CG Financial Group

For the first time in 16 years, I DON'T have to sit in a boardroom for hours on end to discuss my budget for next year. This took me 15 seconds...

Each year I was given an objective I had to achieve in order to stay "viable" and some years they were absurd! We spent weeks working on numbers and imagining what it would look like if we added the right clients next year.

That's Hope Planning. I don't need to do that anymore. My boss (me) doesn't have a 10% growth rate in mind. I strive to treat all my clients with kindness and respect. This approach has led to my new firm having its best year ever in 2024.

Now, with all this free time, I'm off to work on a Financial Plan for new clients who were referred to me by someone who appreciates this approach.

I read a report from a group of super-smart Professor types about how "FINfluencers" perform against the overall market. It's...not great.

Turns out that 72% are "unskilled" or have "negative skill" and ended up losing over 2% per month versus the S&P 500 as a whole. They also contribute to excess trading which hurts long-term returns.

Entertaining? Sure. Replacement for actual advice? Never!

Sometimes, stripping away all the tech and AI makes life simpler. Last week I spoke to The Wall Street Journal about why I ask clients to do homework...

Yes, that Wall Street Journal. We talked article I wrote about the IKEA effect and how you have more pride in something you have made. We ask clients
to fill in their own numbers for net worth and cash flow, allowing them to feel a connection to their REAL numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I use plenty of tech and AI in my business, but that's to make OUR job easier so we can spend more time with clients, not to replace what we do.

Want to Stick to a Budget? Grab a Pencil Why the DIY approach to tracking your spending pays off.