
    • Infosys
    • Bharti Airtel
    • State Bank of India (SBI)
    • Kotak Mahindra Bank
    • ITC
    • Bajaj Finance

    Notice something?

    Banks everywhere.

    The US top companies are inventing the future. Our top companies are collecting EMIs, charging penalties, and funding “write-offs.” This is the sad reality.

    What’s the Cost to Us?

    This system discourages savings, hurts financial literacy, and makes the common person feel small and helpless.

    Instead of rewarding savers, supporting small businesses, or investing aggressively into tech, innovation, or manufacturing — our banking system is busy building castles of “service charges” and “processing fees” on the backs of regular citizens.

    Banks were supposed to be pillars of trust. Instead, they have become legalized mafia, operating behind a curtain of regulation.

    Time for a Wake-Up Call

    The next time you hear a politician or a banker talk about “financial inclusion,” remember — the same system is designed to profit off your struggle.

    The same system that fines you for being poor and forgives billionaires for being reckless.

    Maybe it’s time we start questioning not just bad governance but also bad banking.

    Because if banks are supposed to be the backbone of our economy, ours are busy breaking it, one penalty at a time.

    Stay aware. Stay woke. Protect your money — because clearly, no one else will.