In November 2024, I shared “why I write (and how writing a blog is like financial planning).” Countless entries later, I want to revisit this topic. Why? There is an ever-increasing amount of noise today, both in the markets and in life. I believe this limits our ability to think clearly.

I write to help others find quiet confidence in their daily decisions. My goal is to educate readers with lessons they can apply to their own choices. This allows me to share my story authentically while serving a small clientele of affluent families. Helping these families and professionals curate their own story provides me with purpose. Writing helps me communicate how we can all be better allocators with our time and money.

Follow Process, Not Outcomes

It’s possible for you to accumulate enough capital for a multi-decade retirement and legacy planning for your children and grandchildren. To do this, it’s all about a process; not outcomes from your investments. I believe this to be counterintuitive to most investors. The journey will be bumpy; there are no easy hacks or shortcuts available. The price to pay requires patience, discipline, and a good temperament. These traits are in short supply as the noise becomes louder. It requires looking beyond today’s headlines and economic commentary. The outcome will take care of itself when you lean on a process. How?

Everything Begins and Ends with a Plan

Call me old-fashioned, but if you arrived at my office today to turn over your life savings and investments for management and implementation, how exactly am I supposed to invest your money? Really, I want to know. We don’t accept portfolios until we have a plan that may direct cashflows, taxes, retirement spending, estate, and safety net measures. Planning first—always. Portfolio second. This plan can easily fit on a napkin just as much as it can on a multipage report. How much detail are you looking for?

This is not the industry standard, if there is one (there isn’t). By requiring prospective clients to pay for a plan we are creating an added hurdle when so many other financial planners give their work away for free. That’s okay, as I believe taking the time helps educate investors. I have no interest or capacity to serve financial advice via a drive-thru window. When you run a company with no outside investors (their money and influence), you keep accountability and control in who you serve. This allows us to intentionally cap our practice at 75 households without diluting our service.

Educated Investors Make Better Decisions and Stick through All Markets

A financial plan should give each account a job description and have a timeline to first use. Educated investors are less reactive because they know their investment decisions today will influence their spending tomorrow. When the markets get loud, both up and down, they don’t need to react. They are playing the long game which helps them not interrupt the compounding taking place in their investments. Sure, selling is and will be necessary, but never reactively. Purposely refilling your cash reservoir annually supports better spending via your own financial plumbing system.

Your Plan Will Change Over Time Because Life Changes

Jobs changes, early or late retirement, adult children’s needs, grandchildren, and/or moving for work or retirement all factors into your plan. I believe every investor should have a plan that evolves as they do. That’s the importance of updating it once a year. No more, no less.

The plan puts the focus on tomorrow while spending for today. Your plan should answer two big questions I believe most investors can’t honestly answer on their own.

• How long will we live? Hint, a lot longer than you think.
• How much will it cost for us to live this long?

A financial plan focuses on duration. What really matters is sustainable spending for decades longer than you think you may need. Housing and healthcare along with other large and small decisions influence the sustainability of your plan. It also becomes clear about what investment choices are most supportive of your plan. Owning or lending to companies, which do you choose?

In the long run, there are only two realities. Either your money outlives you or you outlive your monies. Choose wisely and speak with a financial planner who can hear your story.