Hello again. This week I unveiled our new company name.  I no longer operate under the name “Gulf Coast Wealth Advisors.”    Welcome to :        I am creating a multi-generational business (that hopefully includes my children) to serve you for the rest of your life- so I might as well have my name in the business.  PLAN > INVEST > LIVE.  What does that mean?  In order to “get the most life from your money,” you must go through a process.  Without going through this process you will probably end up dying with more money than you had on the day your retired.  I know it sounds crazy, but now I have some academic proof of this phenomenon.   The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances has been examining how a retiree’s wealth changes during their retired life.  (link) The conclusion:  The average retiree is passing away with 75% more assets than they had on the day they retired.  Put another way-  Someone who retires with $122,000 is dying, on average, with over $202,000.  What great news!  It means that you may be able to actually spend MORE than you realize.  So how do we get the maximum enjoyment from our money?   Step #1- Plan First and foremost you need to create a plan so you can understand the parameters by which you can live your best life.  It requires creating a budget, and piecing together a strategy that shows where the money is going to come from.  It usually looks something like Social Security + Pension + Investment Income – Taxes = What You Can Spend.   Step #2- Invest  You can’t escape it.  You need to invest your money so that it continues to work for you, even though you are no longer making a salary.  Your money needs to continue growing in order to make up for the withdrawals you are making.  As I’ve touched on dozens of times before, you need to accept the fact that a diversified and balanced portfolio of stock and bonds is an essential component to any sort of long-term plan.   Step #3- Live  This is the best part!  Once you’ve done the heavy lifting of creating a budget and setting up a predictable monthly cash flow, you get to live with confidence.  You don’t need to listen to the hysterical financial news media anymore.  No longer will you have to spend all your energy worrying about money.   You see, if you understand where the money is coming from, and if you have a plan that makes sense to you- it is much easier to loosen the grip and allow yourself to live the life you deserve.  That’s it.  Don’t make this more complicate than it is.  Plan.  Invest.  Live.  Also please check out my most recent radio program at https://soundcloud.com/living-scared-and-dying-rich.   Be Blessed!  Dave