You have a limited amount of cash that will flow through your hands during the course of your life. That means it’s a limited resource, and any time you have a limited resource, you simply can’t afford to lose any of it.

Protecting this valuable resource is number one on my list. It could take years just to get back to even from a financial loss and there is no guarantee that you’ll ultimately fully recover, because time is also a limited resource. Bottom line: don’t lose money you’ll never worry about the time it takes to make up for the losses.

Opportunities are available for people who can put their hands on cash and take advantage of solutions. While we dream of winning the lottery, very few financial success stories are “Rags to Riches”. Most of them are about the person that had an idea and also had access to the cash to put that idea into play.

I believe that keeping your money in a place where it is accessible and still growing is critical. Cash flow is income through liquidity, use, and control. When you are in control of your cash flow, it opens the door to a host of opportunities.

It takes a skilled person to position their money in such a way that it is continually growing. Consistent growth and annual compounding will outperform erratic and unpredictable speculative risk.

One of the most common mistakes Americans make with regard to their finances is the failure to understand how truly powerful compounding interest is. It’s easy to see the benefits of compounding interest when you look at a chart showing exponential growth. Unfortunately, most people drain their accounts on big purchases with short-sighted instant gratification rather than doing the math and realizing the amazing power of compounding interest.

The world has us trained to spend and pay interest rather than save and earn interest. Keeping your money working for you at all times is key. Continuous compounding is part of the miracle.

It’s impossible to avoid taxes, but you can, and should do everything you can to minimize them. Every dollar of yours that goes to Uncle Sam costs you not just that dollar, but all the dollars you would have made on the interest compounded overtime.

Paying unnecessary taxes has a significant impact on your financial future. Taxes are the largest single expense you will ever have! Taxes matter and they’ll be going up. It is essential to your financial health to be able to manage tax risk as effectively as possible.

You work hard to make sure that your family is taken care of. If you’re smart with your money, you have worked equally hard to save some of it for rainy days and retirement. However, is it protected from loss? Is it growing in an environment where you can enjoy market-like returns without experiencing the agony of loss that happens when markets dip, dive or even crash completely? Are you able to access it? Even if you have a lot of money put away, if you can’t use it when you need it, it’s useless.

Smart financial planning means your money is shielded from all the risks that threaten to deplete your savings while at the same time continues to enjoy decent growth so you can control when, where, and how you want to use it.

When the rings that represent the family financial principles come together, they form the Family Financial Shield. Nautica Asset Management’s team of representatives are committed to providing you with the most effective, powerful shield available today in family financial planning. We’re here for you and your family, to help you keep them safe financially. Together we can build a brighter financial future for you and those you love.