Financial planning is complex. I could write a blog about standard deviation, net unrealized appreciation, or backdoor Roth IRA contributions. We’ll save those for another day, but for now, let’s talk about 5 steps everyone can take or should take to get their finances on track. These are the essentials. We can’t move on to the more complex and tactical strategies without first getting these 5 steps on track.
- Get on a budget and stick to it. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Either control your money or your lack of money will control you. There are great apps that help with this such as mint, personal capital, or if your my client, you have access to Right Capital. Dave Ramsey’s envelope system can be a great way to start even if you aren’t using the actual physical envelopes.
- Learn about taxes. This is one of Robert Kiyosaki’s principles in his landmark book, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” If you understand taxes, you can figure out how to legally get around them as efficiently as possible, and can put those savings to work for you.
- Live within your means. This includes not getting excessive debt, putting aside savings, and just generally spending less than you earn. Sadly most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, even high-earners like doctors, lawyers, and yes, even financial advisors 😉
- Invest intelligently. This means more than simply putting money in a brokerage account and picking the latest hot stocks of the day. It means knowing which retirement vehicles are the best for you and how to leverage them for your greatest after-tax return. It means tax-loss harvesting each December, investing in the right life insurance policies for you, building an estate plan that matches your situation, and so much more. Working with a financial professional on this may really help boost your results.
- Learn how to adapt. The world of finance is ever-changing. The hot stocks of yesterday may not be the best stocks for tomorrow. Even this week we had a new bill pass the house called the “Inflation Reduction Act.” There is a fine line between sticking to time-tested principles and knowing when to adapt to current circumstances. One requires knowledge. The other requires wisdom. If you apply these 5 principles you are on your way to acquiring both.
When Daniel is not giving financial advice or managing investments, he enjoys renovating properties, real estate investing, drinking coffee, hanging out with friends, spending weekend trips in his camper van, and exploring the outdoors on a hiking or biking trail in his hometown of Roanoke, VA and beyond.