Follow
It is official; summer is here for me. This morning immediately after a pleasant walk along the creek with Larry my husband my yellow lab and foster Scotty (that I will one day stop referring to as a foster dog) I dove head first into my cool refreshing pool. As I write I am sitting by the sparkling water with the birds chirping and flowers in full bloom. The very beginning of summer is in itself a time of renewal and anticipation.
Transition into summer offers the perfect opportunity to examine your financial goals. Before you resist and think “Can’t Camille give it a break?” please consider gratitude and accountability. In spite the enormously challenging year we have had since the beginning of last summer focus on what you have now and on what actions need to be taken to maximize your assets going forward. Financial moves of such magnitude definitely present opportunities and calls for action.
What steps you can take now to get you back on course with your financial goals? If you are not invested in the stock market or real estate perhaps these areas warrant research and consideration. If you have zero interest credit card debt do you have any cards that are about to begin charging interest? Definitely pay those off as soon as possible as it makes no sense to earn 3% in a money market and be paying 15% for credit card debt. Maybe you need to speak with your CPA about capturing some capital losses from your stock holdings while the market is still down. Have you been happy with your financial advisor’s advice? If not maybe it is time to reconsider this hugely important member of your financial team. Is there any area you really need to learn more about in order to improve your financial management? If so consider taking a course such as our Investing 101 course or reading books on the topic.
Make time this long weekend to sit down and review your financial goals. What is working? What needs your attention? Put an action plan in place to lead you to your goals. It is so easy to let the summer come and go with all of the activities and outdoor fun and put those financial responsibilities aside until fall. Fall turns into winter with back to school activities and holiday preparation and then the year is gone before you know it. What needs to be done now to lead you closer to your financial goals? Think renewal. Be proactive. Make your money grow bountifully this summer.