That little combo ended up saving us over $5,000

Moving your family across the country means starting over fresh with everything. From finding a place for oil changes to choosing schools and doctors — it’s a total reset.

As part of that process, I needed to find a new CPA this year to help me with my taxes. And while we were at it, we hired a financial advisor too.

That little combo ended up saving us over $5,000 this year while simultaneously giving our retirement funds a huge boost.

I’m not a financial guru, and I’m not qualified to give financial advice… But after sharing this story and talking openly with one of my TABLE groups recently, I realized the power of having open financial discussions.

The truth is, I’m behind on retirement. Or, as my new advisor puts it, “significantly behind”.

When I was in my 20s (…and 30s 😬) it felt like one of those things I’d eventually get around to. Retirement didn’t even seem real when I was slinging pizzas and playing in bands out of high school. But, in what felt like only a few blinks, here I am about to turn 40 and things are looking a lot clearer in the windshield than they are in the rearview.

I wasted a lot of time — the best years for compound growth in my investments — putting these things off, and now I have to work twice or three times as hard to make up for it.

Looking back, it all seems obvious now… but think about the business owner who think they can build their website and run their marketing themselves. I mean, technically they’re right — it’s not that hard to spin up a website and boost some Facebook posts. But you and I — the professionals — know their un-targeted ads and empty shell of a website are unlikely to do them any real good.

We love to poke fun at their ignorance on these things… but are we doing the same thing when it comes to our finances?

I’d like to think I’m higher than average in financial literacy skills — we’ve been debt free for over a decade, own a home, and pay cash for our vehicles — but the wizardry real professionals pulled off made me realize I’m the client trying to push toys around in Wix.

That’s a bit embarrassing to admit here… but are you where you want to be when it comes to your finances?

I don’t think most of us are. But, it’s especially important to consider when you work for yourself.

Discussing finances is tough… It dredges up concerns about the future, family dynamics, and personal insecurities. Yet, avoiding these conversations is only delaying the inevitable and making the matter worse.

I’m not going to say the half-a-dozen meetings I’ve had between my advisor and CPA this year have been fun, but they’ve been extremely fruitful.

Sure, addressing this in our 20s would have been the best option — the next best thing is starting now. If you don’t, you’ll look back in a few years and regret not starting the moment you read this email.