How much fun do you want in 2017?

2016 was an odd year, wasn’t it? Who would have predicted Brexit, a Trump presidential victory in the USA and Leicester City FC winning the Premier League, closer to home?

The post-Brexit, anti-Trump naysayers warned of economic and geo-political issues and disaster on the horizon for businesses. And there were some casualties. But research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) carried out in the latter part of the year showed that 41% of companies expect to grow their workforces in 2017, compared with just 13% that believe their numbers will fall.

And then there was the FTSE. Despite predictions of a plummet after both the Brexit vote and the Trump victory, the FTSE defied gravity and rose to both occasions.

So, you never know what will happen. We certainly don’t, as Financial Planners.  But what we can do is to work with clients and help them build a robust plan to mitigate against the impact of worldwide and homegrown events.

The Two-Week Holiday

We lost some high-profile entertainers in 2016:  George Michael, Prince, David Bowie & Gene Wilder, to name a few. And it all seems to happen so fast. Someone said to me recently that life is like a two-week holiday. The first week seems slow but pleasurable as you look forward to the second week. But the second week goes in the blink of an eye and before you know it, it’s all over. I’m not sure that I agree, but it’s an interesting analogy.

2017 is upon us: What will you be planning? With many of you still in full time work, it’s so important to factor in the other things that matter to you. The fun stuff. What are they for you? Holidays, perhaps? Where will you go and how often? Or maybe you want to a bit more fishing, walking or cycling or play some more golf?

Upping the Downtime When You Stop Working?

When you plan your fun, please do one thing for me: Think whether you would like to do these things when you retire and if so, then how often? Given the fact that you won’t be working full time, you may choose to up the frequency of your downtime. But how will your finances stack up? Will you have to work another year to fund a few more holidays? Or maybe you’re still working and you don’t need to – maybe you’ve crossed the line without knowing it!

Those of you who work with us regularly will be happily in the driving seat, knowing the answers to all these questions. But not everyone if so fortunate. So, if you have family and friends who want to plan how much fun they can have when they stop working, please refer them to us. After all, it’s a nice question, isn’t it? How much fun do you want to have?

Happy New Year!

John

John Davies

Partner, Clifton Nash