fabeetle

Do not wait until you are your paren'ts age to invest because it is too late...or is it?

Posted 4 months ago by Laurie

Well, I was raised to never sign anything without doing my research. Always be on guard! Discipline myself to live within my financial abilities. Investing was never something mentioned to me in my youth. The only thing I knew about money was to make sure my check book was balanced and only spend if I had the cash in my hand.

I lived the last 30 years being married and believing that I had financial security because investments were being made. But I was not the one making the financial decisions for my life and did not realize that the investments that were made in earlier years were being cashed out.
All of a sudden, I am no longer 25 and married. I am 55, single, with no retirement or investments.
So I will work until I die.

After the death of my parents, I found out how investing is the answer to my future. But is it too late for me to start a portfolio that would make any difference for me when I'm in my "golden years?"

What then, is driving me to want to make the decision to invest at this point in my life when I know it will not drastically change my life? It is knowing that you do not grow in any aspect of your life without commiting to change. So it is just plain stupid for me to do nothing.

The economy is not doing well and I do not see any great changes happening in the near future. But one thing I can do is to educate myself, set the groundwork and see where it takes me. Due to my upbringing of discipline and work ethics, I will survive.

I am not concerned about leaving a monetary legacy. My legacy will be the person people perceive me to have been. Hopefully, people will smile when they speak of me. However, I do have dreams of being able to sleep and not set an alarm clock someday. Unless of course it is time for me to take my meds!

So I will finalize my story with saying that I did not do anything for my future financial security when I was in my younger years because I thought it was being handled for me. I have witnessed what investing can do for people when I had the honor of handling my mother's estate after she went home to live with Our Lord. Thank you Mom & Dad for taking care of me even after you left this life. I hope that I can grow financially so I can live out a humble and happy life. The bonus would be that after my spirit moves on, my children would also receive an inheritance like the one that I was blessed with.

Confidence in the future

Posted 4 months ago by Cindy

Why do I save and invest? I can think of a couple of personal reasons. The first is for family; to ensure they have the "ways and means" to be cared for properly. The second is to enable a desired lifestyle, freedom and security as I age. I've seen so many older Americans that worry about how to pay the bills and make ends meet. As health begins to fade, it is so sad to see these individuals struggle with managing the hardships both physically and financially. To that end, I have found a financial advisor that is intelligent, trustworthy and diligent in making my investments grow. What more could you ask for?

A Run at Early Retirement

Posted 4 months ago by Guy

I save and invest so I do not have to work forever. My #1 goal is early retirement and I invest aggressively in order to achieve this. I want to live a comfortable life and have the time to enjoy it.

Right now, my wife and I are young and can afford to put money away. We want that money to work and we do not need it right now, so we can take risks with it. My biggest concern when finding a investment advisor was getting someone who could understand this and embrace our stategy.

In the end, I hope that our money choices now will reap rewards in the future. I want to make sure that when I have kids, there is the means to take care of them and that we can leave them a very solid foundation for there financial future.

Dont be like my parents.

Posted 5 months ago by beverly

Oddly, what drives my investment and financial decisions is what I can do for my kids and what my parents did not teach me. My parents were always terrible about saving money and although they always seemed to have it, they also seemed to fly by the seats of their financial pants most of the time. I am fairly conservative with my investments and I am a huge saver. I always have to have a good bit of money in the bank before I am ever comfortable spending a dime. When I do spend, I enjoy it and do not fret about it because I know that have saved plenty of money too. I only enjoy spending money when I have contributed plenty of funds towards my investments and toward my retirement. Because my husband and I are both self employed, we know that whatever we do is what we will benefit from later on down the road.

Slow and Steady is Okay

Posted 5 months ago by Chris

My investment and financial decisions are driven my desire to excel at beating the market. While active trading sounds more exciting that just a broad asset allocation strategy, I feel content diversify into the right asset classes and outperform over a steady and gradual basis.

I wish I could tell you that I have made 100% right investment decisions with my own portfolio but that is really not the case. You try to learn as you go and hopefully pick some guidance from people smarter than you along the way.

As for financial decisions, this becomes a little trickier because now another person's (my wife Sarah) actions are also involved in the day to day financial decisions we make. While we still maintain a certain level of debt (trying to pay down with free cash flow), we have no car payments and a modest mortgage.

