Unspoken Truth: Many “experts” profit from keeping you dependent.
The Lie Nobody Told You
We grow up believing: financial advice = a path to freedom.
Books, gurus, webinars, all telling you how to invest, save, build wealth. They sound noble. They promise change.
But here’s the truth: much of that advice is secretly shaped to keep you coming back.
Because when you stay a follower, when you’re always “improving”, some people make money. And “financial freedom” becomes an endless journey, not a destination.
What They Don’t Tell You: The Hidden Bias
- Product Pushers Disguised as Advisors
Many “experts” push specific financial instruments, investment platforms, or services, not because they’re best for you, but because they earn commissions, referral fees, or affiliate kickbacks. - One-Size-Fits-All Advice
“Save 20% of your income.” “Invest in index funds.” “Don’t waste money on coffee.”
Great in theory. But ignores your real life: income volatility, debt burdens, family obligations, inflation, rent, currency issues—these make those rules unhelpful or even harmful for many. - Focusing on High Returns, Not Low Risk
So much advice glamorizes high growth: stocks, real estate flips, exotic investments. But risk is downplayed. People forget: huge gains often come with exposure to huge losses, especially if you’re fragile financially. - Time Misalignment
Most advice is written by people who already made it. They speak about long time horizons, compound interest, …in the future. But many people need help surviving today. Advice built for “future millionaires” often misses the struggle of the present. - Cultural & Context Blindness
Advice based on a U.S./UK/Europe context often forgets local realities: inflation, unstable currencies, remittance burdens, familial expectations. What works for someone living in Silicon Valley may stretch you thin living in Lagos, Nairobi, or Johannesburg.
When Advice Fails Hard
- Charmaine followed advice to “cut all nonessentials.” So she canceled her Netflix subscription… then removed her only reliable grocery store because “groceries are optional.” She wound up walking to market, paying more, and starving.
- Samuel was told “invest heavily in index funds for long term.” He poured money in during a stock boom, ignoring high inflation and his debts. When inflation creeped up and living costs exploded, the real value of his investments dropped below his debt levels.
- Fatima heard “avoid debt at all cost.” But when medical emergencies hit and there was no safety net, she was forced into high-interest loans just to survive. More simplistic, well-meaning advice had left her unprepared.
How to Filter Out the Bias & Find Advice That Actually Helps You
Here’s your personal bias detector. Use these questions BEFORE you follow financial advice:
- Who benefits if I follow this advice?
Is the advisor selling something? Do they earn more if you buy in? - Does it align with your income and stability?
If your income fluctuates, advice about saving 20% or buying investment properties might be unrealistic. - Are your immediate needs being neglected?
Things like rent, food, debt, healthcare first. Advice that skips these is often tone-deaf. - Is risk clearly talked about, not just rewards?
If the advisor paints gains without acknowledging what can go wrong, red flag. - Is the context similar to yours?
Example: inflation, currency issues, family obligations. If you’re in a developing country, or an immigrant in a foreign land, advice from someone in a high-stability economy may not translate well. - Start small.
Test small steps, observe results. Don’t commit big money until you understand the trade-offs.
What’s A Better Way
- Prioritize financial hygiene first: knowing what you earn vs what you owe, controlling unnecessary expenses, emergency savings.
- Learn about money, not from flashy guru posts — but through lived experience, community learning, real stories from people in your city who’ve made it.
- Use tools/strategies tuned to your reality: inflation-protected savings, investments in assets that hedge against local economic instability, side hustles, multi-currency or remittance-friendly platforms.
- Make financial independence the goal, not impressing others. The fewer people you need to please, the less your wealth leaks.
Most financial advice isn’t bad. But much of it isn’t for you.
You deserve advice that sees your life, your constraints, your dreams, your context, not just someone else’s success story. If this stirred something in you, share this with friends who’ve ever felt lost by generic advice.
And if you want more financial truths that are built for your life, not someone else’s, check out with EuniceIrewole.com/blog
