Be Proactive Not Reactive
2020 has brought so many unexpected changes to our lives that we have had little choice but to react to events and circumstances that have changed the way we go about our daily lives. These changes have impacted the way we view and interact within our environments. From work, to school, to socializing. It's not the same, and we really don't know when things will go back to "normal".
The stress and hardship of having to acclimate to such drastic changes without warning and anticipation speaks volumes for why, whenever possible, we should strive to be adequately prepared to encounter events or circumstances that could force us to make changes. It's not just being physically prepared, but mentally, emotionally and financially. Can you image if we had known a year ago what 2020 would bring? I'm sure many of us would have been proactive and made some changes in anticipation to lessen the stress and the economic and logistical challenges we've undergone this year.
Now imagine having the opportunity to apply the same foresight to your finances. What would that look like? It could change your life.
You would have a strategy that would minimize the risk and maximize the value of time.
That is exactly what a cash value whole life insurance policy can do for you if it is structured the right way. Not every life insurance policy is equal. And just because it's a cash value policy doesn't mean it's structured to give you the best benefit. That's because it all depends on your goals; the money you can commit to putting into the policy, the time factor (are you 25 years old and wanting a long growth policy or are you 60 and wanting to be able to reap the benefits sooner than later?), and what exactly you are wanting to get from the policy, in addition to the life insurance benefit.
You Should Know This
The majority of retirement accounts, mutual funds and the like took big hits earlier this year and if you have an IRA or government or employer sponsored retirement account I can guarantee you've lost money and more importantly, opportunity. The opportunity is often the momentum of accumulation that you could have had if your money was in a risk free environment with guaranteed growth, instead of the two steps forward one step back yo-yo dance that is tied to the stock market. You lose by nature there, even to get gains you must take losses. It is not a good strategy!
If you're planning on having growth and certainty with your money, which should be the goal of a retirement account... the money should be there when you retire, and in much bigger numbers than you've contributed, right? Well the stock market doesn't do that, 401(k), IRA, TSP... they don't operate that way! It is completely flawed people!
If someone told you that in order to lose 20 pounds you'd have to gain weight in the process, would you buy into that diet? No! But that is exactly what nearly all financial planners advocate if you have money in typical retirement accounts. FLAWED!
Financial Check Up
When was the last time you took an inventory of your various checking, savings, or retirement accounts? Or when was the last time you logged into your IRA or 401(k) portfolio to check its performance or spoken with your financial advisor about how they are managing your money? If you haven't done this is at least once this year, you need to! Especially with all that has happened in 2020. Now, with the election results looming and who knows what on the horizon, it's safe to say this is your warning to start to prepare for 2021.
If the thought of this overwhelms you or causes you to stress, it's understandable. You can reach out to us for some simple advice or help making sense of your finances. We are here to help! 😁👍