Striving for financial stability is difficult for the Generation X/Y because we place education over almost anything else and this often times leads to getting into a situation of paying of college or grad school loans while also working. Because of this fact, we have always gotten used to a certain amount of debt in our lives. While I always strive to be 100% debt free, I also realize that this is a gradual process. We are getting closer to realizing that goal as a couple and if we both work at it, that day will one day come.

Out of my hands now...

Posted 5 months ago by Merry

What drives my investment and financial decisions is to preserve my parent's hard work ethic by making good choices with my inheritance. As far as the legacy I want to leave, I can't really do anything more as my work was done raising my children. I am so proud of who my son's have grown to be and the decisions they make. They teach me lessons everyday.
My biggest concern is that with today's leadership in government, I have little control of what will happen to my investments. They continue to diminish. I continue to have faith that by the time I will need to live off of my retirement, things will pick up.

Must Retire by 55

Posted 5 months ago by Roppolo

I have gotten behind on my retirement investing, but my dad taught me at an early age to put money away so it has the most time to grow. There seems to be so many things to save for, but I know that when I am older I want to live well and have lots of fun. My goals are to retire early and be able to travel and spoil my grandkids. Right now all my financial fears surround paying for healthcare, paying for children and then putting them through college. Hopefully, I will just win the lottery and all my worries will be over. Oh, and I would love to have tons of money to leave my kids and grandkids. I would love to give them a head start on their lives.

To Follow My Mother's Example

Posted 5 months ago by Beth

Someday, I want to be a stay at home mom. I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where my mom didn't work. She'd take us to the beach nearly every day during the summer, other times we'd go to the movies. If I left my homework assignment at home, I was able to call my mom and she'd drop it off for me. I want to be able to give my children the time and attention that my mom gave her children.

I realized in high school, that being a stay at home mom is something that I'd really like to do. It wasn't until after I graduated from college and was working at my first job that I realized the financial implications of trying to be a stay at home mom. So I made a plan to sock away as much money as I could in my 401K as early as possible, to take advantage of the power of compound interest. I thought that if I could save $100K before I had children, my [at this point still theoretical] husband and I could retire on that money which would have at least 35 years to grow and we could use all of his salary to cover our living expenses. I started off at my first real job saving 15% of my salary and I worked up to putting the federal maximum into my 401K and/or Roth 401K each year, there were some times when I was putting more than 30% of my salary into savings.

Now at 31, I am married, thinking about starting to have a family and I have managed to save $139K in my 401K. I still question whether it's "enough", especially in these tough economic times to go down to a single-income household, and only time will tell (well that and perhaps the advice of a good financial planner). When I talk to my friends, many of whom are working moms, I sometimes wonder if I'll truly enjoy being a stay at home mom or if I'll miss working. I'll have to figure that out once I have children, but I'm glad to know that because of all my hard work saving, I will at least have the option of being the awesome stay at home mom I hope to become.

Live for today...and tomorrow

Posted 5 months ago by Bob

I save and invest so that I can finance the things in life that my family and I enjoy, both now and in the future. We like to travel and enjoy some of the nicer things in life. We could probably save more, but I have somewhat of a "live for today" attitude. Life is short and there are no guarantees that we will be here to share in the future. Don't get me wrong, we try to save and invest enough to maintain our lifestyle when we retire, but we also have short-term savings for our "today" goals.

Make the Most of Your One Life

Posted 5 months ago by Russ

When it's all said and done, we each only get one life to live. I save and invest to make the most of my one life, and in the financial advisory work I do, I provide advice on how clients can make the most of their one life.

Some would argue that you should save and invest every dime you can, but I think this should only be pursued if you have a set of goals that demand this type of saving. Perhaps you do.

However, what if one of your goals is to spend more time with your family while your kids are young? Well, it can be a challenge to do this while saving everything you can.

I think it's all about balance. You need to be prepared for tomorrow but not at the expense of enjoying your financial resources today and along the way.

How do you do this?

I wouldn't call it "financial planning" -- rather, I would call it ongoing, proactive wealth management. This calls for establishing what's important to you and your family, putting a strategy in place to achieve these goals and, most importantly, regularly reviewing your strategy to make adjustments as needed along the way. This isn't a "set it and forget it" approach to wealth management.

I apply this same approach to my own family's finances because I think it's the best way to make the most of the one life you have.

