In the debut edition of the series, we explored the crucial shifts every 50-plus individual needs for greater peace of mind. In the second part of the series, we turned our focus to ‘inner fitness’, and how it could be a game changer. In the third edition, we explored how the ‘quiet middle’ can unravel a new, more intentional chapter of life.
In the current edition of Live to 100, we decode why money after 50 is no longer about accumulation but peace.
For most of our lives, money is a simple story. Earn it, save it, invest it, protect it. We chase increments, bonuses, deals, promotions. We watch our corpus rise and fall, often with more emotion than we’d like to admit. And somewhere around the age of 50 or 55, we pause and think, “I’m okay. I’ve done reasonably well. I’ll manage.”
And this is exactly where many people make their biggest mistake.
Because money after 50 is no longer about the maths. It’s about the meaning.
The ‘enough’ illusion
Ask anyone in this age group what ‘enough’ means, and you’ll get a number. Five crores, eight crores, ten crores. But the truth is, ‘enough’ is not a number at all. It’s a feeling. And feelings don’t come from spreadsheets.
I meet so many people who have done very well financially yet feel deeply insecure. And others who have far less yet sleep peacefully. Why is that?
Because money anxiety after 50 usually has nothing to do with money. It has to do with uncertainty.
What if I live longer than expected?
What if health expenses spike?
What if the kids need support?
What if the portfolio doesn’t grow at the same pace?
What if there is no “second innings” income?
These questions don’t get answered by the size of your corpus. They get answered by the structure around it.
In this new stage of life, money doesn’t need to grow aggressively. It needs to behave predictably. It needs to be aligned with your actual life, not some abstract target. It needs to serve your purpose, not your fear.
From retirement to longevity
The biggest shift people need to make is this:
Stop planning for retirement.
Start planning for longevity.
Longevity planning is not about “How much do I need?”
It’s about “How do I create stability, dignity, independence, and optionality for the next 30 or 40 years?”
That changes everything. It shifts the focus from accumulation to allocation. From chasing returns to reducing fragility. From “more” to “enough, but dependable.”
Peace is the real currency
Another misconception I see is that money is the only pillar of security. It isn’t. If your health collapses, money helps, but not completely. If your relationships weaken, money becomes irrelevant. If your mind feels purposeless, money becomes a distraction.
Money is a stabilizer, not a saviour.
At 50 or 60, the smartest thing you can do with money is remove volatility from your life.
Simplify your portfolio. Create liquidity. Build buffers. Think in decades, not quarters. And above all, make decisions that allow you to sleep well at night.
Because here’s the irony:
Most people don’t run out of money.
They run out of peace.
And peace, in your second innings, is the real currency.
Money matters, of course. It always will. But beyond a point, the goal is not to get richer. It’s to get freer. And that freedom — the quiet confidence that life is under control — might just be the greatest return on investment you’ll ever earn.
Sanjay Mehta is a digital entrepreneur, investor, board advisor, and public speaker. He is the founder of Ananta Quest and co-founded Social Wavelength, which became one of India’s leading social media agencies and was later acquired by WPP to become Mirum India.
