Chuck and his wife, Martha, live in Hot Springs and have two sons, Robert, a 2010 Information Services graduate of the Walton College, and Thomas, currently enrolled in the Walton College. Chuck and Robert are members of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and Thomas is a Spring 2011 Associate Member. Chuck is a Past President of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and currently is Past President of the Walton College Alumni Society.
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS TANSTAAFL?
In my Senior year of college, my favorite Economics professor walked into class the first day and wrote TANSTAAFL on the chalkboard (yes, it was some time ago…). He told the class that this would be on every test we would have and that it would behoove us to know its meaning. TANSTAAFL stands for: “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”.
Probably, most of you have an idea of what it means, at least from an economic sense. The short version is: nothing comes without a cost. Not healthcare, not retirement, and certainly not financial independence. Most of us know that nothing worthwhile is accomplished without proper planning and hard work. Each of you works hard to make your business profitable and to create an environment that allows your staff to succeed. And there are rarely free lunches associated with the daily effort to accomplish this.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
Once one understands that TANSTAAFL is a real factor in one’s financial success, what can you do about it? There is another concept that one needs to understand, as well, and that is that HOPE IS NOT A VALID STRATEGY! In other words, if you HOPE Social Security will be the full benefit, if you HOPE markets will go higher so you can live in retirement from your 401K,or you HOPE you can sell your business so you can cash in, then you may really believe there is such thing as a free lunch.
Understanding these concepts means you must take responsibility for making sure you have enough money to live on in retirement, and that you won’t run out of money. The great fear of our elderly population today is that they will run out of money. Most HOPED they would do well enough to retire with the lifestyle they had become accustomed to. They didn’t figure on market erosion, increased healthcare costs and $3 a gallon gas. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out the way you wanted.
SO, WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
If you are the owner or senior executive of a business, SERPS may be an excellent solution. SERPS are Supplemental Employee Retirement Plans, and are usually “non-qualified”. Non-qualified means you can indentify key employees (especially yourself!) as candidates for benefit plans you don’t have to offer everyone else. They can help an owner or key employee make sure that HOPE is not the main thing they are depending on for their secure financial future.
We have worked with financial institutions and small businesses on designing key employee benefits for over 15 years. The lunch may not be free, but it will be a whole lot more enjoyable if you properly plan. If you have realized that you need a fresh outlook, we can help, and look forward to helping you take responsibility for your financial independence.
ACTION PLAN
We would like to visit with you about how we might work for you and your business. Call me at 501-318-0010, or send me an email at: Cdudley@argentmoney.com. An hour of your time spent analyzing your situation might make a lifetime of difference.
