Sanam Balani
Join readers of Money Manners Monday for hands-on strategies to improve how you save and invest to boost your financial wellbeing using simple systems. Receive these in your inbox every Monday at 8am GMT / 12pm GMT+4 / 2pm SGT.
Working too hard on your way to nowhere.
Back in the middle of 2018, I was working +70-hour weeks at Goldman Sachs. I knew that in the next few years, I'd quit to either join a startup or build my own business, to create a real impact on society. The big problem at that time was that I didn't know how much money would be enough to quit. I used to live below my means and save at least 20% of my monthly income, but I figured the more asset classes I invested in, the better my chances of feeling secure if and when I ever took the leap....
How my fee often pays for itself (+ a limited Completion Bonus)
Hey - Sanam here. I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to build a trusted financial wellbeing brand. Not a brand that shouts whenever there’s a “sale”. A brand you turn to when you finally want to stop winging it with your money. Most of my 1:1 clients say some version of this at the end of our work: “In hindsight, I’d have paid a lot more for this.” “Damn, I now see how banks make so much money.” “I can actually see my finances growing now.” So today, I want to walk you through the...
Build Your First $100K by June 2026 (3 Spots Only)
Last month, I had a realisation that changed everything about how I coach. I was reviewing testimonials from past clients - people who'd gone from financial chaos to investing their first $20k, $50k, even $200k by themselves. The results were real. The changes were profound. But then I started noticing a pattern in the follow-up messages I'd get months later. "Some of my life financial goals don't excite me anymore." "Life got busy, and I stopped tracking my spending." "I wish I still had you...
5 Red Flags Your Financial Advisor Hopes You'll Ignore
Picture this. Over 1,000 financial advisors and coaches at FinCon, the conference I attended in the US. All looking to deepen their expertise and pockets. And one evening weeks before my flight, I received an email. I'd been invited to an intimate dinner by a dear friend, founder, and OG Financial Coach, Kelsa Dickey. I did not expect what followed. I sat amongst the biggest change-makers in Personal Finance. And next to me, a man who spoke little… but captivated everyone. This is how I met...
Your daily bank balance doesn’t have to be huge.
I looked at my current bank account this morning and realised it’s held the least money it’s ever had. Nothing coming in. Not a single euro or dollar. I felt like I could breathe a huge sigh of relief. Which you might think is strange - shouldn't I have been panicking? When I thought big balances meant wealth I used to think I was wealthy when my current bank account looked big. A big balance meant I was rich, smart, in demand. That was back when I didn’t know how to manage my money properly,...
The Complexity Tax: Why You're Paying to Lose Money
Last year, I was grabbing coffee with a friend in the city of London, the financial district where I used to work. He's a trader making USDe 175k a year. Solid money, right? Then he casually mentioned postponing a $400 dental procedure because he "couldn't spare the cash right now." Seems insurance couldn’t cover it. I nearly choked on my flat white. This is someone who drops $700 on client lunches without blinking. Who rents a $3,900/month apartment in Zone 1 because "image matters in...
The Aspiring Investor’s Dilemma
For many years in Investment Banking, I was nothing more than a spectator in the world of investing. While I watched the world’s richest clients build their billion-dollar portfolios and transform their empires, I remained on the sidelines, paralysed by the fear of losing money. Up until 2017, I had never clicked “Buy” to purchase any fund units through a Brokerage. Why? The answer was simple, but also very complex: fear. I was terrified of market volatility and losing money I had worked so...
How the "Rule of One" led to +19.7% in net worth over 90 days
Nothing is better than watching someone apply your guidance and achieve remarkable results with their wealth. Especially because I believe that everyone tries so hard to live below their means, when their wealth could grow exponentially quicker if they only knew how. The challenge is turning income into life goals people will actually look forward to - saving and investing isn’t easy. Your business will take off when you nail two parts of an important equation - having a positive relationship...
From Goldman Sachs to Ground Zero
How I Lost $30K While Protecting Billions (And Why Your Financial Knowledge Alone Won't Save You) The irony wasn't lost on me. I was protecting billions in assets of Goldman Sachs' high-net worth-clients, while my own portfolio bled money like a punctured tire. My entire career, I worked in Goldmans' glass towers - London, Singapore, the whole expat dream. I managed relationships worth billions. I knew the theory behind products and processes inside out. I could explain complex financial...
Welcome to a new, Financially-Savvy You
SANAM BALANI FOUNDER & WRITER Thanks for stopping by to form part of an ambitious community of readers determined to level up our financial wellbeing. First things first - here's a little bit about me, the purpose, and frequency of these posts. Who am I? I'm Sanam. Born in Tenerife, Spain, my parents immigrated from India to give my sister and I a different life. I grew up loving Law and secured a First Class Honours at University in the UK. I went on to intern at Microsoft, and fell in love...
Join readers of Money Manners Monday for hands-on strategies to improve how you save and invest to boost your financial wellbeing using simple systems. Receive these in your inbox every Monday at 8am GMT / 12pm GMT+4 / 2pm SGT.