Why does it always feel like we are living in uncertain times? Today we are exposed to the slowing economy in China, or are we burdened with the conflict in the Middle East? Some believe that the Russian/Ukraine unrest is the cause for our concerns.

Whether we have endured The Great Depression of the 1930s, when virtually everyone was poor, or lived through World War II, when people around the world feared death and destruction daily… or what about those of us who remember the hyperinflation and 20% - 25% mortgage rates of the early 1980s, or more recently the Financial Crisis of 2008 where we experienced stock market declines of 50% - 60%? Local and world events are continually playing with our emotions.

Since it doesn’t really matter what year you look at, there is always a level of uneasiness that we are exposed to. It could be in the form of a lost job, environmental accident, economic recession or political conflict! But life goes on and we can’t stop that. So once we accept that reality, it is much easier to begin our journey of wealth creation.

Although it may feel like there is always too much “month left at the end of the money”, I want to give you four solid ideas on how to create and preserve wealth in your lifetime:

1. Live within your means:
 If we spend more money than we earn, it is impossible to save. The first step is quite simple; make sure you save something (start small if you have to) from your earnings to start the wealth creation process.

2. Establish your goals and create a plan of action:
 We are all different with our own personal goals, dreams and aspirations. So we need to create a roadmap of where we would like to end up, along with a list of things we want to accomplish first, second, third, etc. Make sure you differentiate between short term goals (conservative income program) and long term goals (growth program).

3. Put your savings and your plan to work:
 Take your savings
 Begin to fund your goals
 Repeat this process over and over until you have reached your targets

4. If your goals don’t change, your investments should not change:
 All the world events that make us doubt our investment decisions are very distractive and “scary”. However, it is clear that when you create goals, and make quality investment choices, your investment decisions will prove to be right in the long term. If you have long term goals, stay strong and maintain your long term investment decisions.

Do you realize you may already be executing on some of these ideas? If you participate in a work pension program, or you contribute to the Canada Pension Plan, these are a couple of ways that some of your paycheque is already being saved to support your retirement goals. Many of you may already be making mortgage payments and RRSP contributions. But there is more to saving then simply leaving it to chance. What you really want to know is “Am I going to have enough to retire?” For those of you already retired, I’ll bet you would like this answer right away!

A qualified professional advisor can help you create your own personalized roadmap towards wealth creation and preservation. Their job is to help you answer the question, “Am I going to have enough to retire?” So consult with your financial advisor today.