Only 3 Choices Shape 90% of Your Wealth, Says CA – Are You Making Them?

Financial planners are pushing a simple warning: wealth is made or lost in 3 high-stress moments. Fresh mutual fund and SEBI data shows why.

A LinkedIn post by CA Abhishek Walia, founder of Zactor Money, has gone viral for a blunt claim: only 3 decisions in a year decide 90% of financial outcome. The timing is sharp. 

India’s SIP inflows hit a new record in December 2025, while SEBI’s own research keeps flagging heavy retail losses in equity derivatives. Together, it underlines a clear split: more households are choosing long-term discipline, but many still chase short-term wins and pay for it.

The Real Problem Behind Most Money Slip-Ups

The core issue is not lack of information. It is behaviour at the wrong time. Walia’s post lists 3 decision points that usually hit when emotions are high: market falls, income jumps, and a shiny trend triggers FOMO.

In Indian households, the second decision often gets tangled with EMIs. Many borrowers take bigger commitments the moment income rises, assuming the new salary is permanent. LoansJagat’s eligibility note itself shows how quickly “minimum income” thresholds become a benchmark for personal loans: ₹25,000 in metro cities and ₹20,000 in other cities, along with a credit score above 650. 

The 3 Decisions, And What Data Says People Actually Do?

Walia’s 3 triggers are straightforward:

1. When markets fall, decide to stay invested or run. 
2. When income rises, decide to upgrade lifestyle or upgrade financial freedom. 
3. When something shiny appears, decide to follow the crowd or stick to a plan. 

These are not theoretical. On the “steady” side, SIP participation is deepening. Economic Times reported SIP inflows at ₹31,002 crore in December 2025, up from ₹29,445 crore in November 2025, with SIP assets at ₹16.63 lakh crore, or 20.7% of total mutual fund assets. 

On the “shiny” side, the numbers are brutal. SEBI’s press release dated September 23, 2024 (PR No. 37/2024) says 93%of individual traders incurred losses in equity F&O between FY22 and FY24, with aggregate losses exceeding ₹1.8 lakh crore. 

To keep the 3 decision moments clear, here is how they show up on the ground.
 

What stands out is the mismatch. SIPs show patience, while derivatives data shows impulse. Both trends are growing at the same time.

Moneycontrol, citing AMFI data on January 9, 2026, also flagged churn: SIP inflows at ₹31,002 crore, an overall SIP stoppage ratio at 85%, and an adjusted stoppage ratio at 55% after excluding maturities. The flows are strong, but a section still drops out when volatility hits.

What Led To This Split Between Discipline And Speculation?

The warnings around derivatives are not new. SEBI’s updated study itself points back to an earlier finding: a prior report published in January 2023 found 89% of individual equity F&O traders lost money in FY22. 

Meanwhile, the investing side has been building momentum for years. Reuters reported on December 11, 2025 that equity mutual funds have seen uninterrupted monthly inflows since February 2021, with SIP contributions acting as a steady support. It also reported SIP contributions from January to November 2025 rising 26% year-on-year to ₹3.04 trillion. 

Then came the latest headline milestones. India Today reported on January 9, 2026 that the mutual fund industry’s net AUM stood at ₹80.23 lakh crore in December 2025, slightly lower than ₹80.80 lakh crore in November 2025, with the moderation linked to debt fund outflows. 

Put simply, long-term participation is expanding, but short-term risk appetite has not cooled. That keeps Walia’s “3 days that decide the year” framing relevant. 

What Stakeholders Are Saying?

AMFI CEO Venkat Chalasani linked AUM moderation to debt fund outflows, while pointing to record SIP flows and rising participation. SEBI, in PR 37/2024, reiterated that retail F&O losses remain widespread across FY22–FY24. 

Conclusion

India’s SIP record shows discipline is becoming mainstream. But SEBI’s derivatives loss data shows one bad FOMO phase can still wipe out years of steady investing.