You may have spent decades building a life with a significant other or spouse, perhaps even leaving the important questions about assets and investments up to them. In fact, it is not uncommon for couples to pick and choose household responsibilities and slide into a routine to divide and conquer. All the ducks are in a row so what is missing? Some things like picking up the laundry, getting your oil changed or planning that much-needed vacation can easily be delegated. But a mistake I see women making is delegating away personal financial planning. You can leverage your time by letting others take on this task, but there are some pitfalls that come with this strategy.
Risks of Delegating Financial Decisions
If you are suddenly put in a position where there is no one but you to make the decisions, you may be unprepared.
Others may not fully understand the vision you have for your future. If you aren’t actively involved, you risk losing your say.
You may be delegating to save yourself time, but playing catch-up when the duties fall on you can be very time-consuming.
Making Yourself a Priority
If properly planning for the future of your design has been shuffled to the bottom of your inbox, it is time to reprioritize and here is why:
Your vision is like a best friend. It reminds you of what is most important in your life.
Putting your vision in the context of a financial plan helps connect values and money.
Financial planning doesn’t mean planning for the day your health begins to fail, it means asking, “Where do I want to be in 3 years?”
For those who are more risk-averse, having a plan can change unknowns into quantifiable nuggets of information to reflect upon and serves as the basis for decision making.
While it might seem ok now to let a spouse or someone you trust steer your financial plan, if you don’t have an active role or solid understanding of desired goals you may be disappointed at the end result.
Here’s my challenge to women of all ages and stages of life: Let’s not kid ourselves – things get missed. Think of yourself first and give your personal financial life the kind of attention it deserves!
Laurie Renchik, CFP®, MBA is a Senior Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. In addition to working with women who are in the midst of a transition (career change, receiving an inheritance, losing a life partner, divorce or remarriage), Laurie works with clients who are planning for retirement. Laurie was named to the 2013 Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine, is a member of the Leadership Oakland Alumni Association and in addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she manages and is a frequent contributor to Center Connections at The Center.
Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.
Any opinions of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. are not necessarily those of Raymond James C14-004276