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May 15, 2018 at 12:50 PM
Have you ever felt like you go to work every day, do all the right things, but then look at your bank account and go “WTF!?” (What The Frugality!?)
That’s not Italian there, it’s just another word for economical thinking.
Of course, most of your life and retirement planning clients are facing the same kind of WTF moments. They want to be generous. You may have helped them build charitable giving into their legacy planning arrangements. But they have trouble finding the cash to make the donations they want to make during the course of the year, and at the end of the year.
(Related: Why Whole Life Insurance STINKS!! (Please read this before getting mad))
The silver lining for your clients is that the remedy is a surprisingly simple fix. Your clients are making enough, they’re saving enough, and they’re spending enough. Just all in the wrong order.
I’m a proponent of breaking down a responsible financial plan into three categories-spend, save, and donate. However, that hierarchy often lends itself to a 100/0/0 allocation — bassackwards, with all due respect.
The quick fix is to reverse the order and attempt a 10/10/80 allocation of cash flow: Save 10%, donate 10%, and then spend 80%.
Once this strategy is adopted, most folks will realize they’re living the same lifestyle they did before. Only now though, they’ll watch their savings and investment accounts steadily grow and begin compounding. Each year they’ll feel the incredible satisfaction of tithing.