That's why I save and invest

Freedom and Security

Posted 5 months ago by Cassie

My financial goals are security and freedom. Most of my financial decisions are based on security. I am not a risk taker. Money can grant you a sense of security knowing that you are able to resolve issues as they develop. Nothing creates anxiety like not being able to respond to problems because you are not financially able to address them.
Adequate finances give you the freedom to pursue activities and experiences that you enjoy. This freedom can build shared family experiences that are the most precious part of being a family. Financial resources can also be used to create shared philanthropy that is so vital to being a compassionate human being.

Money Is.

Posted 5 months ago by Hayden

Money keeps me dry. Safe. Not hungry. Clean. Gainfully employed. Partially hydrated. And my waste line slightly inflated. Money makes me confident. Insecure. Tired. Old. Sweaty. Devoted. To working hard. For my wife, my kids, my future, their futures. Money takes me to the game. To the park. To the zoo. To the skies. To places I can't pronounce. And back. Money gives me peace. Headaches. Funnel cakes with powdered sugar. And hope. Money doesn't make or break me. It doesn't help or hurt me. Money is just money. And honestly, I wouldn't know what to do without it.

Every Dog Has Their Day

Posted 5 months ago by John Michael

Before I could walk, my passion for dogs was evident. Almost every picture of me before age five included a puppy or dog. These adorable creatures have been a ever present part of my life for almost all of my 50 years. Dogs love unconditionally. They are there when others are not. They snuggle up to me when I need it the most. My goal is to found and fund a no-kill shelter in the country. Ten acres would allow me to house up to 500 dogs, providing playful friends, companionship, food, shelter and medical attention when needed. Of course, when qualified owners chose to adopt, we'd make sure they got the best friend suited for their specific circumstances. I also envision loaning out my furry friends to foster children and terminally ill patients. Who could be a more encouraging and loving friend?

Money buys the memories.

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan

It is often said that "Money cannot buy happiness." I disagree.
Money buys your son his first fishing pole. Money buys time to help your wife pick out furniture for a new nursery. Money buys time to spend with your family. Money buys time to meet your grandparents for lunch on a weekday. Money gives you the freedom to make sure you watch your kids leave for their first day of school. Money gives you the freedom to attend the practices, recitals, and plays that are important to your children. Money buys the memories.
Without saving and investing, cuts have to be made from the above list. I save because I want my list, and my memories, to grow.

Lessons Learned

Posted 5 months ago by kasey

I have seen too many family members and close friends be held back in their dreams and even in reality because of lack of financial planning. I don't ever want to have my money dictate who I am, rather I want to tell my money what it is I need from it and have it work for me. I want my family to be able to enjoy life and hopefully not have to worry too much about money. I have seen money rip relationships apart and it is such a shame. Seems to me that with a little planning and frugality that it is possible to live comfortably today and even more so in the future. I have paid off my student loans myself and have struggled back from over $15k in credit card debt so I know things can be tough, but with a plan and goals you can do it. I do not know all that much about the markets and all the products out there and that is why a great financial advisor is so key to my future.

The Eye$ of Texa$

Posted 5 months ago by Doug

My 4 year undergrad education cost me ~25k (and I am still paying the loans off). At the current rate of increase for college tuition, my son would be paying over 100k in tuition and fees alone at a public institution (not to mention what gas on flying cars will run). I don’t want him saddled with those loans, and I don’t want money to be the overriding factor on decisions such as higher education. So the question becomes, how do I plan for that and for my wife’s and my retirement, as well as pay for things we want today – vacations, music lessons for my kids, etc.?

I’ve reached a point where I know I need to think long term, but I’m not educated enough in the world of finance and don’t have the time to catch up. I also feel like going with a financial advisor is like picking a mechanic – I really have no idea what there are talking about, I just have to trust that they are making the right decision for me, not themselves (though if I overpay for my radiator I will get over it… if someone screws up my retirement, that’s life changing).

I suppose my biggest fear is once I’ve made the decision to plan, how do I know that plan will succeed?

Good Advice from a Rich Man

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan

I had a boss who had a very wealthy boss who passed down some great advice on saving and investing. He said, "Always have 'screw you' money." Not everyone can be their own boss. Not everyone has the courage to start their own business. But everyone can save and invest. Everyone can put away money so they aren't a slave to their job or their boss. So in addition to 401Ks and IRAs, my wife and I make sure we put away 'screw you' money each month. Just in the event we feel like walking away on our terms. It's a pretty empowering feeling.

