Taking financial advice to a personal level

For many years I was a financial planner and adviser by profession. I ran my own business here in Carson City and over the years came to meet many of its residents. They came from all walks and were in different stages of their lives when our paths crossed. Most were referrals from existing clients. All were looking to change their lives by investing, hoping to reach a goal that, without some planning, seemed out of reach.

I have had the privilege of seeing many of these people achieve what they were saving and investing for, and that was truly a reward for me. Others I have had the pleasure of knowing in the later part of their lives and even though they are no longer with us, their planning lives on, benefiting their children, grandchildren or favorite charity.

When you get down to it, money is just a number on a statement or computer screen. It is saved and invested until it is put to use. Then it becomes a reality. It is a secure retirement, a college education or a long anticipated trip to somewhere really special. It is a home or a car or that RV that allows some to see places in this country that others just pass by. It is the end result of years of hard work and discipline and perhaps some good financial planning and luck.

So instead of discussing how municipal bonds can work for you or how to diversify your portfolio which I have done on so many occasions, I thought it might be helpful if I put things on a more personal level. By sharing the stories of how proper planning has helped people over the years, you may be able to see your story. I will cover the process of how some people started on their journey to financial success and how some failed.

Money is about people, if it were not, it would not elicit such strong emotion. Money does not have goals, aspirations, fears or time horizons. So by sharing these aspects of how planning changed the lives of some of the people here in Carson City, perhaps it can change your life as well. People learn in different ways and since my goal is to educate, storytelling without all the financial language may be key. No names or identifiable details of my clients will be given.

It really upsets me to see people falling victim to predatory sales practices or just plain bad planning because they did not know how the process works. If you are one of those folks who has been putting off getting your finances in order, or you have had a bad experience with financial planning, now is definitely the time to make some changes. So if seeing an example of what has worked (or not worked) for others is your catalyst to get things in order, great.

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This week "Faces," a travelling exhibit at the Meadowood Mall in Reno (through March 15) chronicles the faces of chronic fatigue syndrome. This exhibit will travel to 35 venues across the US this year. As a person who suffers with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I applaud this campaign to raise awareness about this little understood, debilitating illness. You can go to CFIDS Association of America for more information about CFS.

- Carol Perry, a Northern Nevada resident since 1983. You can reach her at carol_perry@worldnet.att.net or 267-5358.