Most people only seem to care about investing. Their questions and conversations revolve around return, profit… money.

Often, people come to our wealth management firm with the singular, stated intention of making money. That might make you think, “So Jessica, don’t you think your blog’s title is wrong?”

Nope.

It’s my opinion that people think they care about investing first and foremost. However, what they really care about is:

1. Taking care of the people and things they love

2. Protecting their future from uncertainty

3. Being remembered as a success

Why do I think this? Well for one, I can tell which of my blogs people read the most. Interestingly, the most popular blogs have nothing to do with investing. They are:

This blog is about how to give your money away… not earn it. I write about practical ways to invest in many blogs. Yet, people seem to be more interested in practical ways to take care of the people and things they love. Investing is just a means to get there.

Yes, 3 out of my top 4 blog posts are about COVID. I don’t think my writing was particularly more interesting, more compelling… I think people were scared.

People needed answers, information, help. Even during stock market turmoil, my own clients seemed less concerned about the market and more concerned about their family, their small-business-owner friends, and what was happening in our government. They needed real information to face the upcoming uncertainties… not some hot stock pick.

No, I don’t think people liked this blog so much because they find budgeting to be a super interesting topic. They liked it because a financial advisor, an “expert,” was just. like. them.

Everyone wants to be a success, but more importantly, they want to feel like a success.

We often get messages that to be successful you have to have your finances perfectly in order. Investments, budget, and transactions nailed down to a science.

I stated that there is some wiggle room here. You don’t have to have a picture-perfect budget (or any budget really) to be a financial success.

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Investing is just a means to make money. Money is just a means to achieve what we really care about. They in themselves are not the end goal.