Tag Archives: the ultimate gift

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The Most Important Financial Planning Recommendation

Estate_planningWhen I say, “Financial Planning,” it’s altogether likely that the first thing that comes to your mind is either INVESTMENTS or INSURANCE.  And while each of those disciplines are fundamental and foundational to every good financial plan, it is easy for me to say that the most important recommendation that I see in most financial plans does not fall under either of those categories, but instead, in the realm of estate planning.

And, of course, the first thing that comes to mind when I mention stuff like wills, powers of attorney and advance directives is, “Oh, yeah, I know I need to do that.”  You’re in good company if you haven’t; over 80% of people don’t have these documents, and most of those who do, have insufficient or outdated documents.  Why is it, then, that I could suggest that the MOST IMPORTANT recommendations in your financial plan fall under the heading of estate planning?

First, if you have minor children and haven’t yet created wills (or you have children who’ve blessed you with grandchildren), you should stop whatever you’re doing and purpose yourself to contacting an estate planning attorney to get these documents drafted immediately.  Ordinarily, I try to avoid using such dramatic words as best, most and immediately, but I’m not exaggerating here!  The reason this is so important if you have minor children is because you stipulate in your will who the GUARDIAN would be for your children in the case that you and your spouse are both… gone.  Sure, the probability of that happening is very low, but if you don’t determine who should raise your children in your absence through a will, your state of residence will decide for you!

Second, whether you just became a legal adult or have recently gained access into the centenarian club, the time is likely to come when you’ll need someone else to help you with a financial or health decision because you’re unable (through a disability) or unavailable (you’re settling on a house and are out-of-town for business).  You can clear up exactly how these things would be handled with a well written power of attorney document and advance directives.  The former allows someone else to act on your behalf in financial matters; the latter, in decisions surrounding healthcare or end-of-life decisions (like the tragic Terri Schiavo case).

Third, of the very few things you can count on as certainty in this life is that your stay here on Earth will eventually come to an end.  So even if you’ve made definitive plans to join the prophet Elijah, who reportedly left the planet on a chariot of fire sometime around 800 B.C., you’ll likely be leaving someone (and something) behind when you go.  Deliberating over what you intend to leave behind—both monetarily and otherwise—may be seen as not only an opportunity, but an obligation for a life-well-lived.

So why do you think people have a tendency NOT to check-off this big to-do item of having solid estate planning documents created?  People have a tendency to avoid conversations about their own demise, as though they might attract it sooner.  Instead, I encourage you to see this as an incredible opportunity!  Whether your 20 or 120, I encourage you not just to leave an estate, but a legacy.

For more information on HOW to put together a proper estate plan, you’ll find a more detailed explanation in Chapter Sixteen of THE FINANCIAL CROSSROADS.

For more information on WHY, enjoy my CROSSROADS co-author, Jim Stovall’s, best-selling novel, THE ULTIMATE GIFT.

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Guest blogger, Jim Stovall, on “Spending and Saving”

One of the most important things I've learned in educating and advising in the arena of personal finance is that no one person has the market cornered on wisdom… and I'm certainly no exception!  Therefore, in order to make the information in this blog as comprehensive and beneficial as it can be, I will be inviting guest bloggers of varying specialties on a semi-regular basis to share their wisdom with us. 
 
It could be no more appropriate, then, that my first guest blogger is Jim Stovall.  Jim has more illustrious titles than I have letters in my name, but my personal favorite is co-author.  Indeed I'm humbled that in addition to selling over 5 million copies of The Ultimate Gift, Jim saw fit to put his name beside mine in our recently released collaboration, The Financial Crossroads: The Intersection of Money and Life.  This week, Jim shares with us from his weekly column, Winners Wisdom.   
 
Enjoy!
 
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Spending and Saving

by Jim Stovall

Whether you make millions of dollars a year or earn minimum wage, there are only three things you can do with your money: You can spend it, save it, or give it away.
 
Your spending may range from absolute necessities to outrageous luxuries. Your savings may be prudent investments or coins in your piggy bank. And your giving may be coins you drop in a donation jar or launching your own foundation. But there are still only three things you can do with every dollar.
 
Financially successful people make sure that each dollar is divided between spending, saving, and giving. Traditionally, Americans have been a very giving and generous group of people. This generosity fluctuates some but remains strong, even during difficult economic times. If you’re not giving away part of every dollar you earn, you’re missing a great opportunity and one of the true joys in life. While, as a society, our giving can always improve, we seem to be doing fairly well overall.
 
The problem arises when we make the decision between spending and saving. Savings rates in America are dangerously low and, in some sectors of the population, the savings rate statistically actually drops below zero. You may wonder, as I did, how it is possible to save less than zero.
When I researched the statistics, I found that many people today are spending significantly more than they earn, and the disparity is showing up in their credit card balance, line of credit, or other debt instrument. This is a dangerous practice as without long-term retirement investments, your golden years may seem more like aluminum foil than gold. Without some emergency savings, you are like that pilot flying his plane 50 feet off the ground. While it might work for a little while, sooner or later, you will crash and burn if you don’t leave some margin of error in the form of a cash reserve.
When we look at global savings rates, we find that Europeans save 20%, Japanese save 25%, and the Chinese save over 50% of their income. This is fascinating when we consider that economic growth is thought to be fueled by spending, but China has one of the fastest-growing economies while their people are saving half of their income.
Global statistics are interesting for study or theoretical discussions but really don’t matter to you and me. The economic conditions on Wall Street or The White House should not concern us nearly as much as the financial picture on our street at our house. There are many ways to calculate the best way to spend, save, and give our money.
In my newest book, The Financial Crossroads, my co-author Tim Maurer and I explore a number of ways you and your family can win with money. We offer many calculators and other tools you can use to get the information you need so you will know what to do; however, it’s important to realize that financial information abounds. As in most things, with money we don’t fail because we don’t know what to do. We fail because we don’t do what we know.
As you go through your day today, commit to get the information you need to make quality financial decisions and then act.
Today’s the day!
Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082, or by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com.