Money was never really spoken of when growing up. My parents, who were divorced, often used the line “We can’t afford this!” We never delved into that and explain it to us. Perhaps it was just a sign of the times. I was told that you are either born into a rich family or not, and that didn’t gel with me. Why were my family not open to finance conversations, explaining money terms and helping me?
Perhaps it is because they didn’t know or it was embarrassing. So, I did what I could to learn, at school, read books and find people who were good with money.
My mom got divorced twice whilst growing up, so I learnt quickly that disruptive change could happen anytime. My one dad worked in a secure job, for the government. He didn’t enjoy it, but it paid okay and he was stable. My other dad was an entrepreneur, investor and property owner. He was always seeking opportunities, understanding business dynamics and creating an income well above the rest. I learnt from both my dads, what worked, what didn’t, why things happened the way they did. I feel this has led me to be the business owner, father, husband and financial planner I am today.
In my day-to-day encounters as an independent financial planner, with folks from all walks of life, conversations around money and how to use money as a tool is what I enjoy most. We need to ensure we understand money, our relationship with money, how to keep our emotions in check and how to not be controlled by money, but rather how to control our money.
Helping you make wise and informed money decisions, is what motivates me every single day.
