Many people in their 40's are facing an uncomfortable reality: They just aren't where they hoped to be financially. Fortunately, you can always hit re-set and start going in the right direction.

40-something's can find themselves in a variety of "life stages". Some are just starting their families, while others are sending their kids off to college, or starting a business. They're married, single, divorced, and everything in between.

Even though these different stages will determine the specific, individual needs you'll have, these four principles can help get you moving in the right direction with confidence:

1. Recognize what you've done right

We all make mistakes along the way, that's how we learn. But many times you will find that somewhere in there you've been doing something right. Give yourself credit for that. Take Diane H., a 48 year old mother to two adult sons and a teenage step-son. She always made having sufficient life insurance--both term and permanent--a priority, the result of her previous training as a financial advisor. Even if money was tight, she made the payments because it was peace of mind for her family.

Unlike the 40% of Americans who have no life insurance, Diane was protected when the unthinkable happened. Only a few short years into her marriage, her husband was killed while commuting to work.

To have to have dealt with financial stress on top of everything else would have been unbearable, and paralyzing. Her and her stepson are certainly in a much better position today than they would have been had they not made their life insurance coverage a priority.

2. Make yourself a priority

We have a tendency to try to deal with our present needs, both our own and of those around us before we think about what our needs will be 20, 30, or 40 years down the line. When we do this for too long, we can find our future selves having to make very difficult decisions, and in the position where we don't have the gift of time to make up for it. The last thing you want is to find yourself in your 60's, and realize that you haven't saved for this period of your life.

Learn to make yourself, and your long-term future a priority. While saving for college is important, this is also something that kids can borrow for if necessary, or apply for financial aid, or scholarships. You can't do this for retirement.

It's important to have a written plan in place, and to take advantage of the tools that are out there that can facilitate the goals you have for your future. Your plan is your road map to getting the things that you want down the line (lifestyle, level of care, financial freedom, etc) This plan can be changed as your life changes, but if it doesn't exist in the first place, you're taking a huge gamble as to whether or not you'll be able to make any of it happen at all.

3. Apply any hard-earned wisdom you've learned

We've all made mistakes that we hopefully learned from. Remember what you learned, and commit to your plan. Remember the long-term goal. Treat your monthly savings goals as bills that need to be paid every month. When your paycheck comes in, it's easy to start thinking about how you can spend that money . . . update a room in the house, take a vacation, etc. But step back, stick to your plan, and make sure you have certain things in place first before indulging in the extras. The lack of "financial stress" is worth it!

4. Determine what your future looks like

As Yogi Berra says, "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." Wise bear. The best way to ensure that you have the type of future you want is to figure out what you want that future to look like. Burying your head in the sand, and hoping for the best rarely works out the way we want it to.

Sit down and ask yourself what type of retirement you envision. Where are you? What are you doing? Are you already in your forever home? Or do you want to retire in another state? Do you want to be able to travel? Spend time with the grandkids? Do you want to ensure that you are able to stay in control of your care when the time comes? Do you want to ensure a certain type of lifestyle?

Write out the future you want, put a plan in place to make it happen, and remember, it's never too late to re-set your course to get back on track.

Want more? SUBSCRIBE HERE for more free resources

Hit the res-set button and take control of your future.

Call Tenaya Insurance Services at (925) 322-8073 today!

#financialplanning #personalfinance #LifeInsurance #lifeinsurance #Women #moneytips #QuickTips