Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don't take any money out until you're ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire.
It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? But that's what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you're lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure.
How do you set investment goals?
Setting investment goals means defining your dreams for the future. When you're setting goals, it's best to be as specific as possible. For instance, you know you want to retire, but when? You know you want to send your child to college, but to an Ivy League school or to the community college down the street? Your goals could be in areas like: Education, Travel, Home Improvement, Wedding, or Family Support.
Whatever your goals may be, writing them down and creating a plan to work towards meeting them is an important first step.
Using the Goals Feature in Wealthvision
When you’re ready to start tracking your progress towards your goal, log in to your Wealthvision account and choose the Goals tab. Our new, more robust, and interactive Goals tab will allow you to:
- Easily add and personalize goals
- Earmark accounts to fund your goals
- Track progress towards funding goals
- Visualize how your goals impact your holistic financial outlook
- View the details of each goal including insights into projected cost and funding as well as suggested actions that seek to improve results
Review and revise
Over time, you may need to update your goals and your financial plan. Get in the habit of checking your Wealthvision account once a month--more frequently if the market is particularly volatile or when there have been significant changes in your life. You may need to revise your financial plan to bring it back in line with your investment goals and risk tolerance. If you need assistance, your advisor can help.
Questions about your Wealthvision account? Call our office at 856-810-7701 or email Eric Allen, CFP®, Paraplanner Assistant, at eric@mfinancial.us
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