E-Book Overview
The Elephant In The RoomA financial fable filled with lessons for building long-term wealth"What most people don't understand, and what usually turns out to be the elephant in the room, is their behavior. It affects everything in your life, including the way you earn, spend, and save."—Aunt KatherineMichael Davidson and his wife, Jennifer, knew what they wanted from life and had some pretty good financial habits, but they were far from prepared for the future. Despite a healthy income and successful career, Michael—who's facing down thirty, with a wife who also works, and two kids—can't seem to accumulate any savings, and the family continues to live from paycheck to paycheck.Frustrated by his situation, Michael seeks the advice of a person who, in his eyes, has found a way to overcome this challenge—his now comfortably retired Aunt Katherine. What follows is a series of conversations in which Michael discovers that some fundamental concepts, all under his control, can put his family in a better financial position.Engaging and informative, The Elephant in the Room follows the fictional weekly meetings—based on the real-world experiences of financial advisors and employees from First Command Financial Planning—between Michael and Aunt Katherine as they discuss the elements that guide their financial behavior and prepare a plan to achieve his family's financial objectives.A refreshing look at what it really takes to secure your financial future, The Elephant in the Room contains insights and advice that will put you on the path to prosperity.
E-Book Content
THE EL EPH A N T IN THE ROOM Sharing the Secrets for Pursuing Real Financial Success
BA R RY BR IDGER
THE ELEPHANT IN THE RO O M
THE ELEPHANT IN THE RO O M Sharing the Secrets for Pursuing Real Financial Success
B A R RY B R I D G E R
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 by First Command. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. Originally published by in 2007 with a cover and interior design by Desktop Miracles, Inc. Photo credits: PhotoDisc/Getty Images. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to give the fiction a sen