I agree Kate, and let's put it another way, especially since Moneybags herself said she simply wanted to "share and discuss it with friends".
I wonder how many people would invite their real life friends round to dinner and then announce that they had at least £1million in the bank ? Can you ^imagine'? ...... personally, I'd find that a very rude, and boastful, thing to do, and, if I were a guest on the receiving end, would feel awkward and embarrassed. Jeez - I'd think it very rude if a so-called friend announced they had £10,000 in savings, let alone a larger amount - it's simply not done.
It's no differnt, IMO, doing the same to MN "friends".
You know, I've got friends and some relatives too who, on the face of it, appear much better off than me (so far as you can ever tell - nice homes, nice holidays, cars etc), and I have absolutely no problem with that because they are nice, decent people, but I would feel very differently if they started getting down to bank balances. The only reason - unless someone asks you what you're worth (and FWIW, I think that's rude too) - for being explicit about these things is to brag. And bragging nearly always conveys superiority in one way or another.
That - MB - is why I am "very sensitive" about this issue. I simply don't like supercilious people. I have no objection to people with money per se, quite obviously the vast majority of us would like more, for all sorts of reasons - for fun, for providing more choice in all sorts of areas, for security, even bloody healthcare & dentistry for that matter - and of course many people would love to be in your fortunate position, but, I do object when those lucky people (and come on, most fortunes are NOT "just" about hard work and wise choices, but very often also about getting lucky breaks - eg: a nice redundnacy cheque, swiftly followed by even better paid job, buying in the "right" area etc) imply that those of us who aren't in the same position have probably done something "wrong".
That sort of view is just far too simplistic and unrealistic, and indicates to me that the sort of person who makes remarks along those lines probably hasn't had too hard a life, and is therefore in no position to make sweeping statements about people who have. This "anyone can do it with the right motivation, maybe not £1million, but they can get out of debt and plan for a secure future" attitude is something I find quite offensive and arrogant. There are 100s of 1000s of good, honest, hard working people who, unfortunately for them, are working in sectors which never have and never will be well paid. They may not have the intellectual capacity, or the right family circumstances, let alone the spare dosh, which would allow them the time to study, for example, to "better" themselves and earn more. They may already be working 2 jobs, simply because they need every last penny to make ends meet - tell me that they're not motivated !
A secure future is probably the biggest financial concern facing workers in the UK today. We are forever being told that we must save more and invest for our retirement, yet how can (many) people manage to do that when ALL that they earn is required to live in the here and now (and they have already cut back as far as they can) ? When someone who has already effectively just bragged that they're very nicely set up thank you then tells you that "anyone" can "plan for a secure future", people in that position would, I think, feel justifiably insulted, because the remark implies that they must be lacking in some way if they do not (plan).
Lack of financial planning is NOT always due to irresponsibility or ignorance, but very often down to impossibility.