Summer is behind us now, though the warm sunny days still invite us to soak in the last fleeting summery moments remaining. But fall is upon us and reminds us that we are looking toward winter, symbolic of our lives. Have you prepared for the next season of your life?
Seasons and years fly by in a blink, but the wise steward knows the importance of planning ahead. It is not the reactive person who plans well for the next season, but the proactive person who does.
Planning for Every Season: Build Consistently.
The reactive person is lulled into a sense that time goes on forever and fails to plan consistently. But the proactive individual sees each season as a building block toward their financial and personal planning purposes.
Planning for Every Season: Invest Consistently.
The reactive person panics when the market declines. The proactive person knows better and rides out the decline but learns what they can from it and prepares to make changes, if needed, when the time is best.
Planning for Every Season: Budget Consistently.
The reactive person incurs debt rather than the proactive person who saves and plans ahead.
How we relate to our finances demonstrates whether we are the reactive or proactive planner. The common character quality in the proactive planner is consistency and the proactive planner looks ahead. We don’t know what the next season will bring, but we can plan for the unforeseen. What season of life are you in? Now is the time to plan for the next season. Don’t wait for the season to come before you plan. Plan before that season comes.
Planning for Every Season: The Proactive College Planner
The proactive person with young children starts investing for college. This begins by looking at the options that work best for your particular scenario. 529 plans, savings accounts, Roth IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, CDs and savings bonds, or Trusts are all options to be considered.
Planning for Every Season: The Proactive Retirement Planner
The proactive person doesn’t think about retirement toward the end of their working years, but at the beginning. Don’t put off investing. Little becomes much when we are consistent and leave our investments in a solid plan.
Planning for Every Season: The Proactive Estate Planner
As we look to the winter of our lives, how are you preparing for your absence? Being a proactive planner throughout our lives lays a foundation for those who come behind us and ensures that we have prepared for their care in our absence.
If you have not been a proactive planner, it's never too late to become one. Disasters and hardship can leave us feeling like we can never leave the mode of being a reactive planner, but becoming a proactive planner begins with one step at a time. Contact us to help you plan your finances. Schedule your complimentary appointment today, so you have the guidance you need when the decisions matter most.
