Life moves through seasons, and one characteristic of a season is you often don't realize you're in it until it has passed. You grow up, start working, kids come along, all of a sudden you're in the thick of parenting. Then, as children grow the nature of parenting changes, along with your schedule. And then, they're gone, and you are supporting them from afar. At each stage of the process, there are new challenges and new problems to solve. As Matt points out, one of the easiest traps to fall into is solving yesterday's problems and failing to recognize and adapt to the new phases of life.

There's a clear analogy to retirement planning. Retirement is, after all, another season of life. People often focus on the wrong questions and problems of retirement -- accumulating long after their portfolio is sufficient, rather than visualizing life in retirement and what kinds of things they want to do or roles they'd like to take on. Or perhaps they are worried about working longer, when planning for taxes may be more impactful to their retirement.

A good financial plan has seasons, just like life... because it is your life.

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Advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Adviser.

This material is intended for informational/educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Please contact your financial professional for more information specific to your situation.

Investments are subject to risk, including the loss of principal. Some investments are not suitable for all investors, and there is no guarantee that any investing goal will be met. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly into an index.

Investments in target-date funds are subject to the risks of their underlying holdings. The year in the fund name refers to the approximate year (the target date) when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the workforce. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative investments based on its respective target date. The performance of an investment in a target-date fund is not guaranteed at any time, including on or after the target date.
Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets, and diversification cannot guarantee that any objective or goal will be achieved.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are subject to market volatility, including
the risks of their underlying investments. They are not individually redeemable from the fund and are bought and sold at the current market price, which may be above or below their net asset value.

Matt draws an analogy between the movie Man on Fire and the character of Crecy, who teaches a young protege how to think under pressure -- to solve a puzzle, not react emotionally -- and the process of investing. One of the most dangerous things an investor can do is get emotionally invested (pardon the pun) in the securities they are evaluating, looking for ways to confirm why they should buy them rather than reasons to not buy them. A good investor understands the risks of what he is buying, how an investment fits into his or her unique portoflio needs, and what the investment horizon is.

Stock market turmoil often leads to emotional turmoil, and when emotion enters into the picture, we stop asking questions. Instead of looking for a puzzle to solve, we start believing in certain approaches and, inevitably, drifting from our original investment plan.

Follow Matt Murphy

Web: https://www.benetaswealth.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/jb7SNc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmurphycfp

Advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Adviser.

This material is intended for informational/educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Please contact your financial professional for more information specific to your situation.

Investments are subject to risk, including the loss of principal. Some investments are not suitable for all investors, and there is no guarantee that any investing goal will be met. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly into an index.

Investments in target-date funds are subject to the risks of their underlying holdings. The year in the fund name refers to the approximate year (the target date) when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the workforce. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative investments based on its respective target date. The performance of an investment in a target-date fund is not guaranteed at any time, including on or after the target date.
Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets, and diversification cannot guarantee that any objective or goal will be achieved.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are subject to market volatility, including
the risks of their underlying investments. They are not individually redeemable from the fund and are bought and sold at the current market price, which may be above or below their net asset value.

Follow Matt Murphy

Web: https://www.benetaswealth.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/jb7SNc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmurphycfp

Advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Adviser.

This material is intended for informational/educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or investment product. Please contact your financial professional for more information specific to your situation.

Investments are subject to risk, including the loss of principal. Some investments are not suitable for all investors, and there is no guarantee that any investing goal will be met. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly into an index.

Investments in target-date funds are subject to the risks of their underlying holdings. The year in the fund name refers to the approximate year (the target date) when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the workforce. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative investments based on its respective target date. The performance of an investment in a target-date fund is not guaranteed at any time, including on or after the target date.
Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets, and diversification cannot guarantee that any objective or goal will be achieved.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are subject to market volatility, including
the risks of their underlying investments. They are not individually redeemable from the fund and are bought and sold at the current market price, which may be above or below their net asset value.