Simple Principles for Your Financial Journey

5 years ago

  • Share this:

A blog post by Daniel Snover

April is Financial Literacy Month and a great time to bring awareness to your financial well-being. Many of us wait until major life events like buying a house, changing jobs, or even nearing retirement to begin thinking about financial commitments, but it takes time and conscientious planning to attain financial freedom.

The good news is that a few simple principles can put you on the right path to saving and investing. The bad news is that simple does not always mean easy.

Think of these tips as cairns, or guideposts, to follow along your financial journey.

Pay yourself first.

You cannot invest without first saving, but why does it seem so difficult to build savings?

The breakthrough is a mental shift from including savings in your budget to “paying yourself first”. Don’t wait until the end of the month to see what is left over – that’s paying yourself last. Set aside a portion of your income before spending on discretionary items.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your savings account will begin to grow.

Consistency is everything.

What is the opportunity cost?

Should you invest in the stock market or pay off that credit card debt? Should you make extra mortgage payments to reduce the principal balance?

Think in terms of opportunity cost to improve your decision-making and to avoid emotional mistakes.

Your stock account is not likely to average more than the 16% your credit card is charging you in interest. The wise thing would be to pay down the credit card debt before investing in the market, effectively guaranteeing a 16% rate of return since you’re not paying that interest to the credit card company.

On the other hand, if your mortgage interest rate is 4% and is tax deductible, then you’re probably better off investing than paying down the mortgage principal.

Try not to overthink it.

The miracle of compound interest

Compound interest is the greatest builder of wealth and “the most powerful force in the universe” according to Einstein. Compound interest is the addition of interest to the principal sum of a loan or deposit.

Let the Rule of 72 put the miracle of compounding interest into perspective. So, how long will it take an account earning 10% a year to double? (Hint: it’s not 10 years)

Here’s the rule: Take 72, divide it by your annual return (10%) and it will tell you the number of years to double your money (7.2 years). While unlikely to achieve, a 20% annual return would double your money every 3.6 years. However, if your money is sitting in the bank earning a 1% annual return, you will effectively never double your money.

Building wealth requires taking risks along the way. You’ll be grateful you did.

Stay aware

Are you scared to look at your credit score? Or total up how much you spent on restaurants last month?

Don’t be. Fear and denial are likely holding you back from addressing the obstacles to success. Make things easier by downloading a free financial planning app, such as Mint, to track your account balances, credit score, and spending habits. Awareness will help prevent the “where did all my money go?” and “how did I get in this position?” moments.

Financial freedom is a journey, not a destination. Learn to enjoy the process.

Don’t get discouraged when life seems to knock you off the path. Think long term to soothe anxieties about the journey ahead. Don’t compare yourself to others – we all start in different positions and encounter different circumstances.

Bon voyage!

Disclaimers:
 

Cabana LLC (dba “Cabana Asset Management” and “Cabana Retirement Solutions”), is an SEC registered investment adviser with offices in Fayetteville, AR and Plano, TX The firm only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment adviser is not an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators and does not mean the adviser has achieved a specific level of skill or ability. Additional information regarding Cabana, including its fees, can be found in Cabana’s Form ADV, Part 2. A copy of which is available upon request or online at https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/.

By using this website the user agrees as follows:

All written content on http://cabanaportfolio.com website (the “Website”) is for informational purposes only. The material presented is believed to be from reliable sources and no representations are made by Cabana, LLC, Cabana Law Group, or Cabana Financial, LLC (collectively, “Cabana”) or its affiliates as to another parties’ informational accuracy or completeness. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with a financial advisor, accountant or legal counsel prior to implementation. No party, including but not limited to, Cabana and its affiliates, assumes liability for any loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions or reliance on or use of this material.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cabana or its affiliates. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

Information presented is believed to be current. It should not be viewed as personalized investment advice. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors on the date of publication and may change in response to market conditions. You should consult with a financial advisor before implementing any strategies discussed. Content should not be viewed as an offer to buy or sell any of the securities mentioned or as legal or tax advice. You should always consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

Viewers or recipients of the information herein that do not agree with the term and conditions of use, should not utilize this website or any information contained herein. Decisions based on information contained herein are the sole responsibility of the person viewing the website. In exchange for utilizing the information on this website, the visitor agrees to indemnify and hold Cabana, its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors and suppliers harmless against any and all claims, losses, liability, costs and expenses (including but not limited to attorneys’ fees) arising from the use of this website, violation of these terms or from any decisions that the viewer makes based on such information.

