All Things Financial Planning Blog

I recently had the opportunity to be on an episode of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. The segment featured a client who was in her early forties and concerned about getting a late start saving for retirement. During the course of commentary from friends and colleagues, one comment in particular stood out for me. A childhood friend, Robert Lee, commented that being on NBC Nightly News was a long way from being in my back yard skipping rocks off the Ribault River when we were kids. My immediate response was that there are times when it would be nice to go back to those days and skip rocks.

Decades have passed since those days in the backyard, but in my work as a financial planner I find one of the most frequent facets of my work is helping clients position their lives so that they to can “skip rocks.” Even now I struggle with the concept of retirement and prefer to frame the discussion in terms of financial freedom. Very few people have ever come into the office and described their vision as one of no work and hour after hour on the golf course. In fact I can probably count on one hand the number of times it has happened. For many of us financial freedom seems to be an elusive dream.

Here’s the challenge, was there a time in your life when you felt the simplicity of life? Is there a dream you have of being at peace? What is that thing that makes it all seem worth while? Have you ever stopped to think about how you want to live your life once you stop getting up in the morning and heading off to work? I invite you to share your vision with our readers.

I haven’t been in the backyard since my mom passed away a year or so ago but I think I’m going to have to make a special trip. There was something almost magical watching those little stones bounce effortlessly off the surface of the river. My niece lives there now with her little boys. It will be fun taking them out back with my girls and teaching them to skip rocks. Who says you can never go home again?

Be well.

Lee Baker, CFP®
President
Apex Financial Services
Tucker, GA