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I confess, I’ve been in technology hell for months. It’s not the first time.
As a woman of a certain age, I wasn’t born into a tech-driven world like the Millennials. I don’t speak this language well— at best, I can converse with a thick accent, and I’m by no means fluent. Yes, I own an Alexa (Amazon’s allegedly life-changing device that can, according to my son Adam and my tech guy Jason, do just about anything I could ask). To date I’ve asked “her” to do two things for me: tell me the weather forecast, and set a timer for 10 minutes.I’m clearly missing the boat! But I just don’t get it.
I suppose that’s why I listened with a bit of guilty satisfaction when my friend Lily recently told me her saga of buying and installing a fancy new video doorbell and her own hell trying to get it installed. Long story short: it took 4 or 5 different people to help before Lily was able to see the person on the other side of her door. At least I know I’m not alone in my suffering and frustration! It does help, but it also has me wishing there were professional “technology planners” out there—someone to help me, Lily, and everyone else who doesn’t speak the language of technology get all of these potentially great tools to work together so we can, finally, use them to our advantage. That would be pure technology nirvana!
It makes me happy to realize that the role we play in most of our clients’ lives is to help connect the dots of their financial lives to create at least some level of financial nirvana . If you’re not yet there (or at least on your way), asking yourself these three questions may nudge you in the right direction:
Are you holding on to solutions that were great 5 years ago, but that aren’t adding value today?
I have a box of “old technology” at home that I can’t get myself to throw away (that 5- pound laptop was wonderful in its day!), but deep down I know there’s no reason to keep it. In just a few years, everything in technology has changed. The same is often true in your financial life . Transitions—marriage, divorce, job change, retirement, losing a spouse, relocating—all of these things and more can have a dramatic impact on how you should be saving, spending, and investing. New financial products may be available today that didn’t exist five years ago. Are you using a Health Savings Account (HSA) to save for future medical expenses tax-free? Is your investment strategy aligned with your current goals and time horizon? Has your tax strategy changed to address the new tax law? Now is the time to let go of the old and bring in the new to connect all the right dots.
Do you understand the language of money?
When we moved our office systems to the cloud, I wasn’t even sure what “cloud” meant. All I really knew was that it could protect client data and keep our software up to date with the latest versions. I drove our technology provider crazy. I asked a lot of questions so I could communicate in their language: the language of technology. Like technology, money has its own specialized vocabulary. Do you speak the language? Do you know the difference between good debt and bad debt? Do you understand compounding? Do you know what a CD is and its role in your portfolio? (If not, start by reading my blog When did it become ok to be financially illiterate? ) The more you understand the language of money, the easier it will be to connect every aspect of your financial life .
Are you reaping the rewards of a fully connected financial life?
Alexa can be used to manage your music, your thermostat, the lights in your house, and more—but only if the device is properly connected to everything else (or so they tell me!). Connecting all the pieces of your financial life is just as vital. Your investments, taxes, savings, budget, estate plan, and insurance are all interrelated. A “connected” strategy is the key to growing and protecting your assets over the long term. A great first step is to start connecting your financial life using an online app like eMoney. It’s a great tool that gives you a birds-eye-view of what you own and what you owe so you can both manage your finances and collaborate even better with your advisor.
Related: All You Need Are the Clues to a Great Financial Plan
I’m a firm believer in the importance of “knowing what I don’t know” and doing everything I can to learn more. To get there, I get help wherever I can find it. That includes hiring a professional to help me find a way out of my current technology hell. We may have moved everything to the cloud, but there are still some disconnects. Suddenly my scanner button isn’t working, two of my apps won’t open, and Skype thinks I don’t have a camera on my computer. Ugh! But I have a tech team coming to the office today, and I’m counting on them to fix what’s broken and to help me understand how to keep everything connected moving forward. We’ll be one step closer to technology nirvana.
I urge you to do the same when it comes to your finances. Ask questions. Get answers. And get the help you need to create a fully connected financial life that takes you one step closer to your financial nirvana—however you define it. That’s one thing I’m pretty certain Alexa can’t do for you… yet!