Setting Financial Goals

Garden Financial Services

Don’t Dream it. Do it.

Having a financial plan is just like having a good map when you’re planning a journey. It not only pinpoints your ultimate destination, it shows you the best way to get there. Your financial plan can include any number of goals, some bigger, some smaller, short term or longer.

We can work with you to understand your individual needs and aspirations and set out a realistic plan that can help make things happen for you.

Planning is specifically about you

We all have a general idea about what we’re working towards and what we want in our  lives. Having a documented plan, with specific goals within specific time frames can help make those things happen. We can help determine exactly what you might need to do.

Just one example of a goal could be that you want to upgrade your car regularly. For some people that could mean every three or four years while for others it’s ten. How much might that upgrade cost? And might leasing be a better option than owning your car outright? Your answers could have a big impact on the strategy for saving or investing that’s recommended for you.

“Retiring comfortably” is another goal most of us share. But what is “comfortable”? For some, an after-tax income of $25,000 would do it, while others might want $60,000 each year. Perhaps your family may have a history of longevity and you’re aiming to live to a hundred. In this case, planning to have enough money to see you through what could be decades of retirement is essential.

SMART thinking for your financial goals

  • SMART goals provide a useful framework for setting out goals that are:
  • Specific well defined with clear objectives.
  • Measurable achievable goals with the ability to track your progress to success.
    Agreed upon all people contributing to success agree on what you are setting
    out to achieve.
  • Realistic ensure your available resources will help set you up for success.
  • Time-base realistic time frames to enable you to achieve your goals.

When it comes to your SMART goals, don’t underestimate the power of positive thinking. A positive focus on the outcome will help keep you in the right mindset to affirm your commitment to your goals and make them happen.

Timing is everything

Having a written list of your financial goals and timelines is a step in the right direction to making them happen. Before seeing us, sit down with your partner and discuss your goals to ensure you’re in agreement on what’s important for you and your family.

When you are mapping out your financial plan, we can help determine time frames for your specific goals.