Podcast · Business

Let's Talk Money with Monika Halan

by Monika Halan · English · Business

Let's Talk Money is your guide to financial stability and freedom. Join Monika Halan, a trusted financial expert, as she delves into a wide array of topics each week. From tackling debt to making friends with the stock market, from gold to mutual funds, Monika's insights are your compass to…

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 21 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 18 min

Don’t Make Patients Pay for Insurance’s Failures

In this episode, Monika examines the proposed mandatory 10% co-payment on health insurance claims and asks why patients should bear the cost of problems created by insurers and hospitals. She looks at the industry's argument around rising healthcare costs, the bargaining power insurers have with hospitals, and why shifting a larger share of the financial burden to patients could undermine the very purpose of insurance. She also connects the co-payment proposal to the wider problems in insurance, including high distribution costs, rapidly rising distributor payouts, mis-selling and…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

1 Oct 2026 · 21 min
The Regulator Says Insurance is Broken
In this episode, Monika examines the problems in the way insurance is sold in India and the changes proposed by IRDAI in its September 23 consultation paper. She looks at the high costs of running the insurance business, the growth in distributor commissions, and why incentives can sometimes favour selling a policy rather than ensuring it is right for the customer. She also explores proposals around expense and commission caps, commission disclosure, salesperson accountability and defining mis-selling, while emphasising that these are proposals and not yet final rules. She explains why…
24 Sep 2026 · 24 min
Digital Dakoos and their Diet of Fear and Greed
In this episode, Monika looks at how cyberfraudsters exploit two powerful human emotions: fear and greed. She explains how scams such as digital arrest, fake KYC alerts and fraudulent investment opportunities create urgency and pressure people into acting without thinking. She shares simple rules for slowing down, verifying information independently and refusing to let a stranger take control of your next financial decision. She also explores how a personal financial system can protect you from the temptation of easy money. From separating money for everyday spending, emergencies and…
17 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Investing in Turbulent Times
In this episode, Monika explores why having more money does not necessarily mean having more stuff. She shares what decades of working with money have taught her about freedom, consumption, lifestyle inflation, maintenance costs and the idea of finding your own “enough” — and why she would rather spend on time, comfort and well-being than on possessions that create more work. She looks at how a high-cost lifestyle can limit financial freedom, why experiences can also become another form of consumption, and how being intentional about what you spend on can help you build a life that is richer…
10 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Why I Don't Want More Stuff
In this episode, Monika explores why having more money does not necessarily mean having more stuff. She shares what decades of working with money have taught her about freedom, consumption, lifestyle inflation, maintenance costs and the idea of finding your own “enough” — and why she would rather spend on time, comfort and well-being than on possessions that create more work. She looks at how a high-cost lifestyle can limit financial freedom, why experiences can also become another form of consumption, and how being intentional about what you spend on can help you build a life that is richer…
3 Sep 2026 · 23 min
Is the Government Fudging GDP Data?
In this episode, Monika examines whether India’s latest GDP growth numbers are as strong as they appear and addresses the growing claims that the government is fudging economic data. She looks at the 7.8% Q1 GDP growth, the impact of the new GDP series and base-year revisions, and why comparing current-price numbers with unrevised data can create a misleading picture of growth. She explains what the wider economic indicators tell us about India’s resilience, from manufacturing and services growth to consumption, inflation, capital flows and the rupee. She also breaks down why a falling…
27 Aug 2026 · 20 min
Insurance Must Go From Push to Pull
In this episode, Monika looks at why insurance in India needs to move from a “push” model to a “pull” model. Life and health insurance are financial seat belts, yet the industry continues to rely heavily on commissions and aggressive selling, while insurance penetration remains low and complaints continue to rise. She examines whether the real problem is that Indians do not want insurance, or that insurance is being sold badly. She explains what needs to change for consumers to actively seek out insurance: simpler products, underwriting at the point of sale, greater accountability for…
20 Aug 2026 · 22 min
The Best Product May Not Be The Best Decision
In this episode, Monika shares what she learnt from speaking to Naval personnel across the Southern Command in Kochi about building financial freedom alongside a career in the forces. She explains why those in uniform have already solved some of the biggest financial concerns faced in the private sector, and why financial freedom means being able to take off the uniform without compromising on values or dignity for money. She explores why the best financial product is not always the best financial decision. Personal finance is less about mathematical optimisation and more about behaviour,…
6 Aug 2026 · 23 min
Do You Feel Your Salary is Stagnating?
Have your salary hikes felt smaller than expected despite years of hard work? In this episode, Monika analyses a decade of Income Tax Return data to explain why India's salaried middle class feels financially stuck. While more people have moved into higher income brackets and the formal economy has expanded rapidly, average salaries within income groups have barely grown, raising important questions about wages, productivity and purchasing power. She explains what these trends mean for employees, why changing jobs and upgrading skills often matter more than annual appraisals, and why your…
30 Jul 2026 · 25 min
How Much Financial Safety Is Enough?
Financial safety isn't about having the highest net worth or the perfect asset allocation—it's about sleeping well at night. In this episode, Monika explores the everyday financial fears that people live with, from job loss and medical emergencies to inflation and market crashes, and explains how to build practical financial safety without becoming paranoid about every possible risk. She breaks down the role of emergency funds, health insurance, asset allocation and simple planning in protecting your financial life. The goal isn't to eliminate all risk, but to cover the basics well enough…
23 Jul 2026 · 18 min
What Went Wrong with Some Debt Funds Last Year?
In this episode, Monika explains why many long-duration debt funds, especially gilt funds, disappointed investors despite the RBI cutting interest rates. She unpacks the relationship between repo rates, bond yields and bond prices, and explains why global bond markets, inflation expectations, oil prices and changing RBI guidance prevented long-term bond funds from delivering the gains many investors were expecting. Her key message is that debt funds are not all the same, and that most investors are better served by safer, shorter-duration debt funds rather than trying to predict…
16 Jul 2026 · 20 min
Will your Bank Stop Mis-Selling in 2027?
In this episode, Monika examines the RBI's new Responsible Business Conduct regulations, which come into effect on 1 January 2027, and asks whether they will finally put an end to decades of financial mis-selling by banks. She explains the new concepts of dark patterns, suitability, and mis-selling, but argues that the regulations lack meaningful consequences. If banks simply have to refund customers without facing serious penalties or management accountability, she believes the incentives to mis-sell remain largely unchanged. She goes on to argue that stronger consumer protection requires…
9 Jul 2026 · 21 min
10 Things That Work In India
In this episode, Monika reflects on returning from Berlin and explains why she still believes India is one of the best places to live despite its many shortcomings. From responsive customer service and quick healthcare to UPI, home deliveries, affordable domestic help, and thriving consumer services, she shares ten everyday conveniences that make life in India remarkably easy. While acknowledging problems like poor urban infrastructure and pollution, she argues that India's optimism and constant improvement outweigh many of its frustrations. She contrasts India's strengths with Europe's,…
2 Jul 2026 · 22 min
The Big SIP Fight
In this episode, Monika reflects on her own journey through the Indian stock market, beginning with the boom-and-bust years surrounding the Harshad Mehta scam in the early 1990s, when speculation, stock tips, and market euphoria repeatedly lured retail investors into buying high and selling low. She explains how the Indian mutual fund industry gradually transformed investing by introducing the Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), adapting the principle of rupee cost averaging into a disciplined investment habit that matched the rhythm of salaried earners. Over time, SIPs helped shift investor…
18 Jun 2026 · 18 min
Three Pool Retirement
In this episode, Monika introduces what she calls the Three Pool Retirement Strategy — a framework she personally uses to think about retirement and one that aims to replace anxiety with clarity. Ahead of a brief break while travelling to Berlin, she addresses one of the biggest worries people have about retirement: not necessarily building the corpus, but managing it after work stops. Rather than relying solely on withdrawal-rate formulas, she explains how dividing retirement money into three distinct pools — a two-year “Spend It” pool in fixed deposits, a ten-year “Protect It” pool in debt…
