There are certain things you should do every year. One is to visit our office, but you also need to have an annual physical and get your eyes checked to ensure everything is functioning as it should.
I recently visited my eye doctor to see if my prescriptions needed to be adjusted. They always check if I can read the small print and have at least 20/20 vision. Then, they perform other tests to ensure my eyes continue to function properly so I can see and enjoy life as long as possible.
One of the topics we discuss every year is wet MD—Macular Degeneration. This condition can lead to blindness if not managed properly. Both of my parents have it, and they undergo a procedure every month just to maintain their existing vision. The medication is injected directly into their eyes. My maternal grandmother, who lived to be 100, also had it, but since injections weren’t available then, she spent the last years of her life blind.
My doctor knows I want him to be aware of this problem, and when it eventually occurs, I plan to take advantage of the same injections to maintain my eyesight—even though I likely won’t develop this until my late 80s. They also suggested I start doing a weekly test: every Monday, I should cover one eye at a time, look at a door frame, and if I notice any wobble in the frame, I should let them know.
After my exam, I was on my way out when I stopped and asked if he had noticed any cataracts. He replied that I had the very early stages of cataracts. Now I know that at some point, I might need laser surgery or lens replacement, but he said that on average, most people don’t need cataract surgery until they’re at least 75 years old—or I might not need it at all. The interesting thing is that he didn’t mention the cataracts until I asked about it.
Why am I discussing this when I’m a financial professional? Because if you’re a client of ours, we conduct ongoing examinations of your financial health. We’re constantly looking for potential problems down the road. We think long-term. If there’s a potential issue, even a small one, we work to set you up for financial health in the long run. If you knew everything we know, you might stay up at night worrying about financial “cataracts” or “macular degeneration”—but you don’t need to.
Our job is to manage your financial life. We tell you what you need to know right now so you can be successful today. We’re also testing everything we’re doing in your life. You may wonder why we ask you about things like Wills and beneficiaries when you’re only in your 30s, 40s, or 50s. It’s because we want to ensure everything is taken care of for the long haul.
When you visit our office, we’ll tell you everything that you need to know. If you have additional questions, we’ll provide as much insight as possible. Just like my eye doctor didn’t mention cataracts until I asked because he was already monitoring it on my behalf, we’re watching for problems and planning for the long run.
If you want to work with a firm that plans for things you may not have considered or that may be years down the road, make sure you have someone by your side you can trust. We’d like that to be us. Perhaps it’s time to schedule your Financialoscopy®.