Late Baby Boomer - The Frugal Optimist

Posted 5 months ago by Ken

I am 56 years old and can just barely qualify as a baby boomer. When I grew up we didn't have huge amounts of money but we were comfortable. I learned at a fairly young age that I needed to rely on myself and work hard to get anywhere, but I also believed strongly in myself and my country. If I put my mind to it I could succeed. This has benifited me my whole life. And I have to say its been tested this past year, more than any time in my life. I was an executive in a securities broker dealer and was laid off in January. I am optimistic though and preparing to launch my own web development firm sometime next year. My frugal nature prepared me financially to weather this event, and my reaction to the market melt down was basically to ride it out. Again confidence in this country makes me believe that the market will ultimately succeed. So far, its working out. Keeping my fingers crossed and my head down working towards my next goals.

Hard Work Hopefully Pays Off

Posted 5 months ago by Paul

After spending a vast majority of life working to support ourselves and provide our daughters with a home and hopefully a great start in their adult life, our savings should serve two if not three purposes. Our investments will hopefully allow us to ease up on work, enjoy life and even do some things to help those less fortunate. Secondly our savings are intended to make sure that we can remain independent and not burdens others in our later years. And lastly leaving a legacy to our daughters and their family would be a nice bonus. Let's hope it works out that way. Live well.

Saving for the Future

Posted 5 months ago by Cary

I save and invest for my family and future. Six years ago, my wife and I moved from Philadelphia to Dallas to start a new company. We began with a $10,000 investment, knowing that all profits that the company generated would have to be re-invested. It took several years of virtually no personal income to get the company to a point where it could pay salaries and dividends. Needless to say, during those years saving was an impossible task. We lived month to month just hoping to scrape by. My wife and I quickly realized that seasons with no money require previous seasons of saving. Our financial decisions are now driven by our desire to not be in that financially strapped position again.

Saving for the Future

Posted 5 months ago by Micah

My wife and I are just starting out in our careers and have been lucky enough to not be saddled with massive amounts of debt like many of our friends. Growing up, my parents always emphasized the importance of paying your bills and never spending more than you can afford if at all possible. Even though I don't have any kids right now, that's a lesson that I want to pass on to my children some day. And I want to be able to be in a position to give them a head-start on their financial lives. That's why it's so important to me to start saving and to be smart with my investments at this stage in my life.

The Real World

Posted 5 months ago by Chad

A secure future. Peace of mind. And with a little one on the way, we would feel irresponsible by not doing so. We do not expect to ever be the richest people in this world, but we do strive to make the right decisions to make a comfortable future for ourselves and our family. As a "young" adult couple planning a family, these issues are not always talked about or planned. In some ways it may be a good thing for people like us to witness times like these, when you realize that sound financial planning really can make or break your future.

Obama's costly revolution

Posted 5 months ago by Jim

Fear and hope drive my investment and financial decisions. The legacy I plan and hope to leave is not financial, but I will need to be in a good financial position to be able to leave it. I can think of no greater legacy than to have the children currently in my life talk to their children about a good man they had the pleasure of knowing. I hope that I can afford to spend my retirement years doing what my wife and I want to do. I hope I can retire with confidence that my preparations were not in vain. I hope that our country continues to lead the world in so many ways. My fear is that the new administration will so cripple the economy that everyone's plans to this point will be abruptly, completely and irreversibly ended. My hope is that those that are as beholden to very specific special interest groups as our current president seems to be will step up and say, "Stop the insanity!" My regret is that I didn't vote for, and campaign zealously for John McCain. At the time I thought he would have been a bad choice, but knowing now what I did not know then makes me realize he would have been a significantly less bad choice...

Precious Metals

Posted 5 months ago by S

I am investing in physical precious metals because I think that the way our government is printing dollars, it is the only safe investment out there. Gold may or may not reach the highs that you may hear on the commercials, but I believe that it will hold its value over the dollar. The ETF funds are not backed by gold, so holding the physical is the option for me rather than keeping my money in a bank getting nominal interest. That and junior mining companies with great management who are on the cusp of becoming producers. China is calling for their physical gold to be returned, so is Germany and Dubai. It is just a matter of time, in my opinion. I am basically debt free and feel that is the only way to go in the future.

the impact of $1,000

Posted 5 months ago by lisa

I save money so that I can make the lives of others better..and realistically improve the quality of life for me in my community. I have the ability to take $1,000 and turn it into $100,000...and not so incidentally improve the lives of hundreds of people in my area. I save to achieve my dream of living in a community where people are able to live quality lives with a reasonable standard of living, access to health care and the arts with a strong support network available to them.

