Weekend Reading: You Need a Little W.H.A.A.M. in Your Retirement Planning

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Weekend Reading

Planning your retirement feels like a big deal because it is. There's a lot of financial information out there to sift through, but if you're looking for tips on how to make better, more confident decisions regarding your money, check out this article from Forbes below.

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With the endless amount of resources regarding retirement planning at your fingertips, the journey into your most exciting phase of life can feel overwhelming. You’re putting your lifelong savings to work at this point. You want to get it right.

So how can you ensure you have the proper plan to get you where you want to go? Here, you’ll find a simple, summed-up way to view the process, called W.H.A.A.M., and while it sounds odd, it can help you gain that financial peace of mind you deserve.

W-What: Pinpointing your 'What’ will help you determine precisely what needs to be done next. Without clearly identifying the ‘What’, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and put tactical decisions in front of strategic decisions.

H-How: Once you know what direction you’re going, you need to figure out how to get there. This is where customized financial strategies come into play, as well as understanding all of the investment vehicles available to help you reach your goals.

A-Assistance and Accountability: What will help you stay the course and ensure progress is being made? Maybe you have your own financial spreadsheet, or maybe it’s a quarterly meeting with your financial advisor, but the point is, you’re moving forward.

M-Momentum: Speaking of moving forward, that’s what brings you full circle to your ‘What’. As you check off those boxes on your retirement ‘To-Do’ list, you progress, and in turn, that gives you the momentum to soar through the finish line.

Take heed: This is a great framework to help you make better financial decisions and maintain momentum; However, I do think it’s missing a ‘W’. You should pinpoint your ‘Why’ before you determine your ‘What’, and have a framework for prioritizing the decisions behind your ‘Why’.