Disclaimers

January 17, 2024

This material is prepared by Cabana LLC, dba Cabana Asset Management and/or its affiliates (together “Cabana”) for informational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. This material may only be distributed in its original format and may not be altered or reproduced without the prior written consent of CabanaThe opinions expressed reflect the judgement of the author, are as of the date of its publication and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by Cabana to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by Cabana, its officers, employees or agents.  

“CARA” is Cabana’s Cyclical Asset Reallocation Algorithm. Scenes assigned as per the judgment of The Cabana Group. Scene names and number of scenes have changed over time in an effort to obtain efficiencies and provide clarity of investment objective. 

This material may contain ‘forward looking’ information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product or strategy. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. All strategies have different degrees of risk. There is no guarantee that any specific investment or strategy will be suitable or profitable for a particular client. The information provided here is neither tax nor legal advice. Investors should speak to their tax professional for specific information regarding their tax situation. Investment involves risk including possible loss of principal.  

Cabana LLC, dba Cabana Asset Management (“Cabana”), is an SEC registered investment adviser with offices in Fayetteville, AR and Plano, TX. The firm only transacts business in states where it is properly registered or is exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment adviser is not an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators and does not mean the adviser has achieved a specific level of skill or ability. Additional information regarding Cabana, including its fees, can be found in Cabana’s Form ADV Part 2A or Form CRS. A copy of which is available upon request or online at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/. 

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investment strategies have different degrees of risk and the corresponding potential for profit or loss. Asset allocation and diversification will not necessarily improve returns and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. “Target Drawdown” is merely a descriptive term used to describe the general strategy and objective of the portfolio, it is not a guarantee, nor should it be construed to suggest safety or protection from loss. There is no guarantee that portfolio performance will remain consistent with the targeted drawdown parameter. While risk tolerance and targeted “drawdown” are identified on the front end for each portfolio, Cabana’s algorithm does not take any one client’s situation into account and there is no guarantee that Cabana’s strategies will be suitable for any investor. Investors and advisors should not simply rely on the name of any portfolio to determine what is suitable. It is the responsibility of investment advisors to determine what is suitable for their clients. Cabana manages assets on multiple custodial platforms. Performance results for specific investors will vary based upon differences in associated costs and asset availability.  

Cabana claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®). GIPS® is a trademark of the CFA Institute. The CFA Institute does not endorse or promote this organization, nor does it warrant the accuracy or quality of the content contained herein. To receive a GIPS Report and/or a firm’s list of composite/pooled fund descriptions please email your request to info@thecabanagroup.com.

All recommendations made in the prior 12 months are available upon request. Cabana’s allocation history is available here. For additional information regarding our services, including performance disclosures and award methodology, please visit https://thecabanagroup.com/disclaimers/. 

Commonly used index/benchmark definitions:  

All indices and categories are unmanaged and an individual cannot invest directly in an index or category. Index returns do not include fees or expenses. Benchmark indices will likely materially differ from Cabana’s portfolio strategies. Detailed information as to how the returns are calculated can be obtained online from the following link: https://thecabanagroup.com/disclaimers/performance-reporting-methodology/. 

Morningstar’s Moderate Target Risk index  follows a moderate equity risk preference and is based on well-established asset allocation methodology from Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company.  

Morningstar’s Tactical Allocation category includes portfolios that seek to provide capital appreciation and income by actively shifting allocations across investments. These portfolios have material shifts across equity regions, and bond sectors on a frequent basis. 

The S&P 500 Index is a market-capitalization weighted stock market index of 500 widely held large-cap stocks often used as a proxy for the U.S. stock market.  

The Russell 2000 and 3000 indices are market-capitalization weighted stock market indices that include, respectively, 2000 and 3000 of the most widely-held stocks and are often used as proxies for the U.S. stock market. 

The Nasdaq Composite Index is a market-weight capitalization index that covers more than 3,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. What is the Nasdaq Composite, and What Companies are in It? | Nasdaq