It's Time!

It just occurred to me that as we grow older, the topic of death slowly permeates into casual conversation. Sure, it’s painful to comprehend, but it drives home the invaluable lesson of losing and gaining, of stumbling and of recovering.

So as a young woman’s homage to living and dying, I want to dedicate this entry as a remembrance, though not in the conventional sense of passing away. This will be a commemoration for us who are yet to reach the end of the tunnel, so to speak. After all, the legacy of dying ultimately impacts on those left behind.

Rude Awakening: What is the best remembrance one can leave behind?

A hundred things can cover this list: inheritance money, properties, jewelries, and even businesses. However, there is a flipside, for one can also be bequeathed with debts, legal cases, and other excess baggage of the deceased.

Ideally, bad assets should be unloaded as soon as you get the next paycheck. Still, we don’t always know a good thing when we see one. How we will be remembered lies as much in our values as in our financial virtues. Why max out credit cards we know we cannot pay in time? Why indulge in temporary luxuries whose worth decrease overnight? Why lead a life complicated by dispensable desires that ruin the focus to vital priorities?

Not-So-Rude-Awakening: Insurance and investment are lasting legacies best earned while young

When I started working, my mother would always remind me to save for retirement. Of course, at first I scoffed at the idea! Here I am, wet behind the ears, fresh from college, excited for the corporate lifestyle, and all of a sudden we are talking about events a half century from now?

Then came the financial responsibilities, beginning with monthly bills and allowances for younger siblings. Pretty soon, auto loans and credit card applications will come into the picture. With such an upgraded and fast-paced lifestyle, financial opportunities fade from the scene.

One of the less appreciated facts of youth is how immediate physical vigor and passion can be reignited. It’s a time when money flows almost abundantly, with options available left and right. So making the right choice is critical, especially with financial matters.

I am quite fortunate to learn early on that insurance and investment are one of the most fitting legacies that I can leave my loved ones, when the inevitable crunch time comes around. With the array of products in the market today, there is no excuse to let my youth go to waste.

How about you, what will be your legacy?