We all plan to grow old. We go to bed each night with the near certainty that we will wake in the morning to the same life as the day before. But life changes in a blink.
Last week, wildfires swept through Boulder, Colorado destroying homes and lives. Last year, Rapper DMX, at age 50, had a fatal heart attack in the prime of life. In the past two years, the appearance of a new virus stole over 5,000,000 lives worldwide, hospitalizing many and creating a group of “long COVID” patients experiencing significant life changes. The reality is that life does change just that fast.
Remember Newton’s First Law of Inertia (in layman’s terms): we continue to do what we are doing until there is a reason and a drive to change. We all think we have time. Plenty of time. Oodles. So did everyone who has experienced a tornado (remember the monster tornado just this past month?), hurricane (seven in 2021), lost their home in a fire this year (over 350,000), or lost a loved one to COVID (810,000 in the U.S. alone). Tomorrow things could change for you in that same blink.
Tell me:
Are you prepared to hand over your finances to someone in an emergency? (1)
In the linked article (please read it), Cameron Burskey of Cornerstone Financial Services says, “The importance of having organized finances on a scale of one to 10 is a 15.” A FIFTEEN.
While this is important for an adult at any age, there are times when organizing is helpful, and then times when it is crucial to maintaining choice, control, and independence. Your plan can be very simple or highly complex, but everyone needs a plan for an emergency situation. You could be:
- Newly engaged or married, combining households (a great time to start)
- Pregnant or in the throes of your child-rearing years
- Newly divorced and starting over
- Planning for retirement and thinking about estate planning
- Retired and busy having fun or starting a second career
- A solo elder needing to organize and plan for your future
- Entering the “no go” years and wanting to maintain your independence.
- Any combination of these or in a totally unique situation.
Best Life Advisors is here to assist you in organizing your financial life, as well as your legacy. Your legacy goes far beyond money and things, including your values as well as your hopes and dreams for those you love. For those brave enough to face the possibility of an impending life change, an emergency in the family, or the end that is not yet—but could, in fact, happen today, we will offer some regular information, resources, and advice to help you with your life planning goals.
If having an organized financial life is one of your New Year’s resolutions, we can help in one of three ways:
- If you prefer to work solo, you can get free access to information on this blog. Follow along, and create your own personalized “in case of emergency” plan. If you’ve already taken this important step, we’ll encourage the continual review and update of your plan as life changes (and it will!). So, if this is important to you, sign up for our blog HERE.
- As daily money managers, we’re available to speak with groups of people interested in financial organization and preparing for life’s changes. Want a one-time speaker for your group? A workshop? A series of classes leading you through the process? A seminar for soon-to-be retirees in your company? Use the contact form on our website, and let’s talk.
- Need more personalized help? Find yourself in that state of inertia? Don’t have the time–or the interest? Bring us on board…Hire Best Life Advisors, and your emergency plans can be checked off your “to-do” list.
So this New Year, resolve to get your finances organized. We’re here to give you a nudge, maybe some courage, and a big push out of that state of inertia common to all who wear the badge of being human.
Here’s to the New Year! May 2022 be kind to us all.