Impact 100 (shameless plug) is a non profit that pools grants of $1,000 into $100,000 grants ..and those DO change the lives of non profits..which change the lives of people for the better..which makes my community a better place for me to live....

Future...debt free

Posted 5 months ago by Brandi

I want my future to be debt free. I have just one credit card, and refuse to add another. My credit card is paid off each month, and a percentage of my spending goes to my niece and nephews college fund. I pay cash for most things, and try to save as much as possible. I have an emergency fund for "surprises" or any tragedy that may come along.
I grew up hearing about the depression, coming from my grandparents. My grandfather has taught me to save everything I can, while still having fun.
I do not know much about investing but, hope that will come soon enough. I am ready to learn.

Daughters are a precious thing

Posted 5 months ago by Scott

It's simple for me really, my five year old daughter drives 100% of what we do, including our financial planning. I first called my brother's financial advisor when we were pregnant and I knew just enough to know I needed help. I wanted one of those 529 things everyone was telling me to get. So we met with our advisor, got the 529 up and running, opened a savings account that actually earned a decent return, and started two life insurance policies. Our beautiful daughter Hailey was born and life was good.

I figured I was ahead of the curve. Then things changed a bit...at the age of three my daughter diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder (a condition on the Autism spectrum) and our lives got turned upside down. Will we need private school? How much is private school? Will she need tutoring? Special needs classes? Will my wife and I need counseling? Do I need to hit the lottery? As the different scenarios spun through my head the cash register kept chinging away and we decided we better become lean and mean financially.

We met again with our advisor, made some adjustments and now, three years later, we're a one income family so my wife can stay at home, but we're doing pretty okay. I'm maxing out the 401K, funding the 529 so my daughter can go to higher education someday, and we’ve got a handful of other retirement investments so we can grow old together and watch our daughter progress through life at her own pace. Life is great.

My girls!

Posted 5 months ago by Scott

Simple. Charlotte 4, Caroline 2, and Hadley 8 months. I think that every parent is just trying to give their children better than what our parents gave us. Saving and investing my children keeps me grounded, as well as disciplined.
The prospect of not having food on the table, a roof over their heads, or clothes on their back, a special toy from Santa on Christmas, keeps us saving and investing.
Not to mention in 13 years the girls will be 18, 16, and 14! In 20 years I hope Vegas will be where all girls want to get married!

Plans For Tomorrow

Posted 5 months ago by Matt

I don't have a family just yet, but I would like definitely like that to happen sometime down the road. Obviously having kids is going to be an expensive endeavor. I want to be prepared so I can give my children all the things that were given to me growing up. Especially a good education and a happy life.
Also, there is always a chance of rain in the future. In addition to saving for retirement and family, I also contribute to an emergency fund just in case of a tragedy or a run of unemployment. We can only control our destiny to a point, and it's good to be prepared.
I don't know much about investing, but I have a good financial planner and my deductions are automatic. It is a thoughtless process and I have realized that I personally find it more gratifying to build wealth than to spend.

security

Posted 5 months ago by amy

My husband and I save and invest to secure our future. We hope to allow ourselves room to live and travel when we retire. Our hopes are to continue our comfortable lifestyle when in our old age and we would love to pay for our children's college tuition. We would love to leave our children with an inheritance of sorts. My fears are that with all of the uncertainties surrounding social security, the only thing we'll have when we retire is what we save and make off of our own investments. We are not educated enough about financial investing so we rely heavily on our financial advisor to pay attention and to make the right decisions for us. We have to place all of our trust in one man/company to secure our future. This is probably the single most important job that someone else is could be responsible for in our family.

Retired and Worried

Posted 5 months ago by Richard

I am retired and I have invested my IRA in equities in order to grow it to a level that will provide my family and me the lifestyle that I want. My plan was to convert to an income producing investment as soon as the IRA reached a certain amount. During the recent financial fiasco I lost a large portion of my savings; fortunately, things have begun to recover and I am back on track toward my goal. My plan is still to grow my investments so that the income they produce will allow me to enjoy a comfortable life, travel and do the things my family and I like to do. I would like to preserve as much of the principle as possible so that I can leave as much of it as I can to my heirs. My concern is that the market will once again retreat and I will have to begin to draw down on the equity to live on and thus undermine my plan.

