Investing and planning for you and your family’s future is one of the most important things you can do, but it’s also among the most challenging. Especially now, as you are bombarded with reports from the media and declining optimism over our financial future. Even people with high incomes who are great at saving and investing find planning for the future a daunting task.
Unfortunately, financial literacy is not a subject covered in school for the majority of students. Most kids graduate high school with little to no experience managing their finances and planning for their future. (Let’s face it, how many 18 year olds are worried about their retirement?!) But not having this foundation in financial literacy starts us out at a disadvantage.
How do you know how much to save from your income each year to ensure you have enough for retirement? What about balancing saving and investing with money to spend now, so you can enjoy all of the hard work you’re doing to earn the money? The challenges and lack of financial education often lead to not doing any saving or investing for the future until you’re older, or for those who do make an attempt – the amount saved is often not enough and not invested in the right places to reach their goals.
The best time to start saving and investing for your future was probably five, ten, or 20 years ago, but the good news is it’s never too late to develop financial literacy and take steps toward improving your financial planning. The second best time to start is right now!
Here are some tips for building your wealth and planning for your best financial future:
Understand Your Goals
Setting clear and measurable goals is a first step. Just stating that you’re saving for the future isn’t adequate. Your goals become your investment roadmap, the path you’ll reference continually throughout your working years to see if you’re on track to reach your goals.
You may have more than one goal, for example, you might be saving toward your retirement, college expenses for your children, and inheritance savings for your children and their children. Knowing your specific goals can help you make investment strategy adjustments as necessary and manage investment risks better.
Create an Investment Plan
Reaching your savings and investment goals is unlikely if you take a ‘wing-it’ approach. Financial experts recommend creating a portfolio of investments and a strategy that aligns with prudent expectations, your tolerance for risk, the amount of time available to reach your goal while taking taxes and inflation into consideration.
Once you have a plan – prepare to stick to it! Consider what actions you’ll take during times of market volatility. The plan should help you avoid emotional responses when the market isn’t performing well and remind you to adhere to your strategy to avoid potentially impulsive mistakes.
Involve the Family
As you create your plan, involve your spouse and children. Including your family in the commitment to future goals helps them gain financial literacy, and can start them off on the right foot for their own financial futures.
Get Help from a Financial Adviser or Investment Professional
Planning for your financial future can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to investing. Trying to figure out an investment strategy and navigate the financial markets is complicated for people without experience. If you decide to use an expert to help you, make sure you choose someone who is a fiduciary – someone legally and ethically required to act in your best interests.
Look for qualified professionals who are registered with FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) and meet federal and state regulatory compliance. You can search the FINRA website to see if the person you’re considering has any regulatory violations at https://brokercheck.finra.org and https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/iapd/default.aspx.
If you have $1,000,000 or more in investable assets and would like to work with a fiduciary, financial advisor with decades of industry experience, contact ICC in Las Vegas, NV to learn more about our wealth management services.
ICC provides clear, unbiased guidance for female executives and it is backed by a team of experienced fiduciary financial advisors. To learn more about the services they offer, visit www.ICCNV.com.