04/26/2023
Something I've been thinking a lot about lately - the misconception that wealth equates to happiness, and that the wealthier you are, the happier you must be.
Imagine two different scenarios:
Scenario 1: you get to 65 or your ideal retirement age, and you don't have enough money to retire. All those years of working, you're ready to be done, but you can't comfortably retire with the assets you have. Failed plan.
Scenario 2: you get to retirement, and you have way too much money (yes, that is a thing). You wish you could go back, spend more time with your family, take more trips, and have more fun. Instead, you have a stupid amount of money that you're never going to spend, money that you’d trade to go back in time. Another failed plan.
Obviously wealth is important, but so is living. The magic is in between these two scenarios, the happy medium, being on track for your goals but also living for today. Financial planning allows people to do just that.