Connecting your Money to your Values

The reasons to do a financial plan are many and varied.   Most people who are interested want to know if they are on track for retirement. Doing a financial plan will help you quickly discover whether you have what is needed to enjoy retirement in line with what you expect. 

The process of planning can be fun and enjoyable and give you peace of mind.   A financial planner can set you up with software that enables you to input data or accounts automatically updated in real-time to see if you are on track to reach your goals. It is an excellent way for a husband and wife to sit down and talk about their goals and objectives in life, and in some cases, it would be the first meaningful conversation they have regarding their values. 

It's not just retirement either. Money is not an end in itself, but a means to achieve a more fulfilling life.   Ask yourself:  What is the value of $500,000 in a mutual fund versus a vacation home you share with your grandkids?

Make the first step defining your values either individually or with your significant other. Money can facilitate the attainment of things that reflect your values.  Visualize your future in five or ten or more years.   Think hard and do it with your family.  Then ask yourself the hard question:  What about money is important to you?  Your advisor can help you formulate a plan to make the funds available to convert your money into the events, things, or experiences that mean something to you.

You may answer. It's essential to have a family vacation home. Ask:  What is significant about a family vacation residence? What would that mean to your family?  You may answer travel and think about why that is important to you?  The point is to ponder your values seriously and create an action plan to convert dollars into fulfillment. 

Your goals will reflect your values, so it's easier to establish your goals once you've confirmed your values. Discuss with yourself or your significant other What is essential to you in life.  Then set your goals, then do your financial plan, And create a pathway To fulfillment.