The Rules Have Changed: And so Must You!

The Three Laws of Money Accumulation:

The financial plan used to be easy.

Finish university debt-free, waltz into a job for life, buy an affordable house and finish the last day of work with a handshake, a carriage clock and a guaranteed income for life.

Generation X’s plan was also simple. To buy property, maybe two, maybe more. All at affordable prices. The astronomical rise in house prices has pulled up the property ladder making it unreachable for the next generation.

Today we need a new plan. The world is moving faster, is more connected and people have more complex lives than we have ever done before.

Millennials need a new plan. We’re in a different world after the tornado of the financial crisis. Putting money into a bank means getting next to nothing from your savings, maybe you’re scared to invest after the financial crisis or simply don’t have the time to learn the seemingly complex world of the stock market.

The retirement cliff edge is fast approaching as people don’t have enough for when they stop working. There is a path you can follow to get to the lifestyle that you desire.

This book is the road map. Looking up at any mountain can seem impossible to climb, a cloud covers the peak. Not seeing the top gives you no point to aim for and may even disbelieve that there is a peak. The summit does exist and I will show you the way.

The solution is following the Rebalance formula. Starting with a pound coin in your back pocket, up to living the lifestyle that you choose.

Rebalance is not just about money but Rebalancing your life so you can spend your time focusing on the important things, your friends, family and your experiences in life.

The first step is the three laws of money:

• Pay Yourself First
• Diversify
• Re: Balance

1) Pay Yourself first

Saving sucks! Do you ever feel you work hard all week and have nothing to show for it?

Like you have more month at the end of the money rather than the other way around.

Paying yourself first means paying yourself before anyone else. An investment plan that requires you to be disciplined and stick to a budget is too much work.

Automate your finances to take the decision out of your hands. It’s simple and obvious but many people aren’t doing this. This means you can spend what you like, when you like, without the guilt of going over budget.

The problem is not how much we earn; it’s how much we spend, ending up with nothing to show for it. When we spend everything we have it causes stress, worry and anxiety.

We have a choice. To work all our lives paycheque to paycheque or learn to make money work for us and enjoy our lives.

2)Diversify

Diversification is the only free lunch in investing. A mix of assets in your portfolio will mean different assets complement each other and work together in synergy.

It’s like having an umbrella business for when it’s raining and having an ice cream business for when the sun is shining.

This is known as asset allocation. Meaning the sum of the total will be greater than the sum of all the individual parts. Different asset classes will reduce the risk you have in your portfolio whilst getting higher rewards.

Having money in land, businesses and some money in reserve give peace of mind that whatever happens in the markets, politics or economics you will be alright.

This is a big relief.

3) Rebalance

Rebalancing is moving your assets back into the formation that is best for you. That may sound complicated and perhaps it is. It’s the hardest step of the three laws to achieve, so isn’t easy but it is simple.

Rebalancing your portfolio is like going to a party and forcing yourself to leave at the peak of the fun. Why would you leave at the height of the party? So you can catch the last train home, wake up early and do something productive that morning.

You call your friend who stayed on at the party later. He had a few more drinks, missed the last train and had to get a taxi home spending more money.

Rebalancing goes against our human instincts. We want to stay at the party whilst the going is good however to counteract our nature set up a system that will automatically rebalance your portfolio.

By rebalancing your portfolio will give you mind space that you will benefit no matter what happens in the markets. Investing is a process, not an event. You hear about people getting rich instantly. Yes, this can happen but these are the outliers and not the norm.

The majority of wealth is created over time. Similar to following the directions on a map. Following the steps in sequence can get you closer to your goals.

When learning a new process you can either figure it out yourself or you can learn from someone who has successfully done it before and copy their process.

Follow the steps modelling the masters and learn from their experience. It will save you time, money and energy.

The Rebalance formula takes you from where you currently are to the lifestyle that you choose. It teaches an investing system that once complete you can live off the rewards for the rest of your life.

Previous generations called this retirement, building up large enough money to support you when you can no longer work.

You must begin with the end in mind. That’s explained in my latest book Millennial Money Mindset: If you want the fruits you need the roots and is now available on Amazon in print, Audible and Kindle.

The three rules of money

1) Pay Yourself First

2) Diversify

3) Re:Balance

Please like, share and comment on this article to help more people with their money.

Neil Doig is a Financial Times shortlisted author for the book Millennial Money Mindset: If you want the fruits you need the Roots (now available on Amazon in print, audible and Kindle), creator of the investing trading game Football Formation Asset Allocation, and speaker at WeWork in 2018 and at Picturehouse for the Feast Festival in 2019.

Neil Doig is the Founder of Money Tipps which is a money coaching company and educates and inspires better investing.