Sharing my latest thoughts on money and life, with an eye to empowering more women to financial confidence.

I'VE BEEN PONDERING

Apropos of nothing (!!), I share the recording of the Wellness Webinar we held for clients in January, where my coach Lindsay shares brain and body science about stress, and teaches us a very practical stress management tool to take back a bit of control in what can feel like an unending storm.

The stock market has started to react to the uncertainty about our current situation. Measures of investor sentiment are at historic lows. Investors aren’t just worried about the stock market. There seems to be broadening concern about the future of our government, that our economy might implode, that Social Security and Medicare are in doubt, that global trade will come to a screeching halt, that broader geopolitical conflict is a real possibility, and so on.

I could tell you that we have been through, and survived, periods of great uncertainty in the past. But I know that's cold comfort. The truth of being human is that enduring uncertainty will not get any easier. Add to that our 24/7 access to (bombardment by?) “news” that inevitably suits our pre-existing biases, we’re exposed almost exclusively to events that raise our blood pressure.

With all that said, I want to offer an idea that might encourage confidence and comfort when you feel your blood pressure rising.

Here it is: Remember that you (we) have put in the work. Remember that we have planned meticulously for incredibly wide-ranging scenarios to make you and your financial plan as resilient as possible.

Does that planning guarantee success? Of course not. Nothing can do that, but good planning can, and hopefully does, encourage confidence that you are prepared for the unexpected, regardless of how it presents itself.

We’ve known all along that uncertainty would return. It always does.

But my reminder to you is that times like right now aren’t a time to abandon your plan. On the contrary, this is when the planning that we’ve done is most valuable. Times like this are exactly why we’ve spent the hours thinking, planning, and strategizing. It’s all been in preparation for the incalculable world we live in.

Thus, I’m not asking you to believe that we know when or how things will calm down. I am simply encouraging you to exercise faith that we’ve done the work required and that you are as prepared as is reasonably possible for whatever comes next.

And you don't have to do it alone.

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RECENT SIGHTINGS

• For no reason at all 🙄, I point you back to Take Back Retirement episode 104 on How to Invest When the World Feels Dangerous. Even though things are feeling unprecedented, the advice still applies. And let's add episode 11 on Why You Shouldn't Aim for Perfection in Investing.
• Are you still puzzled about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency? You're not alone! In this podcast episode we invite our CPA friend to help us give an approachable explanation of the basics, as well as red flags to watch out for.

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PERSONAL

My husband and I were fortunate to travel to Austin, TX last week to see our son play some lacrosse. There was a lot to like - warmth and sunshine! live music everywhere! so many tacos! But the best was watching Casey in his natural habitat, with his teammates, working together on everything they have practiced for so many hours. Yes, being a goalie mom is stressful, but also great.

LET'S CONNECT!

How about you? What's been lighting up your life lately? Please reply and let us know - bonus points for pictures! We love your pictures.

Be careful out there,

Stephanie

Whenever you're ready, there are three ways we can help:

1. Download our free Roadmap for Financial Clarity.
2. Schedule a no-strings-attached meeting with us to see if we're a good fit by scheduling an appointment here: link to calendar.
3. Feel free to reply to this email with any questions you might have, and we'll do our best to provide a helpful response.

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