Try GOLD - Free
Too Much Analysis Paralyses Decisions
Outlook Money
|August 2025
The Internet is full of information. So, there is a plethora of investment and protection products and tens of reviews for each of these. While information is empowering, there is a flip side as well—it leads to analysis paralysis. This state is usually referred to as analysis paralysis, where too many choices and too much information lead to indecision or a bad choice.

Though financial literacy is more accessible than ever before, there still exists a layer of complexity, and people often end up making decisions based on surface-level clarity, while missing out on the critical details.
That's what happened with Aashish Pahwa, 30, from Delhi. He was planning to buy a health insurance and like an aware customer, set out to research various plans by interviewing agents and using AI chatbots to understand jargon.
And yet, when the hour of need arrived, he realised he had missed something critical: the network hospital list. When he was hospitalised a few months later for Hepatitis A, he discovered that the hospital he chose wasn't included in the plan. "Even with all the help from AI and agents, I ended up buying the wrong product," says Aashish.
Aashish's struggle with indecision was not only regarding buying insurance. It had crept earlier into his professional life, too. Over the last few years, he had considered multiple career options, from consulting to digital content creation. But each choice sparked a flood of questions. Was this scalable? Was he too late to enter the space? Would AI wipe out the opportunity before he could establish himself?
This story is from the August 2025 edition of Outlook Money.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Outlook Money
Outlook Money
Here's How To File a Complaint With RERA
For many people, buying a house often turns into a nightmare due F often turns a di to delay in possession, subpar construction, fraud by the builder, etc.
2 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
Don't Lose Out To Loss Aversion
No one likes losing and will do anything to avoid it. When it comes to investing, losing hurts more and that leads us to situations that are not rational, such as holding on to losses in the hope of regaining our capital.
2 mins
August 2025

Outlook Money
Don't Let The FOMO Buzz Affect Your Investments
Most of us would have experienced the concept of fear of missing out (FOMO) at least once in our life. It could trigger when your neighbour buys a bigger car than you, your friends post pictures of holidays abroad or fancy eating places and the like.
2 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
ITR Filing 2025: What Last-Minute Filers Must Keep In Mind
As the extended income-tax filing deadline of September 15 approaches, many last-minute filers are rushing to gather documents and avoid penalties. While the basic method of filing income tax returns (ITRS) stays the same, there are a few changes you should note when filing your returns for financial year 2024-25 (FY25) or assessment year 2025-26 (AY26). These include changes in ITR forms, revised Form 16 disclosures, and expanded reporting requirements for crypto assets and foreign income. For instance, deduction disclosures under Sections, such as 80C and 80D, have become more detailed. Also, the tax deducted at source (TDS) schedule has been updated and requires you to mention the exact section under which tax was deducted. It's important for taxpayers to pay closer attention this year.
5 mins
August 2025

Outlook Money
Sunk Cost Fallacy Can Drag You In Deeper
We usually spend our time and money on investments or items, with the unsaid expectation of reaping some benefit at the end.
2 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
Biases That Hold Back Senior Citizens
Seniors are often plagued by biases when it comes to investment, relocation or other life goals. However, longer livespans, inflation, and physical and mental well-being could often necessitate a change in outlook
8 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
Ditch Anchoring And Dial The Right Number
Imagine walking into a store of your choice to buy a shirt. You see a tag that says, \"MRP: 2,500 - Now available for *1,200.\" Suddenly, the *1,200 tag feels like a great deal even if *1,200 was your budget all along. Why? Because your brain just got anchored to *2,500.
1 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
Dividends Vs Bonus Shares
When a public limited company earns profit, it can either reinvest that money back into the business or share a portion of it with its shareholders.
2 mins
August 2025

Outlook Money
Instant Gratification: Rein In Your Desires
The gap between desiring something and purchasing it has never been shorter than it is today.
2 mins
August 2025
Outlook Money
Recency Bias Can Hurt Your Portfolio
Have you ever noticed how an equity mutual fund delivering better returns over the last year suddenly gets all the attention even if it lagged behind for a few years before that?
2 mins
August 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size