Everybody dies

As uncomfortable as it is, everybody dies. Perhaps one of the more significant life lessons is that death is a part of life, it comes to us all, everyone and everything. This truth is not one which we like to face, yet it meets us every day. We are careful (most of us) to try to avoid death – driving carefully, getting smoke alarms, going to the gym, avoiding “danger”. We have all known someone who is no longer living, we have experienced loss. We are all aware of the daily news of death, disaster and destruction as it happens to other people, somewhere else. Then someone who we all “know” dies and “the world” (by which I mean media) is full of lament and surprise.

I’m often challenged by the deaths of famous people. In part I want to acknowledge their contributions to whatever they “did” which of course is only an element of their lives (and I am passionate about the arts – as anyone that knows me will attest). I also find it confusing or perhaps perplexing – how whilst on this very same day, something like 151,600 people die around the world, about 55.3 million a year. These are not unknown people, but simply not known by many – like you and I.

Counting and Make it Count

We do live in a strange world, where the deaths of thousands become almost irrelevant compared to the death of just one. I’m not suggesting that we should not take note, pay our respects, but surely the rather more important reminder of a lesson we have already learned, is that life is short so spend the time you have wisely. The question is never if, but when.

Financial planning is not magic, it will not help you to live forever. It is essentially helping you to focus on what you value as important and attempting to ensure that those things happen. Life expectancy statistics are something that I discuss with clients, these are nothing more than the average age of someone when they die. An average – so many will be more and many will be less. Life’s greatest mystery is not death, but how you decide to use yours.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk