‘Why I paid ₹11L in cash’: Startup cofounder trashes popular finance influencer advice

When Nishant Chahar, Co-Founder of AlgoPrep, bought his Tata Nexon, he didn’t follow the so-called “smart” advice from finance influencers. Instead of taking out a loan, he paid the full ₹11 lakh upfront — no EMI, no debt.

“I had every finance influencer on LinkedIn telling me I was stupid,” said Chahar. “They kept repeating the same formula: take a car loan, invest your cash, make more money over time.”

On paper, the math seems obvious:

• ₹11 lakh loan at 9% for 5 years = ₹13.5 lakh total repayment.
• Invest ₹11 lakh at 12% annual returns = ₹19.4 lakh in 5 years.
• Net gain: ₹6 lakh.

“But what they ignore is reality,” Chahar said.

Here’s why he didn’t listen:

• 12% annual returns aren’t guaranteed.
• Your money is locked — what if you need it urgently?
• Taxes eat into those gains.
• Markets can crash — what if your ₹11 lakh becomes ₹8 lakh?
• ₹23,000 EMI for 5 years is a financial burden.
• Financial stress doesn’t show up on a spreadsheet.

“For me, ₹11 lakh was just 20% of my total savings. Paying cash didn’t hurt my finances. In fact, it freed me from 5 years of debt and monthly payments hanging over my head,” said Chahar.

Finance influencers love to optimise for returns. Chahar prefers to optimise for peace of mind.
“Yes, I might have made ₹2-3 lakh more with their strategy. But I sleep better knowing my car is 100% mine. No EMIs, no debt, no uncertainty.”

He believes that not every financially “optimal” decision is the right decision for your mental health. “Stop letting people on the internet convince you that debt is the smarter choice just because it looks good on Excel,” says Chahar. “Your peace of mind is worth more.”