With Every Budget, the Goal is Freedom
In financial planning, as in most things, it can be easy to lose the forest for the trees.
Before you’re in, you know where you are going. You can see where it starts, and far out on the horizon you can see where it ends. You know what you want to aim for on the other side.
But once you’re in – nothing but trees.
Interest rates. 401(k)s. Expenses. Government regulations. Living Wills. Risk. Contribution limits. Required Minimum Distributions. Taxes. Return. Inflation. Life Insurance. Pensions. Emerging Markets. Small Cap, Mid Cap, Large Cap, Micro Cap! Annuities. Currency risk. Longevity. College expenses. Bull Markets. Long Term Care. Social Security. IRAs. Mature Bull Markets. Assisted Living. Trusts! End of life care. Real Estate. Recessions… GREAT recessions.
It’s long. A lot of the time we lose our way, and become obsessed with small goals.
The key to staying on track is remembering the big goal, regardless of the number and size of the trees.
Everywhere and always, the goal is to give you and your family more optionality, more choices, more freedom tomorrow than you have today. And again the day after.
It’s not just about being able to say “yes” to the things you want.
It’s about being able to say “no”, to the things you don’t.
“Yes’s” can be easy to give in to.
“No’s” can be harder to stick with.
“Yes’s” are gratifying.
“No’s” are freedom.