Financial Planning

We traveled in March to Argentina to see our daughter who is there studying this semester. While in Cordoba, a city of 1 million boasting the country’s largest university with an enrollment of 100,000, we rented an apartment and tried to experience as much Argentina life as one can over a two-week span. One day, my son remarked how the lifestyles we saw seemed much less affluent than we’re used to seeing: fewer people own their own cars and houses and apartments are smaller and more modest, for instance. So, with an opportunity to teach a life lesson, I dove into the conversation that “all wealth is relative.”

The University of Kentucky added a high-deductible health insurance plan to its mix of options for the enrollment period that ends this Friday, May 10. UK continues to add benefit options for faculty and staff that provide arguably the best mix of benefits in central Kentucky. Choices, however, can be tricky. Here are some pros and cons on high-deductible plans and a link to a quite comprehensive, but understandable, article on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

I have a fond memory of my maternal Grandfather sitting me down before I graduated from college and telling me, “Steve, whatever you do, don’t borrow money.” While Grandpa John lived far from an easy life as a dairy farmer in Nebraska, there was no mortgage on the farm when he inherited it after his father died. Circumstances now, however, are just different and heading into retirement with a mortgage might be perfectly reasonable. Quick rule of thumb: Compare the interest rate on your mortgage with your projected investment returns and allocate your dollars to the higher number.

Last week I wrote about the excuses people sometimes have for not preparing for their financial futures. This week, let’s talk about the opposite – what inspires people to overcome the excuses and engage a professional to guide them toward their financial goals? No matter the trigger, people are looking to simplify their lives and for peace of mind. So, it is important to find a financial planning professional who has worked with people in circumstances similar to yours. Below are some of the issues our clients have faced that prompted them to seek our help:

Despite the fact David Letterman now looks like Santa Claus and sounds like Oprah, his Top 10 lists live on. Here are my Top 9 reasons – I don’t believe in extra if it’s not needed - why people procrastinate about planning for their financial futures. I’m sometimes asked who our strongest competition is and I always answer, “People’s own inertia.” Meaning, it can take energy to start anything new. But, it can be more nuanced than that. Here’s what I’ve seen:

As a Kentucky fan, think back to the end of last year’s Florida game and allow yourself to remember that feeling for a moment. That feeling of “what if” is what we’re trying to avoid in our investing. As a recap, we beat Florida like a rented mule through three quarters. Then, it happened. Florida scored not once, but twice, in the fourth quarter to erase a big lead. Two plays turned a 27-14 Kentucky lead into a 28-27 Kentucky loss. Not only did we lose the game but perhaps our best opportunity to beat the Gators in the last 31 years.

What does that have to do with investing? Always keep your focus on the wide receiver, I mean, your goals.

I have a 20-year old memory of asking Bob Bova, the founder of Moneywatch Advisors, if he thought I could retire if we could accumulate $1 Million. At the time the company I worked for was being acquired – there’s no such thing as a merger – and I was particularly frustrated with the new management team. Bob and I were playing golf at Andover Country Club where it was abundantly clear that the PGA Tour was not a viable fallback career and I was at a professional low point and looking for some hope. In typical fashion, Bob didn’t say, “sure” and give me false hope. Or, “no way” and dash my hopes. He said, “Let’s sharpen our pencils and make a plan.”

Lisa and I had been clients of Moneywatch for 2-3 years at this point, signing on after observing my parents’ outstanding experience as clients for about a decade. Until then, they had primarily focused on managing the investments within our 401(k)s. But, what Bob developed for us now changed the course of our financial lives.

I have a faint memory of a family in our church when I was in middle school, probably, selling their house and all their possessions to buy a boat and sail around the world. I occasionally wonder what happened to them. Did they find happiness? Fulfillment? Adventure? Terror? Were the kids able to finish school? Are they, ahem, normal after such an experience?

I recently bought a new car and the process was downright enjoyable compared to yesteryear – because I was prepared. In contrast, I have a distinct memory of Lisa and me buying a Honda Civic about a quarter century ago and negotiating – and walking out of the dealership twice – for about 5 hours until we finally struck a deal. When we were signing our young lives away the dealership manager brought me an umbrella as a nice gesture. I told him, “If I’d known there was an umbrella in the deal, I would’ve signed a long time ago.” Well, if looks could kill this blog would have to be ghost-written.

Simply put, fee-only financial planners – like Moneywatch Advisors – are compensated by the clients they serve, no one else. As a result, their loyalty is to their clients and only their clients. Fee-based financial planners charge you and then are often paid a commission from a 3rd party company to sell you their products, too. So, where is their loyalty?