Tale of Generations

Posted 5 months ago by Carl

When I reflect on my family, I see that my grandparents worked hard, did well and provided a good starting platform for my parents to reach a little higher. My parents carried on that tradition and added to it giving me and my wife and child the ability to reach even higher. My goal is to follow through on this tradition for my daughter so she has a solid enough financial platform to do what inspires her in life. I strive to get her past the barrier of just needing a job to make a living. That being said, I still require that she be productive in the world.

Scared to Save

Posted 5 months ago by Alisha

I have almost been classically conditioned not to save money. I am twenty years old and have been living on my own the past three years. I go to school full time and I work full time, however, my salary leaves much to be desired. Every time that my bank account comes up to a pretty number, something nearly tragic happens. Since moving to Florida two years ago, this has happened many times.

A little over a year and a half ago, I put in several 65 hour weeks at Walt Disney World, cut back on frivolous expenditures, and started planning all the ways I could spend my money: pay of some of the credit card that was stolen, replace iPod that was stolen, a pretty white dress, new jeans, new make up from Origins. If I ever got a day off of work, I was going to wreak havoc on the local mall. Then, while picking up a friend from work, smoke started rising up from under my hood and the car innards began to squeal at me as if I were causing it severe pain. Took it up to Volkswagen, and they took that pretty number from my bank account.

A few months and countless 65 hour weeks later, I built back up my bank account, one of my friends got the flu, and being a former nurse's assistant, I went to go take care of him. He got better in about three days, and then I got the flu...for two and a half months. All that had accumulated in my account went to the bills of not being able to work (I showed up looking like death and was then sent home) because I didn't get any sick pay, as well as medications and Kleenex.

Events led me to resent working at Walt Disney World, including being forced to work somewhere that made me sick and pass out despite a doctor's note not to, therefore, I had to cut back on my hours at a company that does not pay well. My tax return check came in the mail about the time that I had started to look for a new job, I was fortunate enough to finally be able to purchase a new iPod with it (I had been without for a year and a half at this point), paid off a very small portion of that credit card debt, and I got hired with a "marketing" company here in Orlando which promised me management opportunities. I then had to buy new business clothes, and as I start to realize that they have me selling things that I am not entirely sure actually work, I also realize that my bank account was dwindling as they were having me purchase so much just to make sales that didn't happen. I quit when I realized I had lost about $800 in the company, I never received a paycheck from them either and they moved and apparently changed their company name. I was scammed.

Luckily, I found a job that I absolutely love about three and a half months ago, I am making a little more than Disney, but still nothing remarkable; I am consistently paying down my two credit cards and began building up my bank account again. Life is pretty amazing for me, just watched the shuttle launch from Cocoa Beach, and I'm laying in the back seat of my friends' car sleeping when a drunk driver pulls out in front of us, instantly stopping the 60 mph Nissan. I now have a fractured rib and lacerated liver. I can't work, haven't been working long enough to have much in my sick bank, and have about $80 in prescriptions as well as doctor visits a few times a week. The car insurances are picking up the medical, but a week out of the hospital, my fiancee breaks up with me over a text message, now I have to buy a new mattress to sleep on since I have to move out and gave up my old one when moving in with him in six months ago (with a fractured rib and lacerated liver, might I add). Bye bye bank account.

All of this made me terrified to save money, because every time that I do something awful happens, and it disappears anyway. But then I realize that is actually the most important reason to save money. Life is what it is; terrible, unexpected things are always going to happen, however, if you are wise enough to save your money, these small tragedies are so much easier to overcome and one becomes a stronger, wiser person.

In Whom We Trust

Posted 5 months ago by Craig

In God We Trust. It’s printed on every US denomination yet sadly for much of my life I I've lived out “In Money I Trust” thinking that having more money would give me more options, freedom, and happiness. I’ve heard it said that the rich are infinitely better off than the poor, because at least they know money can’t buy happiness. I believe this to be true. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived once said, “Whoever loves money never has money enough.” I’ve found this to be so true in my life. Even the bills I long to have more of, rather ironically redirect me to trust in God instead. So for me, it all comes down to stewardship. Any money I have is not really mine to own. I am a conduit. It’s mine to steward for a season and it all will eventually be given away, spent, or passed to someone else for them to use for a season. I want to leave a legacy of stewardship, defined by giving generously, spending prudently, and investing wisely (in that order). Someday, I will go before my maker and be asked to give an account for how I stewarded the resources entrusted to me. My mind fears running out of money and not providing amply enough for my family, but my heart and the Bible tells me to instead invest with the goal of someday hearing “Well done good and faithful servant.” Thus, I have a responsibility to invest my time, talents, and treasures to maximize the returns with what God has given me. Part of this is to seek solid risk-adjusted investment returns, but if I miss the other aspects of stewardship I think I’ll have wasted my life. Please don’t read this as a lecture, a guilt trip, a sermon, or a religious pitch. Instead it is just the lessons learned from one guy who has built his family’s finances upon what he has found to be the rock of truth.

