We recently did a Google search to see the type of value people place on advice and it seems some of the best things in life (including advice) are free.
Other advice may seem expensive – medical appointments for instance. But paying for a third opinion on a nagging medical worry becomes totally ‘priceless’ if it leads to a diagnosis that saves your life.
We also asked the Retirement Essentials team on the best advice they had ever received and got some really interesting responses. Most of us have received some advice in the past when facing career, relationship or financial turning points or challenges. So in the February 2024 Retirement Pulse we would like to learn more about the types of help and advice that you are seeking. We hope that you will help us with our survey which takes just 3-4 minutes to complete.
And here’s what James, Steven, Alison and Sharon had to say about the best piece of advice that they’ve ever received.
I learned to worry less.
I’m James, the Chief Customer Officer at Retirement Essentials. The one very good piece of advice I received was from my father. I was a big worrier about work, often unable to get to sleep or waking up at two or three in the morning. The advice which I’m sure many people have received in one form or another was ‘Think of the worst thing that can happen… Can you deal with that? The answer is probably yes, even if it’s hard. Once you know you can deal with the worst case scenario, then it’s relatively easy to move on. The reality will probably be much better.’
I still get a bit stressed out from time to time and worry unnecessarily but remembering that advice helps me deal with it much better than I used to.
Steven shares two for the price of one!
Our members know and admire Steven Sadler, who heads up the Retirement Essentials Customer Service Team. He’s the guru who answers most of your questions.
Steven says:
‘I have two favourite pieces of advice that jostle for first place, depending upon my mood. The first is that wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it. Right is right, even if no one is doing it. Don’t presume that because something is popular or widespread that it is best.
My other favourite is about persistence.
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Alison learned that it doesn’t always have to be one thing or another…
Alison Squire is our Head of Advice. She learned the following important lesson early in her career.
In my late 20s and single, I was considering whether to buy a house or whether it would impact on my lifestyle wants of having great holidays, etc. One of my then employer’s Financial Planning and Lending managers asked me to think and research the following:
‘If you could buy an older ‘renovators dream’ and not the perfect/new house for a more reasonable price, one that would result in saving you money (because the loan repayments would be less than your rent), would you consider it?’
Great advice! Sometimes the less shiny or less popular option will grow to be the better longer term outcome. That has always stuck with me. Spend a bit less on the toy but buy a little of an investment. That way you can get to do both in the longer term. And yes, I am still enjoying the travel.
Sharon Sheehan was encouraged to buy the worst house in the best street
Sharon is one of our very popular advisers so she is well placed to recognise good advice when she sees it.
Why buy the worst house? Because you can always change it to what you want, but you can never, ever change where it is.
I think there’s no point having a lovely home miles from anywhere and having to commute to everything. It’s all about convenience for me, and the value of the location will stand out ahead of the quality finish of the property.
What about you?
What’s the best advice you ever had?
What aspects of your life have you sought advice about? Relationships, career, health, finances?
Was it worth your time and/or money?
Which life situations would still prompt you to seek help and advice?
Retirement Essentials can’t solve matters of health or heart, but it does offer affordable help and advice services across a range of retirement journey needs. We encourage you to give us a call or book a consultation today if you need support on a difficult money issue.
The best advice I had was to put aside an extra 20K pa of my then 120K after tax salary into super for the last ten or so years before retirement which seemed a lot but actually I could have managed I didnt and I was in CSS so guaranteed an indexed for life pension so no great harm
but my partner did he has secured his future.
We realise now that extra money would have made it possible to buy a new place before we had sold our old and that would have saved a lot in rented accommodation unnecessary storage and transport of goods that didnt suit the new home.
My father in 1959, when we arrived in Australia, mentioned this is the best country in the world especially on the coast between Bundaberg and Port Macquarie so real estate will always be worth investing in.
The second, less palatable but turns out to be very accurate advice is “always keep in mind one half of Australia is intent on ripping off the other half”
Third bit was “if possible, always go a different way on the return journey”
Best advice I was given, was from my mother
She said~ ” you look after the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves “