Since 1907, "Be Prepared” has been the motto for millions of Boy and Girl Scouts around  the world. The expression represents the constant readiness and willingness in both mind and body to do the right thing at the right moment. You don’t have to be a scout to understand the motto applies to all of us. Here are five components of a strong financial plan:

Have you had the talk yet?  No, not “that talk”.  To mix a metaphor, the birds and the bees are already out of the barn at this point!  No, this talk is about your financial plan. With the holidays approaching, you may want to consider using this time to enter this conversation. Below are some practical tips you can use to get the conversation started.

1. Don’t Make It Awkward

Appropriate communication of your financial picture is very much a part of a successful financial plan.  After all, it is likely that family members will be the recipients of your estate someday.  They may even be called upon to help manage your finances should the need arise.  It can be a little intimidating for someone thrust into that position without any prior knowledge. Remember to keep calm and have patience.  After all this involves money, family, and the future.  All the makings of a soap opera!  If it helps, have an outline or topic list prepared.

Thanksgiving is a time when families traditionally get together and celebrate the holiday.  While spending time with family often involves eating/drinking, and watching football (and the occasional nap if you’re lucky), it also may be a great time to discuss family finances at some point over the extended weekend together.  After all, how many times can you rave about those sweet potatoes? 

In talking with clients, we often hear the following questions; 

“My children (or I) had U.S. Savings Bonds that are missing. Is there any way of ever recovering the money?” 

“My parents’ affairs are a mess. How can I be sure I’ve found all of their assets?”

 “When I moved to Florida, I never chased several checks. Is it too late to try and get my old utility deposit refunds, etc.?”

“I have a stock certificate for a company that I can’t seem to find out anything about. Can you help?”

It’s tax time--don’t lose sight of your financial planning goals. It’s not too late to make your IRA contribution for 2014.  You can make 2014 IRA contributions until April 15, 2015. Be sure you are taking full advantage of the opportunity to save for retirement. 

Do you know how many buzzwords there are? Just the word “Buzzword” brings up over 6 million results on the Internet.  There is even a Buzzword of the Day.  Dictionary.com defines Buzzword as a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical, that is a vogue term in a particular profession, field of study, popular culture, etc. 

Financial planning has become such a buzzword resulting in over 22 million Internet search results. The term, “Financial Planning” appears quite often in all types of media.  But, what is it?