11 Jun 2026 · 20 min
What the GDP Numbers Tell Us
In this episode, Monika examines two important developments that shaped the economic conversation over the past week: the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, and India’s strong FY26 GDP growth of 7.7%, with the fourth quarter growing at 7.8%. She explains how the RBI’s inflation-targeting framework and relatively low inflation of 3.1% have given policymakers valuable room to maintain rates despite the inflationary pressures created by the West Asia conflict and elevated crude oil prices. The lesson, she says, applies equally to nations and to…
4 Jun 2026 · 18 min
What the FM told me about mis-selling
In this episode, Monika takes listeners inside a recent meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the newly inaugurated Kartavya Bhavan. What begins as a visit to present the latest editions and translations of her books becomes a broader reflection on policymaking, public service, and the government's focus on financial consumer protection. She shares her impressions of the transition from the historic North Block to the modern Ministry of Finance offices, describes conversations around financial literacy, mis-selling, and her new online education initiative, and offers a personal…
28 May 2026 · 24 min
Nations Don't Die
In this episode, Monika responds to the atmosphere of fear and panic spreading through everyday financial conversations — from rumours about banks collapsing to people withdrawing savings based on WhatsApp forwards and social media anxiety. Using history as her anchor, she makes a powerful argument that nations do not simply “roll over and die.” Companies fail, markets crash, governments stumble — but nations survive, adapt, reform, and rebuild. She walks listeners through some of the most severe economic crises faced by countries around the world, from Argentina’s repeated debt defaults to…
21 May 2026 · 21 min
Inflation looms. How bad will it be?
In this episode, Monika unpacks the growing inflation pressures quietly building beneath the economy and explains why the recent ₹3 fuel price hike is likely only the beginning of a longer and more uncomfortable adjustment cycle. She breaks down the widening gap between wholesale inflation and consumer inflation, showing how the government and oil companies had been absorbing massive fuel losses for months before finally passing some of the burden to consumers. From rising transportation costs to the ripple effects on household expenses, she explains how inflation slowly spreads through…
14 May 2026 · 23 min
Simple Portfolios, Richer Life
In this episode, Monika explores an often-overlooked truth about wealth: the more complicated your financial life becomes, the more it quietly steals from your time, energy, and peace of mind. Through the story of a retired couple overwhelmed by scattered properties, multiple advisors, fragmented investments, and endless financial maintenance, she explains how complexity masquerades as sophistication. What was meant to provide security had instead become a full-time management burden. From multiple homes and insurance-linked products to overlapping mutual fund platforms and confusing…
7 May 2026 · 27 min
Does Everyone Need A Foreign Allocation?
In this episode, Monika takes on the rising buzz around international investing and challenges a widely accepted idea — that global diversification is essential for everyone. She explains how the recent excitement around US markets, driven by the performance of companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia, has led many Indian investors to equate “going global” with smarter investing. Breaking down the theory versus reality, she highlights that true diversification is not about chasing returns but about understanding correlation, currency risk, and portfolio context. For most retail investors,…
30 Apr 2026 · 21 min
Account Aggregator
In this episode, Monika Halan unpacks the transformative potential of India’s Account Aggregator framework and why it could fundamentally change the way individuals control and share their financial data. Using everyday examples—from applying for loans to visa documentation—she explains how the traditional system forces people to repeatedly hand over sensitive financial records with little visibility or control. The Account Aggregator model, by contrast, creates a secure, consent-based system where individuals decide exactly what financial information is shared, with whom, and for how long.…
16 Apr 2026 · 19 min
Understanding Bonds and Debt Funds
In this episode, Monika Halan simplifies one of the most misunderstood parts of personal finance—bonds and debt funds. She explains that a bond is essentially an “IOU,” where governments or companies borrow money and promise to pay interest along with the principal at maturity. Breaking down concepts like coupon, maturity, and face value, she highlights the single most important rule of the bond market—the inverse relationship between interest rates and bond prices. This foundational idea explains why bond investments behave the way they do. She then expands the discussion to debt mutual…
