Puisa kotha hunibo? Educated, yet unprepared

I asked the audience, “If you could purchase anything or do anything right now, with no budget constraint, what would it be?”
Someone said, “Take a loan.” This response revealed something we rarely admit, how even the educated often feel unprepared when it comes to money. I felt the need to share this experience, because it said so much about where a lot of us are at, educated, yet often unequipped to handle money with confidence.
This happened at a financial empowerment seminar I attended in Delhi for the North-East community. It wasn’t the usual kind of event, no fancy suits, no PPTs, no air-conditioned halls.
People walked in wearing their most comfy selves: slippers, boxers, pyjamas, caps turned backwards, baggy pants.
It looked nothing like your typical seminar and that’s what made it real, raw, and beautiful.
And mind you, these were well-educated people, graduates at the very least. Yet many had never been exposed to the financial ecosystem. Not because they didn’t care, but because money simply wasn’t something people talked about often. Not in schools, not at work, not even at home.
I was reassured once again that formal education is not equal to financial empowerment.
We can earn degrees, get jobs, even climb the corporate ladder and still struggle to manage our own money.
Real financial understanding grows through everyday experiences, through small talks, honest questions, and the courage to begin somewhere.
This is precisely what Moneybar wants to champion, bringing these communities into the conversation, into the ecosystem, and into empowerment.
Because behind every “take a loan” is someone trying to learn, just like the rest of us.
Empowerment isn’t something handed to us, it’s something we step into. Sometimes it starts quietly, like opening a bank account, or saying, “I don’t understand this, can you explain?” That’s honesty, that’s empowerment in action and your choice to take.
Take that first step with Moneybar, download the app, sign up and start your own conversation.

The original published column can be found at : Educated yet unprepared