10 STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL INVESTING GAME PLAN

But investing is only part of your financial life. It may well be the
most important part of your financial picture long-term. But it’s only
part.

1. Cash Flow Planning. Where does your money for daily living come
from, and how is it being spent?

2. Tax Planning. More than filing a tax return, this area includes issues
like whether to invest in a traditional or Roth individual retirement
account (IRA), how much tax you save in a 401(k)
plan, and whether you should use a Section 529 educational savings
plan.

3. Retirement Planning. Some people prefer to think of retirement
planning in terms of financial freedom or independence from an
employer or from worry. Whatever it means to you, living without
a fresh stream of steady income takes advanced planning.

4. Estate Planning. You’ve poured your life’s work into building an
estate, and you need to do some planning to protect and distribute
it. Estate planning is all about who you want to get what and
when, and how you can avoid giving it all to Uncle Sam.

5. Insurance. Insurance covers all areas, including life, health, cars,
other property, potential liabilities, and long-term health care.
This is a big, complicated, and important subject.

6. Special Issues. This catchall category includes things like providing
for education, elderly parents, disadvantaged kids, and gifted kids.

7. Life Planning. This is a subject that’s financial not in its core but
in its reverberations. It includes life changes like a career change
or moving to a new location.