9 Apr 2026 · 20 min
Missiles Don’t Stop SIPs
In this episode, Monika Halan addresses growing concerns about whether current global tensions could push us back into Covid-like conditions. While she reassures listeners that a repeat of such extreme disruption is unlikely, she emphasizes that the economic impact of global conflict is already being felt. Using simple explanations, she breaks down how rising oil prices, a weakening rupee, and shifting global capital flows are putting pressure on economies like India. What recently seemed like a stable, “just right” economic phase is now entering a period of uncertainty and stress. She…
2 Apr 2026 · 25 min
A Bank Is Not a Biscuit Factory
In this episode, Monika uses a simple but powerful analogy to explain why a bank is fundamentally different from any ordinary business. Unlike a biscuit factory, whose failure has limited impact, a bank operates on trust and interconnected flows of money through the system - what economists call the money multiplier. When that trust breaks, it can trigger a bank run, spreading panic across the entire financial system. This is why banks are heavily regulated and often considered “too big to fail.” While depositors in large Indian banks remain largely safe due to regulatory safeguards, she…
26 Mar 2026 · 18 min
Money Worries of Teenage Girls
In this episode, Monika reflects on a memorable session with teenage students at a Delhi school, where seemingly simple questions led to profound insights about money, discipline, and life choices. She explains the core idea of “making money work for you” through the power of compounding, emphasizing that wealth is built not just by earning but by allowing investments to grow over time. The discussion also highlights how discipline—shaped by daily habits and environment—plays a crucial role in both personal development and financial decision-making. She also addresses broader concerns of the…
19 Mar 2026 · 19 min
War and Paise
As geopolitical tensions escalate and markets react sharply, Monika connects the dots between global conflict and personal finance, reminding listeners that volatility is an inherent part of equity investing. Using recent market corrections as a backdrop, she explains how different parts of the market respond to stress — with small and mid caps falling more sharply than large caps — and why seemingly “safer” indices behave differently depending on their structure. The key lesson: risk and return are always linked, and understanding that relationship is critical during turbulent times.…
12 Mar 2026 · 17 min
What Story Do GDP Numbers Tell
As India’s revised GDP numbers are released with a new base year of 2022–23, Monika unpacks the deeper story hidden beneath the headline growth print. She explains how the economy continues to grow at a stable rate above 7%, driven on the production side by manufacturing and services, and supported on the expenditure side by household savings and government capital expenditure. While consumption remains the backbone of growth, private investment needs to accelerate to complete the virtuous cycle of rising wages, stronger demand, and sustained high growth. Monika walks listeners through why…
26 Feb 2026 · 22 min
RBI’s New Mis-selling Rules
As complaints of insurance mis-selling by banks finally prompt regulatory action, Monika examines the Reserve Bank of India’s draft Responsible Business Conduct guidelines and what they could mean for customers. The proposed rules aim to require suitability assessments, explicit consent, and restrictions on coercive sales practices, signalling a shift toward holding banks accountable for putting customer interests ahead of sales targets. Drawing on years of research and documented evidence, she explains how mis-selling has persisted through opaque disclosures, aggressive commissions, and…
19 Feb 2026 · 23 min
What the New Consumer Price Index Means For You
As India updates the way it measures inflation, Monika explains why the revision of the Consumer Price Index base year from 2012 to 2024 matters and what it really means for households. Drawing on new data from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, she breaks down how the CPI basket evolves over time to reflect changing consumption patterns — from the decline of outdated products to the rise of digital services, transport, and other modern expenses. The episode clarifies how shifts in weightages, especially the reduced share of food and the higher share of services, will influence…

About Let's Talk Money with Monika Halan

Let's Talk Money with Monika Halan is a English business podcast from Monika Halan. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Monika Halan
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 21 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1712600178
Website: monikahalan.com
Rights: Monika Halan

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