Let's Start with Why?
Financial wellness is about the healthy balance between living for today and preparing financially for tomorrow. It's not necessarily about being wealthy; it’s about achieving a state of mental well-being where you feel you have control over your current finances, are prepared for the unexpected and have confidence in financial decisions you make today and in the future.
Uncover Attitudes & Habits About Finances
Women should understand where their attitudes and habits about finances come from, and where necessary, write another story. Each woman is unique in her own right and will have her own personal experiences. Uncovering what has molded your own personal beliefs and habits is enables you to better understand how you have come to be where you are and what you may need to alter in order to get where you are ultimately wanting to go.
Discover Needs & Motivations
To be mindful, you need to understand what motivates you to both spend and save money. We will want to be realistic about your needs and wants, while identify and prioritize your financial goals. The more clarity you have about what drives your financial decision making, the more ease you will have in making progress to your goals. Being committed to your short term and long term goals will allow you to be more intentional with your money.
What Do You Value?
Women tend to take a holistic approach to how they feel about money. They often look at money in terms of how it can be used to achieve the things that are important to them. Creating your own definition of worth provides women the opportunity to see the big picture of what they are ultimately trying to achieve. Where do you place the most value in your life and how does that fit into the financial goals that you have set?
The Impact of Others
The previous steps have likely uncovered the significance your loved ones play in your life. As a woman, you are more likely to push pause on your career to care for children or elderly parents, and this typically can occur just as you are entering your peak earning years. Understanding the effect this can have on your goals can enable you to plan accordingly and focus your time and energy on caring for those when they need you the most.
Plan for the Expected & the Unexpected
Having a clearly defined plan enables you to feel more confident about the path that you are on. Having contingency plans for things that can unexpectedly occur will ensure that you have greater confidence to navigate those circumstances if arise. While it is impossible to plan for all potential scenarios, each "what if" conversation creates better understanding of how such events will impact your plan and the change of course that could be taken.
Don't Ignore Risk
Market risk describes the fluctuations in security prices as a result of market activity and expectations. But market risk is not the only factor that can affect your balance sheet or financial well-being. Women having a longer life expectancy than men means you will need to be mindful of inflation and longevity risk as well. For this reason, it is important that you do not invest too conservatively. Working together we will identify the appropriate balance of risk for you and your long-term financial goals.