As an adult, almost every decision you make, mostly has to do with money: your diet plan, your education & career goals, a family vacation & etc, all involve financial planning component to it. Hence financial planning is important to your life; success or fail to plan your financial will impact your life related to money, whether you chase after money (if you are in debt) or you make the money work for you (if you invest your money to increase your net worth).
Many people don't plan to fail but they fail to plan; either they don't know the correct financial planning process or they are chartered procrastinators who have thousands of excuses not to get started their financial planning process. Don't let the procrastination to be your obstacle to get started your financial planning to secure for tomorrow. The bottom line for everyone to plan their financial successfully is to know the process of financial planning and know how to get started; here are six areas of financial planning that we will review together. Please note that these areas are all interrelated. What affects one area impacts the others as well.
1. Goal Settings
In your financial planning process, you can always get started with your financial goals setting. You should make your goals realistic so that they will be achievable. In order to set a realistic goal, you need to know your financial situation and the project future financial ability. Takes out all the important documents such as mortgage agreement, bank account fixed deposit, car loan contract & etc; based on all these information, compile a list of your current debts and assets. And from there, estimate the timeline when you will paid off these debts and make a projection of your future incomes. You set your goals based on these results at a realistic and achievable level.
2. Risk Management
Common method of risk management is using insurance to protect your assets from a loss that you couldn't afford on your own. Insurance is a financial product that will give you a piece of mind. The insurance company will try to make you whole if you suffer a loss. Insurance coverage for assets, disabilities, sickness and even life is an important element that you should include in your financial planning process to minimize the potential risk of loss.
3. Tax Planning
Are you taking advantage of all tax benefits Uncle Sam has to offer? Although Uncle Sam has always has his hand in your wallet because he wants his fair share, but he also offer tax benefits for you, so you need to know how to take advantage of these benefits. The goal of tax planning is to help you minimize your federal income tax liability as much as you are allowed by tax law while saving for retirement.
4. Retirement Planning
When you are at age 25, retirement will seem so far away. At 25, you will think 60 are old, but when reach 60, you think 85 are old. Retirement planning should begin with your first job. So you need to figure out how much to save from now so that you will reach you goals of retirement later. There is never too early to start planning for your retirement.
5. Investment Planning
In your financial planning process, you should think of how to increase your asset net worth and achieve your financial goals with what you have right now. Investing is a tool you can use to achieve your financial goals that you set for yourself. All investments come with certain risks; you need to understand how much risk you should be taking with your investment to achieve your goals.
6. Estate Planning
Life journey will end one day, but many people try to avoid thinking about. The fact is no one will get out of this world alive, so you might as well plan for it. There is a need to protect your assets from Uncle Sam and to have things get in order for your loving family that you will left behind later.
In Summary
Financial planning is important to your life; success or fail to plan your financial will impact your life related to money. The six areas of financial planning that we just reviewed are all interrelated. Hat affects one area impacts the other areas as well, you should be aware of these areas and ho they impact your financial strategies.
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