If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we never know what’s in store for us. You could discover your new favorite flavor of ice cream this week. You could meet your future best friend next month. Or you could go to bed tonight living a normal life, and wake up tomorrow to find yourself in a global pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic thrust the world into a state of panic and uncertainty. Trips were canceled, plans were put on hold, and suddenly many of us began to question our life’s trajectory. However, over a year later, as restaurants show signs of life, people start to visit with friends again, and vaccines are (slowly) rolled out, it’s an important time to consider your long-term plan.
Although 2020 showed us that even the best laid plans are subject to unpredictable exterior circumstances, we should still be as prepared as possible, especially when it comes to finances. Due to women’s typically longer life-spans coupled with systemic and societal issues like the gender pay gap and career interruptions, long-term financial and estate planning is especially important for women.
How to map out your long-term financial plan
When it comes to thinking through your personal plan, here are a few steps you can take:
- Think about your dreams, goals, and aspirations. Start by thinking about your life 5-10 years from now and go from there. What does your life look like? Are you retired? Are you starting a new business? Are you raising a family?
- Now, think about each of those dreams, goals, and aspirations with a dollar amount attached to them. Are you living off of a pension or a retirement savings account? Are you taking out a loan to get that new business up and running? Do you have a child to care for, or even two or three? At the end of the day, you want your money to work for you and align with your ambitions. It may not be romantic to lay out your dreams with price-tags attached to them, but momentarily taking off those rose-colored glasses to look at your goals through a pragmatic lens could be the difference between making those dreams a reality and just fantasizing about them.
- Once you’ve sufficiently thought things through, it’s time to make a solid plan and put that plan in action. From saving money to investing, each person’s plan will look different. Working with a financial advisor to create an individualized plan tailored to your specific needs is a great place to start.
- Now that you’ve thought about your personal plan, go the extra mile and think beyond it. If you were to pass away or become incapacitated tomorrow, how would you want your assets distributed, and who would you want to handle your responsibilities? It may feel like an unpleasant topic and one that you’d rather put off, but one of the best things you can do for your future generations is put a sound plan in place, and when it comes to your estate, the sooner you start planning, the better.
At The Humphreys Group, we know that it can be difficult to put a short-term plan in place, much less a long-term plan. We’re here to help. Over 30-plus years, we’ve seen that it takes care and clarity to build the trust needed to personalize your financial plan. We take the time to learn about you, your dreams, and aspirations to develop a financial plan that will evolve with you during your life. If you’re interested in getting a second opinion on your long-term financial plan, reach out to our team today.