A Million Dollar Scholarship

Posted 5 months ago by Jay

I looked at tuition to public Texas universities last month and was shocked. I told my son that if he can get a full scholarship and let me invest his tuition, it’s worth at least $1M to him when he inherits my estate. Hopefully, $1M is enough to get his attention. Otherwise, I’d better get the accounts up. Our investments are driven by a desire for both security and high return. Most assets are parked in mutual funds or go back into my business. When the opportunity arises, I invest in short term real estate deals which return at least 50% on my cash investment in less than 6 months. I hope to leave enough behind to educate our progeny. My biggest concern in investing is a lack of control over stock prices, which is why I concentrate active investing in real estate that I can purchase below market value.

New York New York Its a Heck of an (expensive) Town!

Posted 5 months ago by Anthony

New York City is an incredible town. At any given moment we are able to purchase, visit, or experience nearly anything in the known world. It also costs $13.00 to buy a salad! Having lived in and around NYC for my entire 30+ years I know the cost of living here is steep. I invest to combat the financial forces I cannot control here, and at the same time set myself up for future security and success. I tend to be more aggressive with my investing, but I still need to be smart. Working with trusted and trained finance professionals ensures that I will not only achieve my goals, but that there is someone watching my investments- even when I get too busy with the hectic city life. Currently my biggest goals is to be able to purchase my own home or apartment in the next few years. I know that in this climate- I will need to do everything I can to better my chances of getting a mortgage that works for me, but also have the significant sum necessary for a down payment and other costs. Beyond that, I look to my future and the future of my family. My parents instilled a strong sense of fiscal responsibility on my brother and we have seen them profit from it. I hope to continue to live those lessons, and pass on both a knowledge base- and a financial foundation for my kids. I would never want to have to worry about their education, and ideally- would love to send them someday into the adult world with a small nest egg.

Family as a perspective

Posted 5 months ago by Marc

As the father of two young children, I have started the shift to really thinking about the future of my investments. When I was younger and starting my career, retirement and long-term investments were important, but really only arithmetically. Seeing my kids put that all in perspective. They are the ones for which I am saving for college. They are the ones that I want to go and visit when my wife and I are retired. Their kids are going to be the grandkids that I can't wait to take on vacation.
The motivation has become a lot more real, but also a lot more pressing. Am I making the right decisions, will they work out, how have other people made good decisions. How active should I personally be in the investment choices that I make? There are a lot of open questions in my book, and to date I have been conservative. Too conservative? I don't really know, but I know that as long as I keep my family front of mind, they will always benefit.

My parent's financial legacy to me

Posted 5 months ago by Kim

I saw my parents (who grew up during the depression) make great sacrifices in order to save money which allowed them to retire when my dad was @ 60. Their retirement years were modest but comfortable. All that to say I'm very grateful for their example and it influences my investment and financial decisions daily as well as my 4 siblings. That's a powerful example and legacy to leave. I fear being old and poor so I tend to be very frugal and think twice about stopping to get a Starbuck's or how much I spend on lunch. It's the little foxes that spoil the vine you know what I mean? I like Dave Ramsey's motto of "Live like no one else so someday you can live like no one else". Keep it simple and live by time tested financial principles.

Two Boys, Adventure & A Plan

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan

In a nutshell, I strive to balance my limited appetite for investment risk while ensuring that my money is working hard even when I am not. Philosophically, I work extremely hard to earn the money I have (and I know my everyday business extremely well). And, while I do know a lot about the financial markets, I know far less about the markets and have less time to actively study them than I do my occupation. Thus, I am apt to take on more risk in my true area of expertise (as I can accurately assess the risk/reward of these ventures) than I am in the financial markets.

