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Finite, Not Infinite: Getting Your Financial Life in Order
by Michael Chadwick (Write for us!)
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""I'll get to it tomorrow."
"We have plenty of time."
"I don't have to worry about that for 20, 30 or 40 years."
"I can't think about that now, I'm too busy."
These are the comments I hear from people today regarding getting their financial lives in order. Make no mistake, time is not infinite nor is your income. In your youth, your most valuable asset is your income, period. The bulk of the population, especially well educated busy professionals, feel they'll get to it later. Later comes amazingly fast. If you could continue to earn your income forever and nothing ever went wrong that strategy would work fine but there is one problem: life happens. Nothing in this world is guaranteed or linear. The plans we have for our futures change often.
When mapping your finances you need to be sure you've got a plan in place that will protect you from any unforeseen and unwanted obstacles (lawsuit, accident, disability, death, health problems, etc.) and allow you to reach your destinations regardless. Many people in the world have financial products, a commodity today, but few have a proven system that will change outcomes - regardless of what cards you are dealt in life.
We are all busy and as my children age I have a hard time believing how busy it really is. From the livery service we run on a daily basis to transport the rugrats from point to point to the daily pickup of the house. I don't remember signing up for this hectic schedule but there's no escaping it without drastic changes. Prioritizing this important area of your life is something that should not be put off, not even for another day. Each year millions of people are forced to retire due to physical limitations. Each year millions of people die, have accidents and become disabled. Each year more and more of our aging population needs care - in a home environment or in a skilled care facility. Each day the courts have thicker and deeper dockets - more lawsuits. There are many ways to turn your financial lives upside down. Nobody wakes up in the morning and plans on something going terribly wrong but it happens. Realize that nothing is guaranteed and your income and time are finite so be sure to take the necessary time to plan your future - it's where you'll spend the rest of your life.
"We have plenty of time."
"I don't have to worry about that for 20, 30 or 40 years."
"I can't think about that now, I'm too busy."
These are the comments I hear from people today regarding getting their financial lives in order. Make no mistake, time is not infinite nor is your income. In your youth, your most valuable asset is your income, period. The bulk of the population, especially well educated busy professionals, feel they'll get to it later. Later comes amazingly fast. If you could continue to earn your income forever and nothing ever went wrong that strategy would work fine but there is one problem: life happens. Nothing in this world is guaranteed or linear. The plans we have for our futures change often.
When mapping your finances you need to be sure you've got a plan in place that will protect you from any unforeseen and unwanted obstacles (lawsuit, accident, disability, death, health problems, etc.) and allow you to reach your destinations regardless. Many people in the world have financial products, a commodity today, but few have a proven system that will change outcomes - regardless of what cards you are dealt in life.
We are all busy and as my children age I have a hard time believing how busy it really is. From the livery service we run on a daily basis to transport the rugrats from point to point to the daily pickup of the house. I don't remember signing up for this hectic schedule but there's no escaping it without drastic changes. Prioritizing this important area of your life is something that should not be put off, not even for another day. Each year millions of people are forced to retire due to physical limitations. Each year millions of people die, have accidents and become disabled. Each year more and more of our aging population needs care - in a home environment or in a skilled care facility. Each day the courts have thicker and deeper dockets - more lawsuits. There are many ways to turn your financial lives upside down. Nobody wakes up in the morning and plans on something going terribly wrong but it happens. Realize that nothing is guaranteed and your income and time are finite so be sure to take the necessary time to plan your future - it's where you'll spend the rest of your life.
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