Traditionally the role of a financial adviser has been to help you grow your financial resources. This has evolved significantly in more recent times into a much broader role, as financial planners have developed the skills and the tools to provide a lot more value than this. Sitting at the heart of what we do now is helping you to identify the life that you want to live, and then through careful financial planning, guiding you on your financial journey to ensure you achieve your goals and dreams.
We believe that as part of helping you to identify the life you want to lead, it makes sense to think far beyond the traditional boundaries that might have existed. Yes your financial plan should include goals such as when you want to retire, where you want to live and how you will transfer money effectively to your loved ones. Each of these takes careful planning and sound investment of your resources. But we believe wise investment goes far beyond investing in funds, shares and other assets. You cannot only invest in financial assets, as the most important investment is in yourself.
Here are a few areas that we believe you should invest in, most of which should also find their way into your financial plan. These are in no particular order as some will be more important than others to different people.
Your health
This is a pretty obvious one, but takes an investment of time, commitment and sometimes money. Staying healthy significantly improves your quality of life, but isn’t always easy. Eating the right food often takes a bit more effort and self-control, as does having a healthy social life!
Getting enough exercise is really important. For some people this is simply about walking the dog or going for a run. Others like more structure, a bit of competition and more interaction with other people. If this is what you want, join that gym, tennis club or golf club. Talk to us about what works for you so that we build all health related expenses into your financial plan. Maintaining both your physical and mental health will have a very positive long-term impact on your financial plan.
Your learning and skills
Just because you may have that university degree or other qualification in your pocket, it doesn’t mean your time for learning is over. Continuous learning and personal development will keep you sharper, more capable to face challenges in your life and will broaden your thinking and horizons. Sometimes this means reading more – reading books as opposed to only scanning through social media feeds.
Also it may take a more significant investment of time and money. Are you going to go back to college to finally do that degree you always regretted not pursuing? Or in the same vein, is there a series of short courses that you’re finally going to undertake to improve your skills? Maybe you could use technology better, enabling you to be more efficient at work – this could be learning how to use social media effectively or indeed brushing up your skills with Excel. Now might be the time to make these part of your life plan, and to also build them into your financial plan.
Your partner in life
You share so much with your partner in life. Your hopes and dreams, your worries and challenges. They hear about your issues today and your perspectives about the future. They know you better than anyone else and are central to your life. So why would you not invest in them?
Of course investing in your life partner means many things. Giving them your time, your love, your listening, your best support and advice. Having their back every step of the way and helping them grow as a person. If you have children together, helping each other be the best parents you can be. It also means spending time together, doing the things you love doing as a couple. It is not unusual to see holidays, weekends away, an entertainment budget and babysitting costs appearing in a financial plan! Are they in yours?
Your passions in life
What is it that really makes you feel alive? For some people it is travelling to far-flung places, for others it’s classic cars or motorbikes and for others again it is getting involved in a charity, organisation or a club. If money is stopping you from enjoying whatever your own passion is, talk to us. Let us see if we can help you achieve it, either today or in the future through better management of your finances.
We all get just one life to lead. As your financial planner, we know the important role that money plays in helping you lead the life you want. Of course we will use our skills and expertise to help you make wise decisions and best use of your financial resources at all times. However this life starts with you and what is important to you, so investing in yourself should be a central feature of your plan.