We like to tell a story to illustrate the benefit of Financial and Investment planning. The picture is an individual, couple or family undertaking a voyage on a sailing ship.
Engaging with a financial consultant to plan is a bit like flying in a navigation specialist to assess how the trip is going. Are we on the right course, are we doing the right things, do we have the correct resources. On occasion, courses have to be changed, more resources allocated and in some cases the planned destination needs to be modified.
Wind is never guaranteed to be constant on such a voyage, storms are certainty. Investment markets are almost identical. There are just some things you cannot control, but to be successful, you must do the basics right.
The Harvard House team is carefully selected, constantly trained and well positioned to navigate you to the correct financial destinations. What follows is a list of some of the more common exercises the team assist clients with:
Retirement can often be considered the “Final Frontier”. For many people reaching retirement brings the winds of change in a life that has been probably quite settled for some time. Early life is filled with so much change that the ability to adapt is practised often – leaving home, entering the work force, marriage, children. They face us as a constant barrage. However, by the time we turn 65 or older, we can have had 10 to 15 years of little change or transformation. Retirement then emerges like an iceberg in the Atlantic.
Human beings seldom share their financial circumstances with even their closest friends. This means that, probably without exception, people arrive at retirement with one overwhelming question – “Have I saved enough?”
We believe there are 3 key variables to answer this question, and they represent the key risk measures for retirees:
Harvard House has over 50 years of plotting retirees through this landscape. It has also done so for hundreds and hundreds of individuals of all backgrounds and resources. This makes us perfectly positioned to assist in guiding individuals through their retirement process.
Having someone to maintain perspective when emotions created by circumstance (personal and global) become overwhelming is probably the most crucial element in South Africa. So no matter whether you have already retired, are about to retire or are just a few years away, allow us to get one of our Financial Planners to assist you navigating these treacherous waters safely.
There is a famous saying “There are only two problems when it comes to money: You either live to long or die too soon”. Risk planning is really about ensuring that neither you nor your family are financially disadvantaged if the “too soon” comes. The risk is not just death, it can include disability or a life changing illness.
Risk planning is really about making sure that lifestyles are not forced to change or degrade because of a life changing event. Where the skill comes in however, is how much risk protection to buy. By and large, clients are underinformed on how much income costs to produce. As a result, the possibility of being underinsured from a Risk Planning perspective is substantial.
With more than 50 years of providing incomes to clients, Harvard House is uniquely positioned to advise on this aspect of financial planning. Let us help you to construct peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Building wealth is incredibly difficult. Making the money to invest is probably the easiest part. What follows is an emotional rollercoaster without any candy floss to ease the pain!
Where to invest? What to invest in? And how much to pay for doing it? These are all decisions investors agonise over. With more than 50 years of experience building client’s wealth, we believe there are three key factors to building wealth:
The first two are probably the easiest, the last probably the hardest. That’s why it makes sense to partner with a team that can help with all these characteristics. Harvard House has that team.
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