Everyone works their whole lives so they can pay their bills, go on vacation, take care of their kids, and do many other things. Most people dream about being able to stop working. It's interesting to me that not many people put as much effort into planning for retirement as they do every day at work.
If you make a few smart choices, you can retire early if you want, as long as you don't get sick, lose your job, or live through a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. Obviously, these things will throw a wrench in anyone's future financial plans, but with the right planning, they won't stop you from reaching your goals. Think about how bad your future would be if you didn't make plans.
When you think about your future, the first and most important choice you have to make is how to live. In this country, many people feel like they have to keep up with the Jones'. When a friend or neighbour gets a nice new car, they buy one too. How do you know if the person you're trying to keep up with isn't buried in debt?
People charge as much as they can on their credit cards, don't save any money, let alone the six-month emergency fund that all financial experts recommend, and keep spending. They take out loans on their homes and spend the money. I hope to show at least a few people how important it is to change their way of life so they can retire comfortably. I don't like hearing about old people who have to choose between buying food and medicine. I hope I can stop a few people from having to go through that.
As an independent insurance agent and financial professional, I just started a business with the goal of making a difference in people's lives. I worked for a big company for too long and let them tell me what to do, no matter if it was good for the customer or not. I finally stood up to the company and told them I didn't agree with one of their policies because I had to sleep at night. The company was called Liberty Mutual Insurance, and they wanted to start turning away "bad" auto insurance customers in Massachusetts, which is against the law. The state of Massachusetts is a "take-all state." (I'd be happy to tell you more about it if you're interested. Please feel free to email me at the address in my signature.
Needless to say, I was fired for "poor performance," and I decided I wouldn't let this happen to me again. People work hard for their money, and instead of hurting them, I want to help them get the most for their money. Watch for a series of articles on the following subjects:
-Take care of yourself first.
-Tear up your credit cards
-How to use insurance to your advantage
-Find ways to make more money.
