Nitin Kaushik, a Chartered Accountant and financial advisor, has highlighted a concerning trend for India's middle class: while salaries have increased by 66% from ₹90,000 in 2015 to ₹1.5 lakh today, inflation has outpaced this growth, leading to a stagnation in real purchasing power. He describes this phenomenon as the 'silent crisis of 2026', where essential costs such as rent and education have nearly doubled, consuming 45% of post-tax income in Tier 1 cities. Kaushik warns that the traditional saving mindset is failing, as safe investments yield only 7% returns while inflation sits at 12%. This has resulted in a decline in household savings rates to 18% of GDP, the lowest since 2017, not due to reckless spending, but because of rising living costs. He emphasizes the urgent need for a mindset shift towards growth assets to combat these challenges. Additionally, Kaushik notes that many Indians are unprepared for retirement, advocating for a minimum retirement corpus of ₹3.5 crore to maintain a lifestyle of ₹1 lakh per month until age 85. He recommends strategies such as considering lower-cost living areas and adopting a conservative withdrawal rate of 3% for retirement planning.