Think Financial Planning isn't for you? Think again.

What comes first to your mind when you hear the words “financial planning”?  Perhaps this sounds like fancy language that refers to something only the top 1% has access to, or a concept you are familiar with but don’t care much for, or maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you at all. If you belong to any of these categories, you are not alone. In fact, according to a survey by Schwab, only 36% of Americans have a written financial plan. That’s not a lot, but it opens the door to a discussion. 

The truth is, besides your health, your mental and physical well-being, your finances should sit at the top of your priorities. Because your financial health, believe it or not, significantly influences your future well-being. This is not implying that possession of money will undoubtedly bring you happiness or that lack of it will necessarily do the opposite; however, the stress and the anxiety that comes with a mortgage default or a car repossession or just not being able to meet your bill payments are just facts that we cannot ignore.

 And yet, most Americans reduce their finances to the mere process of cashing their paycheck, paying the bills and restarting the process. I am here to tell you that financial planning is way more than that; it is not just reserved for the rich with big tax breaks and heavy trust funds; it is for you too. And I’ll go even further to say that you’re probably the one that needs it the most; because the 1% is using financial planning to stay in the 1%, but you will most likely need financial planning to climb up there. 

Nevertheless, as it stands right now, 50% of Americans don’t know much about personal finance. I myself started my adult life without having a clue about how to deal with money. Nobody taught me, and nobody told me I needed to teach myself. And that kind of cluelessness is what leads one to make avoidable mistakes that often trap someone in vicious circles that become difficult to break out of.

But today, my message to you is that no matter where you are now regarding age, life cycle or financial situation: “It’s not too early, it’s not too late.” Your willingness to act now is the bridge between where you are now and financial thriving. And the thing is, it only demands some education and dedication.

Taking care of your finances is not difficult, but it’s also not automated. It is not limited to only budgeting and cutting high expenses. However, whether you choose to do it on your own or with professional help, what matters is that you act now, not tomorrow, not in a week. If you already have, great; if you haven’t, now is the time. There is a lot of uncertainty about what the economic future will look like, and you never want to walk into unpredictable situations without a plan.

I know you don’t want to live on the edge; you don’t want your life to go paycheck to paycheck. You want to be able to afford the things you want, make your dreams come true and just live in peace. It is possible, it is doable, it’s available.

Make your decision now and give the best gift ever to your future self.