One of the core lessons I wanted to get across in this episode is the Iceberg Property. I’ve found in my own experience that we often assume the house with the brand new German SUV is the success, but that foundation is often built on a sinking pile of high-interest debt. True success is the “ordinary” house built on solid rock.

I also dive into the 7 Stress Tests, which was a major turning point for me when I was moving away from my office role. You can read more about my background as Zulfiqar Ali here if you want to see the full timeline of how I built this.

The 7 Signs of Financial Health:

• The Boiler Test: Handling a £300 to £500 emergency without borrowing.
• The Debt Loop Exit: Not using Credit Card A to pay off Credit Card B.
• The 3-Month Buffer: Having 90 days of survival money tucked away.
• Net vs. Gross: Focusing on what you keep at the end of the year, not just the headline salary.
• The “No” Factor: Having the total financial control to say no to social spending that isn’t in the budget.
• Invisible Retirement: Having a workplace pension or tracker that you leave alone to grow.
• The 3 AM Test: The ultimate sign of wealth is silence: not staring at the ceiling worrying about bills.

The Mindset Shift: In the 80s, you only compared yourself to your neighbor. Today, social media makes you compete with the entire world. Stop trying to win the public game. Private wealth is what makes your life easy and secure.