Are You Behind the Eight Ball?

Are you prepared for all of the financial decisions you will face in your lifetime? Have you thought of how you will pay for all your expenses such as rent, mortgage, car payments, etc...? Are you aware of how much you will need to save to retire? Are You BEHIND the Eight Ball: Six Cornerstones of Financial Freedom discusses many key financial issues you will face in your lifetime and provides guidelines as to how to prepare for them. "BEHIND" is an acronym I have created to outline these six principles: 1) Budgeting - Proper understanding of your household income and expenses will assist you in preparing for the many financial obligations you will face and help you prioritize your long term goals. 2) Elimination of debt - Preparing a plan to get out of debt or preventing from falling into it is the key to affording many of the goals you wish to accomplish. 3) Home ownership - Buying property as early as you are financially able to will provide you with probably the greatest asset you will ever own. 4) Investing - A solid portfolio of investments will allow you to diversify your financial risk and contribute significantly to your overall net worth. 5) Nursing and Long Term Care Insurance - Just when you think you are ready for retirement, you may be faced with your largest unplanned financial obligation. 6) Death preparation - Understanding the financial and legal implications of estate planning will go a long way to preserving much of the wealth you have created. Finally, I discuss many tax obligations you will face and insurance options available for your household's protection during your lifetime. Instilling the discipline to follow these key principles will help you avoid many financial pitfalls that can mitigate your net worth.