The primary driver of all of my saving and investment decisions is the desire to provide my two amazing sons with access to the best opportunities to achieve their maximum potential. Whether that's through attending an elite school (grade and collegiate), participating in high caliber traveling sports teams, academic extracurriculars, or expanding their horizons through travel, adventure and age-appropriate risk-taking. By investing in such a way that limits "cliff" risk and providing a stable return, I can ensure the financial stability and consistency (and returns) necessary to achieve this primary goal. All financial and investment decisions I make are with this primary goal in mind.

Pass it on...

Posted 5 months ago by David

Mistakes from the past have driven me to ensure I live the rest of my life debt free, and pass these important principles on to my children. I've climbed my way our of debt from college and starting my own business and my wife and I are saving to pay for our children's college education, our daughter's wedding, as well as our future retirement. We're in our mid-30's and plan to continue investing for the next 30 years and retire in our late 50's or early 60's. We need a company we can trust with our investments. My parents have been retired for over 7 years and they've been concerned with the amount they've lost with their investments and it's unfortunate they're in this position. Will my investments be secure and will my financial advisor realize the impact it could have on someone that's worked hard their whole life to enjoy the final stages of life worry free? Will they understand the market trends and make wise decisions before it's to late? Will they really care?

The new age of investing

Posted 5 months ago by Ed

Diversification in all aspects of investing. My strategy: Maximizing pretax, taxable and passive investments while maintaining a fair amount of liquidity. I'm 41 years old and have recently experienced what greed can get you. I want to leave a secure legacy with protection from high estate tax liability. I am uncertain of what the future will hold regarding inflation and taxes and want to prepare for that now. Due to the recent financial meltdown and deterioration of my life long investments, my financial hopes and dreams have changed. Recurring income with no debt is now my plan. In order to do this, I have a 5-10 year plan; not a 30 year plan. This plan will give me the flexibility to chase my dreams of creating something valuable to the world at a reasonably young age. The unpredictable nature of the credit markets had also lead me to this plan. They have the ability to make a market and break it without giving the astute investor a chance at getting out. I'm looking to control my own destiny (as much as humanly possible).

[[TITLE]]

Posted [[DATE]] by [[NAME]]

Do not wait until you are your paren'ts age to invest because it is too late...or is it?

Posted 4 months ago by Laurie

Confidence in the future

Posted 4 months ago by Cindy

A Run at Early Retirement

Posted 4 months ago by Guy

Dont be like my parents.

Posted 5 months ago by beverly

Slow and Steady is Okay

Posted 5 months ago by Chris

Out of my hands now...

Posted 5 months ago by Merry

Must Retire by 55

Posted 5 months ago by Roppolo

To Follow My Mother's Example

Posted 5 months ago by Beth

Live for today...and tomorrow

Posted 5 months ago by Bob

Make the Most of Your One Life

Posted 5 months ago by Russ

Freedom and Security

Posted 5 months ago by Cassie

Money Is.

Posted 5 months ago by Hayden

Every Dog Has Their Day

Posted 5 months ago by John Michael

Money buys the memories.

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan

Lessons Learned

Posted 5 months ago by kasey

The Eye$ of Texa$

Posted 5 months ago by Doug

Good Advice from a Rich Man

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan

Late Baby Boomer - The Frugal Optimist

Posted 5 months ago by Ken

Hard Work Hopefully Pays Off

Posted 5 months ago by Paul

Saving for the Future

Posted 5 months ago by Cary

Saving for the Future

Posted 5 months ago by Micah

The Real World

Posted 5 months ago by Chad

Obama's costly revolution

Posted 5 months ago by Jim

Precious Metals

Posted 5 months ago by S

the impact of $1,000

Posted 5 months ago by lisa

Future...debt free

Posted 5 months ago by Brandi

Daughters are a precious thing

Posted 5 months ago by Scott

My girls!

Posted 5 months ago by Scott

Plans For Tomorrow

Posted 5 months ago by Matt

security

Posted 5 months ago by amy

Retired and Worried

Posted 5 months ago by Richard

Tale of Generations

Posted 5 months ago by Carl

Scared to Save

Posted 5 months ago by Alisha

In Whom We Trust

Posted 5 months ago by Craig

A Million Dollar Scholarship

Posted 5 months ago by Jay

New York New York Its a Heck of an (expensive) Town!

Posted 5 months ago by Anthony

Family as a perspective

Posted 5 months ago by Marc

My parent's financial legacy to me

Posted 5 months ago by Kim

Two Boys, Adventure & A Plan

Posted 5 months ago by Ryan