IT’S ALMOST ROSH HASHANA, CAN YOUR MONEY WAIT?
As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on March 22nd, 2019.
Hesitation is often like procrastination. One may have vague doubts and feel a need to mull things over; meanwhile, other issues intrude on thought, and no decision is taken. Ask people why they procrastinate, and you probably won’t get a crisp answer.
-Robert J. Shiller
So now it’s the end of the Purim season. You know what I am talking about. The one day holiday that somehow is celebrated for weeks leading up to the big day. For those of us who celebrate in Jerusalem, the day itself is so anti-climactic. It’s the 3rd day the kids have off from school, the little ones have already worn their costumes multiple times, and when it comes down to show time- they refuse to put it on one last time. The end of the Purim season also signals, contain your horror, the beginning of Pesach cleaning! In our religion, it always seems that we are just going from holiday to holiday. Earlier this week I was speaking to a client about setting up a meeting to review her portfolio and she said that it will have to wait another month and a half because she is in Purim mode and then she needs to start getting ready for Pessach. I then added, “And Rosh Hashana is right around the corner!”
I understand that many are under pressure trying to find a replacement crown for the princess costume because the original one broke in school, or that you forgot the little grape-juice bottles for Mishloach Manot and you need to drive across the city to buy them because you heard they are being sold 3 for 8 NIS! I get it that we are all busy, and I don’t deny the need to prepare for Pessach which is right around the corner. It’s just that we are always busy and if you don’t take a small amount of time to deal with your money and keep delaying, you will cause yourself real financial harm.
Catey Hill from Marketwatch wrote an article discussing how Generation X’ers are even worse with their money than millennials. “Just 16 percent of Gen Xers say that they included financial planning in their 2019 goals, according to a recent survey from Allianz Life. That’s compared with 27 percent of millennials. And when asked what 2019 resolution they were most likely to make and to keep, just 38 percent mentioned managing money better and saving more; meanwhile 50 percent of millennials said that.” She goes on to discuss how they have the highest debt levels and lowest savings or any adult demographic.
Why? Because it’s not on their radar to deal with their finances. They figure they will deal with it when they hit their mid-50’s, only then in many cases, it’s just too late.
Too often I hear people who put off dealing with their financial situation because they can’t find the time. They can’t find an hour to get organized and take out a pen and paper and jot down what their goals and needs are. If I had a shekel for every time I called to check in with a client and heard, “I’m so happy that you called. I have been meaning to call you for some time; I just haven’t had the time to do it.” I’d be a very rich man.
Costly
As I have written here numerous times, the more time not getting your finances in order, the more expensive it will be down the road. The more time you delay in getting down to business, the harder it will be to have a secure retirement. We all find the hour or two to go to the doctor if we are not feeling well; meeting with your financial advisor takes about as long, and will help ensure that your financial health is in order.
It doesn’t take long
I would say you can pull all this off in 2 hours. One hour to prepare and another hour for the actual meeting, that’s really all it takes. Preparation is very important. First, it helps you get organized with all bank and investment accounts, pension estimation etc…Second, it makes you start thinking about your future. What are your short and long-term goals, how do you view your retirement. Your advisor can help get you on the right track by analyzing if your goals are realistic and what needs to be done in order to achieve those goals.
Maybe take a break from cleaning your bookcases and start to get your finances in order. The sooner you do so, the better the chance that you will have a secure financial future.
The information contained in this article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates.
Aaron Katsman is author of the book Retirement GPS: How to Navigate Your Way to A Secure Financial Future with Global Investing (McGraw-Hill), and is a licensed financial professional both in the United States and Israel, and helps people who open investment accounts in the United States. Securities are offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. (www.prginc.net). Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. For more information, call (02) 624-0995 visit www.aaronkatsman.com or email aaron@lighthousecapital.co.il.
