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It turns out that the New Radicals were right.

What exactly was this American compliant rock band from the late 1990s right about?

Consider the following lyrics from their smash hit, “You Get What You Give”:

“The whole damn world can fall apart, you’ll be ok, follow your heart.”

“Fly high, what’s real can’t die, you only get what you give.”

Living in today’s financial world requires a slightly higher dose of optimism than say 5 or 6 years ago. While I don’t discuss the daily ups and downs of the financial world here and largely recommend that you save yourself the anguish by ignoring them, it doesn’t mean I’m unaware of their existence.

Rather, I make a conscious choice to focus on things that we can control. In my mind, two of the most important things we can control are our ability to make a difference in the world and our ability to follow our heart.

In your quest to accumulate and reach a certain level of wealth, don’t lose sight of why you’re aiming to do so in the first place. Whether it is to spend more time with the ones you love or provide a better life for those most important to you, remember, "You only get what you give."

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
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Photo Credit: joanna8555

“We’re in the customer service business and we happen to operate an airline. But then any business is about providing great customer service to the people you serve. We just happen to be in one branch of the customer service business.” – Herb Kelleher, Former CEO, Southwest Airlines

Whenever I fly anywhere, my first choice is Southwest Airlines.

Why?

I get a free flight after flying 8 round trip flights.

They don’t charge me for snacks and my bags fly free.

They send me free drink coupons with each free flight I get.

Southwest cares of their customers and I’m a loyal customer.

I’m in the client service business and I happen to operate a financial planning practice.

If I don’t take care of my clients, whatever business I’m in is irrelevant.  I wouldn’t be in business for very long and certainly not with the same loyal clients.

What type of relationship do you have with the businesses you choose?

If it isn’t one based on customer service, perhaps it’s time to expect more.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
As I often talk about the importance of balance, I thought it might be nice to change things up this week and show you that I try to practice what I preach!

It is important to unwind and spend quality time with the important people in your life, so instead of a financial planning post this week, here are some pictures from my vacation in Rhode Island last week with my family and friends.

Enjoy!
Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
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Photo Credit: star5112

Financial Planning is not just crunching numbers and running projections.

Financial Planning is not just focusing on our emotions and feelings.

Financial Planning done right is a balancing act.

The best laid plans mean little if we pay no attention to your emotional capacity (or lack thereof) to carry them out.

If we allow our emotions to dictate our course without any financial evaluation we’re more likely to be disappointed with the results.

Balancing both the financial and emotional side of planning is the best way to make educated decisions with your best interest at heart and in mind.

It is, however, easier said than done…

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. 
 
 
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Photo Credit: Tin-Tin Azure

“Discovering your core purpose instills a great deal of satisfaction into your life.” – Peter Shallard

I love what I do for a living and I can’t really see myself doing anything else because I strongly believe that helping people tackle their big picture financial planning is what I was put on this Earth to do.

While owning my own business provides me with lifestyle flexibility that I enjoy, that isn’t what gets me up and out of bed each day. I also like making money just as much as the next guy, but beyond providing for my wife & my family, it is secondary to my true passion.

I love seeing the power of positive financial decisions put into action in my clients’ lives.

If you haven’t aligned your financial picture with your true passions in life, you’re missing out. Peace of mind is hard to define, but when it is achieved, there is no better feeling of satisfaction.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.

 
 
Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
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Photo Credit: Lisa Brewster

“The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money.”  - Author Unknown

Many people are surprised when they work hard to accumulate enough money to be financially secure only to realize they haven’t thought about what brings them happiness.

So ask yourself:

Does playing golf everyday make you happy or is the time you get to spend on the course with your three best friends?

Is it the vacation home itself or the family gatherings that occur at the house that make you happy?

Is happiness achieved by paying for college or giving your children the education and opportunity to make their own mark in the world?

 (I’ll accept “both” as an answer to that last question, but you get my point…)

Be careful not to confuse money with happiness. Working towards a greater purpose whatever it may be and something usually bigger than us is what often reveals true happiness.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.

 
 
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Photo: Pierre Bedat

One area of financial planning that I often see people procrastinate on is planning for their life insurance needs.

I certainly understand that planning for the eventual end of your life is not high on anyone’s priority list, but as a financial planner, I can’t help but think about your family and friends whose lives could be dramatically altered without the appropriate coverage being in place.

Here are three times I would recommend reviewing your life insurance needs:

Marriage / Divorce

Whether you’re newly married, divorced, or remarried, chances are your insurance needs have changed as have the people you’d like to take care of should something happen to you. I hear far too many stories of insurance policies paid out to beneficiaries that weren’t the intended recipient, but the policy was never reviewed or updated following a marriage, divorce, or second marriage. If you fall in this category, do yourself and your family a favor and make sure your policies are appropriate and your beneficiaries are updated as your life changes.

Birth of a Child

A new addition to the family is both an exciting and hectic time, but I’d make time to be sure your policies reflect the updated needs of your family. If you were formerly a two-income household and one of you will now be staying home with the child, your insurance coverage needs may have changed. If it is your intention to help fund your child’s future education, a term life policy might be appropriate coverage to maintain until you’ve saved enough to cover the cost of education or until your child has completed their education.

Retirement

If you’re retiring and have your finances in check, review your life policies to see if your insurance coverage is still appropriate or even necessary. If you’re like me and you believe that insurance should only be used to insure against risk and not as an investment vehicle, you might find you don’t need the same amount of coverage you once maintained while you were still saving for your retirement.

These are just a few times to consider reviewing your life insurance coverage, but there’s really no bad time to do so.

If I can help you make sure your insurance coverage is appropriate relative to your big picture plan, just let me know and I’d be happy to help.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
 
 
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A friend of mine recently asked my opinion about his investments. I responded by asking him a number of different questions relating to his big picture, none of which had anything to do with his investments.

After answering a few of my questions, he stopped me and said, “Nobody else in your industry has ever asked me questions like that before.”

Focusing solely on your investment strategy without talking about your big picture is like building your kitchen before you’ve done the blueprints.

Planning your investment strategy is one part of financial planning, but an investment strategy that isn’t aligned with your big picture isn’t much of a strategy at all.

If you want to work with someone that is only going to give you investment ideas, that’s up to you.

But if you’re looking for help with your blueprints and your advisor is focused on building your kitchen, it might be time for a different conversation.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.