For those of you who have had the pleasure of hitting a patch of black ice while driving, no explanation is necessary. For the rest of you, black ice is not actually black, rather a coating of transparent ice on a blacktop, or any road surface, that is not visible before encountering it. Needless to say, driving on icy roads can be unnerving at best, and absolutely terrifying when unexpected. It’s that loss of control as your vehicle glides along and your anticipated direction of travel becomes a mere suggestion.
Hitting a patch of black ice doesn’t always end badly; there are many factors that determine the outcome. Some of the factors you can control like staying calm, not applying your brakes, and steering into the slide can help minimize your loss of control. The bigger issues are with the variables you can’t control like the amount of black ice, or the other vehicles and objects around you.
When you find yourself hurtling out of control in a 4,000-pound projectile, some strange things happen. It feels like everything slows down, like time almost stops and each second lasts at least ten times longer.
This is also how many people feel when they get caught up in a bad financial situation. They’re humming right along and enjoying the ride when all of a sudden, the bottom falls out. They go from a feeling of serenity to out of control very quickly. It’s during this time that many investors panic and make decisions based on emotion instead of information.
That’s why working with a qualified financial professional can make all the difference in the world. A solid retirement plan should account for unexpected events and changing market conditions without putting you in jeopardy. That’s what we aim to do for our clients, and it’s why I encourage you to schedule your complimentary, no obligation financial review. Click HERE to request your meeting, online.
We’ll help create a plan built on the foundation of safety so you can achieve your retirement goals without taking on unnecessary risk. So remember, there may be times in your journey when you encounter black ice, but with the right strategy and support you’ll get through it just fine.
