India celebrates it’s 60th Independence Day today. It’s that time of the year when we take stock of our progress as a nation. Eminent writers will attempt to articulate whether we have made progress and what is the road map ahead.
To my mind, we have made a lot of progress and considering the set of conditions we operate in (democracy, Indian philosophy and work culture), I am not unhappy with what we have done till now. And I’m sanguine about the road ahead.
It is also a time when we should take a look at the financial sector reforms and progress we have made. Take a look at this informative article by Susan Thomas.
Also at an individual level, our personal finance decisions can result in financial freedom or a bondage with debt. The most conspicuous example is credit cards. They promise freedom from carrying money and encourage spending. But they don’t tell you whether it is within your means to do the spending. The interests can trap you in a vicious circle.
So while we enjoy the freedom we have as a nation, am I as an individual, financially free? To me, to be financially free means the ability to do things which I want to do.
I have to cover some ground before I achieve that situation. 
