Part 3 of a series that will shed some light on who we are and why we love financial planning. Matt Chope talks about taking the long view on investing and why to look at decades rather than days.
If we’re being honest, I was inspired to enter the financial planning profession for selfish reasons. I went in hoping to find the deep sense of personal satisfaction gained from helping someone make the most of the one life they have to live. In the beginning, it was about helping people achieve a higher, more consistent return on their investment, beating the tax man at his game, or beating the market. I wanted people to think I was smart and good at something unique. That made me feel special and it still does.
In those younger years, life was very quantitative and simple. It was a numbers game; I thought that if someone had more money they could do more and be more. While that is still an undercurrent to some extent, today this area of energy has evolved to helping clients achieve a better return on their life, which might sound kind of corny or even ridiculous. But, to me it is about making the most out of what you have in the time remaining.
After having worked for a decade or longer, I’ve noticed many investors gain a noticeable amount of relief and even a deep sense of fulfillment toward achieving or making considerable progress toward their lifelong goals. I ask continually what my client’s goals are and I listen and capture those goals to help them turn goals into reality. It’s so cool to see it transpire. Not too much generally changes over a year but I have found that it’s absolutely amazing what can transcend over a decade when you’re dedicated to achieving something.