Less is More

I abhor unnecessary complexity. It's like weeds in a garden. Suffocating all of the good stuff.

But I love trimming, hacking, editing.

Getting to the heart of the thing.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Admittedly, my zeal sometimes sees me repurchasing my own books from second-hand stores. (I’m not proud of this...)

Yet, more often than not, this approach proves not just beneficial but essential:

An article might be more impactful at half its length.

The wisdom of a 250-page book could be distilled into only 25 pages.

That lengthy email to your team? It probably could be cut down. Or maybe eliminated.

The same principle applies to retirement planning, a task many find daunting. I’ve sifted through countless financial plans—some 50 pages long, others 10.

The truth?

They become irrelevant the moment life happens.

And it always does. Always.

Through years of advising, I’ve gathered dreams, goals, financials, and family details.

Then, trim relentlessly.

For those of you working, it boils down to simplicity:

You’ve got $X years until you retire. So you need to invest $Y every year until so you can have $Z income in retirement.

That's it. Your retirement plan, concise enough to fit on an index card.

So, why the hesitation? Why the complexity?

Because, while simplicity is appealing, achieving it is rarely easy. It's challenging to be your own editor, cutting through the noise of life.

This is where a financial advisor comes in—someone who helps you focus on what truly matters, cutting away the superfluous without mercy. A good advisor isn't just a guide; they're the barrier between you and potentially costly mistakes.

Life is full of twists and turns, stress and errors. But imagine if, with the right guidance, could you make fewer missteps?

Consider an advisor your editor in the narrative of your financial life, helping you to trim the excess and focus on your goals with clarity and precision.

An advisor between you and stupid.

We’d probably all be a little better with that in our lives.