The trophy of a prestigious award, the Academy Award. The content is owned by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

If you’re a movie fan like me, then you most likely caught some of the Oscars Awards on Sunday. Even if your favorite film didn’t win best picture, you probably enjoyed some of the Red Carpet interviews or the moving speeches on today’s most talked about topics in our world. While watching, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons of the awards ceremony to planning for retirement. The emotional, award winning speeches caught my attention because they worked so hard for so long and you could just see the jubilation as they raised their Oscar after achieving their most sought-after goals. Our goal is to help every one of our clients get their retirement Oscar. So today, the academy award for retirement planning goes to… You!

Well actually, not so fast because you need to make sure that you’re in control over your financial situation. This doesn’t mean that you will be acting as a financial advisor, but you should be active in the decision-making process. According to research by business theorist, Thomas Stanley, millionaires will spend an average of 8.4 hours a month managing and planning out their finances. You were active in your earning years, so stay active in your preservation and growth years.

For the most part, it’s important that you stick to the basics just like any other investor. Start by thinking about the goals you have now, and for the future. Then, write your goals down and prioritize them so that you can make sure you’re consistently paying attention to those most important to you. This is where the help of a trusted financial professional and their team of experts comes into play, as they will help you to outline a strategy for achieving those goals. If it’s been awhile since you last reviewed your retirement strategy, then CLICK HERE to request a complimentary, no obligation review and we’ll work with you to make sure you’re on-track for a safe and rewarding life in retirement.

One of the easiest first steps to increasing your involvement is to set aside time to go over your finances. Whether it’s once per week or once per month, schedule a recurring event in your calendar to update your budget, review any previous or upcoming expenses, pay any bills that haven’t been paid, review your accounts for accuracy, and handle any other pressing financial matters. Try not to think of this time as just another day, and make it as enjoyable as possible. It’s difficult when it comes to personal finance, but throw on some music and create a fun atmosphere that makes you enjoy (or tolerate) the “financial” date in your schedule. A scheduling adjustment you can make is to set aside 30 minutes or an hour every week to read about personal finance. Maybe you wake up a little earlier one day and incorporate it into your morning routine. You don’t need to learn everything at once, but making this commitment will allow you to digest chunks of financial education as you go, which will allow you to be more in control over your financial situation. Another way to help get you more involved in your personal wealth is to try and reach out and talk to the people you look up to most. Seek out financial mentors who you respect and discuss their successes, failures, and what their goals were when they first started out on their journey.

Ultimately, it’s important that in whatever you do you take control, create a plan, and work hard at achieving your personal goals for retirement. Then, one day, you’ll find yourself holding a retirement planning Oscar Award.