“Is It Too Late?” The Question I Keep Hearing in Client Meetings and What I Tell People

Those of you who are clients know that I do this in almost every meeting. I ask if there are any upcoming expenses or events that need planning for. Especially the fun ones. Trips. Remodels. Purchases. Gifting to family. Charitable objectives. A business start-up adventure. A second home. You get the idea.

And for folks who have been with me a while, I go back further. I bring up some of the things they told me about early on — the goals, the wishes, the bucket-list items — and I ask a simple question. Have you done it yet?

There are times I hear a response that stops me. “Well, I’m too old now.” “I just never got around to it.” “It’s too late now.” “My spouse doesn’t want to go anywhere or do anything anymore.”

We all have our excuses. We all have our reasons. But I’ve been thinking about this one, and I want to put the question back to you.

When is it actually too late?

I’m not preaching this time. I don’t have a clean answer for this one. These are honest questions I’m asking you.

Can it really be too late — if you’re still breathing, still living, still out of a nursing home and out of a hospital? This goes for your health too. If you’re carrying extra weight and out of shape and further along in retirement, is it just too late? Or is that an excuse dressed up as a fact?

How do we even know when it’s too late? And what do we tell someone — a spouse, a friend — when they’ve decided it’s too late, but we feel differently? It’s a tough one. I sit with couples where one person is ready to go see the world and the other has quietly closed the book. That’s not a spreadsheet problem. That’s a life problem.

Here’s what I’ll say. The calendar keeps moving whether you plan or not. The 4th of July is one of those markers for me — it’s a reminder that the year is already more than half over, and that summer doesn’t stick around forever. Neither does the window of good health where you can actually enjoy the money you worked for. I call it Quality Time Remaining. QTR. It’s the whole point of the plan.

So before you file something under “too late,” ask whether it’s genuinely too late — or whether it’s just easier to say so than to make the effort.

It’s Not Just Important for You. It’s Important for Your Family.

Okay, one small nudge, because I can’t help myself. If you’re a client and you haven’t been in for a review this year — or longer — please make the effort. If you’re not a client yet, please make the effort. It’s important. And it’s not just important for you. It’s important for your family too. The goals conversation only works if we actually have it.

Let’s Talk About Your List

If there’s something on your list you’ve been putting off, let’s look at whether the plan actually supports it — most of the time, there’s more room than people assume. Schedule a complimentary meeting with Wayne by phone, video-conference, or in our office. Call (866) 626-3990.