I’ve conducted a number of annual financial reviews with clients this week and it has been one of the best weeks in a long time. No one will try and convince anyone that the uncertainty and the fear that’s been prevalent over the last two years is gone, but the comments and attitudes expressed by my clients this week have left me feeling extremely optimistic and positive.
Maybe one of the positive outcomes of recent struggles and difficulties will be a collective alteration to our priorities. I’ve mentioned in an earlier blog post (http://wallfinancial.blogspot.com/2010/09/today-vs-yesterday.html ) how many clients have been reexamining where they spend their money, how they spend their time, what they feel is an important financial example for their children, etc.
Label it how you want, but I have recently thought that it is best described as a return to genuineness. A more reasonable level of consumerism, a more reasonable set of investment-return expectations, a more reasonable use of credit, and a more focused and intentional allocation of income (i.e. more closely following a budget) are probably good long-term goals for each of us and collectively as a national economy. Perhaps these forced new habits will become habits by choice as we begin to see more tangible evidence of their benefits.
