Financial Plan Pro

Interesting (mostly) tax-related article on the passage of the health care bill yesterday.  

Regardless of which side of the isle you tend to sit, I know that we'll have to face the realities of the spending our country has undertaken in the last few years.  Once again, it reaffirms to me the importance of getting my own house in order.  

What are your thoughts on the article or the bill?

I don't mean to blog about something so bleak, but I read this article recently and it sums up my sentiments about the current trajectory of the US if we keep up what we're doing: SCARED.

It is quoting a man whom I've had the pleasure to meet personally and I know a little bit about him.  David Walker is the former Comptroller General of the US.  In other words, he's the top accountant in the US.  He conducted audits of the country's financials.  He left his office there a few years back out of a sense of duty and urgency in order to devote himself full-time to spreading the word: the US is headed for big trouble if it doesn't turn things around.  By the way, this really isn't about politics.  The Comptrollers Office is (understandably) required to be non-partisan and the only political appointee is the comptroller himself.  David Walker was appointed by Bill Clinton.

Now, how does that affect you and me?  Well, while our power to change things in Washington really doesn't come but every two years [by the way, let's send them all home this November], we can and should do a lot more for our families.  We can ensure that we don't carry too much, if any, debt ourselves.  What would you do if your taxes increased from an average of 21% to at least 45%?  Could you afford a 24% increase if it happened today?  Me neither.  We should make sure we're prepared in our own houses to weather whatever may come from our nation's capitol.  

We can all do a little better, right?  I think we could all do something right now to right our finances a bit.  I guess the worst thing that could happen if we shore up our own finances in preparation for an incoming storm is that we're left with a lot of extra cash with which to invest and be free!

What do you think?  How can you prepare ... just in case? 

If you haven't figured it out from knowing me, you will quickly learn through this blog that I am a big fan of Dr. Thomas Stanley, the author of The Millionaire Next Door and the related series of books.  The title makes it sound hokie, I know, but if you haven't read that book yet, DO IT! 

I follow his blog and he had a neat post today that I would recommend checking out.

I really like the ideas he presents and the way he presents them.  He, being an academic by profession, has filled his book with statistics, charts, graphs, and a compelling profile of the true millionaires in America.  Hint, if you haven't read the book, the millionaires in America probably aren't who you think they are!

Having served clients who make millions a year but can barely afford payments on some of their luxury lifestyle artifacts, I can see why Dr. Stanley is correct.  There are many high income, low net worth types out there parading as wealthy.  Reading Dr. Stanley's work always encourages me to live a disciplined, frugal, value-driven lifestyle and for that, I'm always grateful.

I wanted to help spread the word about FPP and give some people a great financial head start to the new year. 

So...I'm giving away 5 copies of the program to the first five people who make a comment on this blog.  It doesn't have to say anything in particular.  But make sure and leave your email address below when you comment (don't worry, your email address isn't published - only I can see it) - I need to know where to send the free stuff!

Like trying to find your way around an unfamiliar city without a map (or GPS device, these days) or constructing a building without a blueprint, trying to lead a financial life without a solid plan can lead to wasted time and resources. One thing I've noticed as I talk with people and clients on a regular basis is that many people go through life without a financial plan. You may be different, but in case you fall into that majority of non-planners, this site is for you.

Financial Plan Pro is designed to be a reference and a resource to you. The site is not intended for you to blindly follow. I will be giving very specific advice, but also showing my reasoning and rationale with numbers and examples as much as possible. I hope you buy into The Plan, use the tools provided (most will be free or close to free...I have to make a living somehow!), and share this resource with your family and friends.

Some topics I'll cover are:

1. Investing
2. Taxes
3. Entrepreneurship (income generation)
4. Insurance
5. Estate Planning
6. Retirement Planning
7. Financial Goal Setting
8. Creating a Spending Plan
9. Giving

Of course that's not meant to be an exhaustive list, but hopefully some of those things sound interesting and are areas where you could use a little planning and fine tuning (or major overhaul).

The burning question is, "What's the plan?"  The Plan will unfold over time, but this site is dedicated to building a financial plan that everyone can follow - everything from checking your credit score at regular intervals to allocating your investment dollars among different asset classes to planning for your eventual passing. So stay tuned in, you will see The Plan take shape over time.

One last thing -  please comment, share, and interact. I'd love to hear what you'd like me to write about and what you think of the content. This all represents a significant time commitment for me, and I do it to, among other things, hopefully be helpful to you in your quest for financial success.