About eight years ago, we had a client—let's call her Alison. She was in her late 30s and doing great in her career. Her income was picking up. We had thought about the best way for her to save her money for the things she wanted to do, among which was to leave her high-stress job before the age of 65. One day I got a text. Her husband had died. Her whole plan had gone sideways.

In financial planning, we focus on planning for your future. We talk a lot about what you want to do, what you enjoy, and what you dream about. But we also have to talk about what to do if things go wrong. Given that we've all just lived through 2020, we know that things can go terribly wrong, and we know people (perhaps ourselves included) who have suffered horrible tragedies.

Listen in and learn the four steps to take in case your financial plan goes wrong, and why it literally pays to redefine how we view change.

Key Topics:

What should you actually do when the plan blows up? (3:24)

Step One: Do nothing (5:25)

Step Two: Find a support group or other people to talk to (08:36)

Step Three: Preserve your flexibility (11:53)

Step Four: Address the life decisions before the money decisions (13:45)

Remember, we don't create financial plans; we do financial planning (16:30)

"In the midst of these changes, disruptions, and upsets, be at peace with your finances." (18:12)

The real purpose of the emergency fund (20:58)

If you like what you've been hearing, we invite you to subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Tell us what you love about this episode! Or better yet, tell us what you want to hear more of in the future. [email protected]

You can find the transcript and more information about this episode at www.takebackretirement.com.

Follow Stephanie on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin.

Follow Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin.