🟣🟢 Lego, football and financial planning

Happy Sunday👋

I’ve been catching myself doing a lot of something recently to get things done…

One of the oldest tricks in the book - creating a fake deadline to outsmart yourself into actually getting things done.

There’s something about setting a deadline - even an imaginary one - that forces us to take action instead of endlessly pushing things into the ‘I’ll deal with it later’ pile.

Financial planning is one of those things that rarely has a built-in deadline (until suddenly, it does - and by then, it’s usually urgent). So why not create your own?

But then, you might be thinking: What exactly does a financial planner do? 

How do they add value compared to doing it myself? And how does it fit into my life?

Fair questions. But there’s a reason they’re tricky to answer.

For starters, if you’ve never worked with a financial planner - or know someone who has - it’s hard to picture what’s involved.

Unlike doctors or lawyers, who have been around for centuries, financial planning is a relatively young profession. It’s only been around since the 1970s, making it practically a teenager in comparison.

And within financial services, which is already a confusing and inconsistent industry, financial planning varies wildly from one adviser to another.

What one planner does might be completely different from another - especially if they’ve come from a big-name firm where the approach is more about selling products than proper planning.

So, if you’re wondering what financial planning really is, here are a few ways to think about it.

Financial Planning: Think About Fitness

Whether you lift weights, do yoga, or cycle, you’ve probably heard how important it is to have a strong core. Your arms, legs, and back all function better when your core is strong. Everything moves more smoothly and with less risk of injury.

Financial planning works the same way. Your core is your understanding of your values, goals, and the kind of life you want to build.

Everything else - your cash flow, investments, pensions, tax strategy, estate planning - is like your arms and legs!

A strong core makes all those financial decisions easier and more coordinated.

Want to know what to do with your business profits? Well, what kind of future are you trying to build? Do you want to retire early, buy a second home, or support family members?

Thinking about insurance? Who do you want to protect and why?

Wondering about estate planning? Who do you care about, and what values do you want to pass on?

When your financial core is strong, the decisions about everything else become much clearer.

Financial Planning is Like Lego

My kids loved the big complicated lego models when they were young, but could you imagine trying to build one of them without a picture to follow? You’d end up clicking pieces together at random, hoping it turns into something meaningful.

Many people approach their finances the same way - making individual decisions about pensions, tax, or investments without a clear view of how everything fits together.

Proper financial planning is about seeing the whole picture first. That vision of your future - the life you want to build - is the image on the lego box. Once we know what it looks like, we can start fitting the pieces together in a way that makes sense.

Otherwise, every financial decision feels disconnected, and it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed.

Financial Planning: The Centre That Holds Everything Together

Think of financial planning like the engine of a well-maintained car. The engine ensures all the parts - your taxes, pensions, investments, and legal matters - work together efficiently to keep you moving forward. Without a properly tuned engine, things start to break down, and the journey becomes much harder.

Each part of the system is important, and ideally, you have specialists in each area helping you a good accountant, a solid solicitor, perhaps an investment manager. But without a well-tuned engine keeping everything running smoothly, the whole system can break down.

That’s where financial planning comes in. It connects all those separate parts and ensures they work together towards your bigger picture.

For example, say you're a business owner looking to step back from day-to-day operations or even exit the business entirely.

Your financial planner helps structure your tax strategy to maximise efficiency - whether through pension contributions, selling shares in a tax-effective way, or reinvesting business profits.

They also ensure your personal cash flow remains stable, so you have financial security while making the transition, and that you’re protected against unforeseen financial risks.

A well-tuned engine ensures a smooth journey.

Financial Planning: Your Winning Game Plan

Your finances are a bit like a football team. Investments, tax, pensions, estate planning, and cash flow are the players. Some players take the lead at different times.

One year, your tax strategy might be the star striker; another year, your pension planning plays a critical defensive role.

But the team only works if everyone understands the game plan - your overall vision for your life.

A proper financial plan ensures every player knows their role and contributes to the overall strategy. And the best part?

You’re the manager, setting the vision for the team’s success.

At its heart, financial planning isn’t just about money. It’s about making your life work the way you want it to. It’s about giving you clarity, confidence, and a sense of control.

And if that means using lots of different metaphors to explain it, well… I’m more than happy to oblige 😉

Talking about deadlines...

Don’t let the end of the tax year catch you by surprise.

This is your reminder!

This is the best time of year to be thinking and doing tax planning. Pension contributions, ISA subscriptions, company year end planning if you have a 31st March accounting date (which a lot of companies do).

😎 THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK!

BUT if you need any help with your financial stuff or have any questions at all, do ping me a reply.

Hilary 😎

P.S Whenever you’re ready maybe I can help: Book a Discovery call and find out if we can help you

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