Vision – A Dream with a Plan

Financial planning is not complex.  It is in fact very basic and simple to implement.  The hard part is determining what we want.  That’s the part that most people struggle with because generation X and the baby boomers unlike the millenials, have been scripted to keep from being too big for our boots.  To stay grounded.  Having wish lists, dreaming about things beyond our means or setting goals – that’s for other people.  The well to do’s.  We often envy the lucky ones and have a tendency of wanting to bring people back into the pack. Statistics of course tell us, that not all is well.  Health, relationships or financial well being.  Perhaps we are missing something.

As we move through various lifestages depending on the level and depth of scripting, we experience a metamorphosis.  From dependency to independence and ultimately – interdependence, but as we experience each stage our purpose is predominantly determined by someone else.  That dependence never really leaves us.  Our friends, our family, our employer, our government.  The treadmill of life.  Input from all quarters and much of that relationship stress is driving ‘the need’ to consume.  The material gathering fun seeking merry go round.  The pressure to look good, feel good or sound good.  Over 90% of employees in this country work in organisations of 20 people or less.  There are nearly 500,000 small and medium enterprises (self employed or business owners) most of whom fail in the first 3 years and nearly all never make 10 years.  And they fail for the same reason peoples lives are stressful and anxiety filled – Lack of planning.  You can ‘wing’ life but you can’t ‘wing’ business.

Many people think that financial planning means keeping a budget and not having a life – wrong!

Many people think that financial planning is having to invest – wrong!

Many people think that financial planning is needing to buy insurance – wrong!

Financial control is good and it certainly helps to know how you are doing monetary wise but it doesn’t mean going without or counting your pennies each week.

Investment confidence is good but for many people that might simply mean being in the right KiwiSaver fund and paying the house mortgage off before retirement.

Certainty is not possible in life – but risk management can assist.  Statistics tell us that baby boomers now entering retirement, due to medical advancements, attitudes to nutrition and the fitness industry – will likely live past age 90.  That’s a third of your life – I think its best planned for even if you disregard the previous two thirds.