Yes, a few seconds can change your life, and I recently found out just how it could have changed mine.

My car accident a few days ago* served as another reminder that your life can change in a matter of seconds. To my recollection, in a matter of 2 or 3 seconds, a car (coming from the opposite direction) turned left in front of me, I thought OMG, I slammed on the brakes, hit the other car, my life flashed in front of me and the airbag hit me in the face and chest.

Thankfully, both myself and the other driver walked out of our cars in one piece. If however, I’d been at that intersection just 2 or 3 seconds earlier, he would have hit me on my driver’s side and I would have been pushed or rolled on to the other cars sitting at the cross-street of that intersection – and could have been hurt a lot worse. So I’m thankful that I survived that incident with (so far) just aches and pains.

It was also a good reminder of why it’s important to balance today with tomorrow, and to:

Live today as if you could die tomorrow, and plan for the future as you could also live forever.

So while we can all find ourselves in these unfortunate situations that we can’t avoid, planning for the unexpected can help reduce the impact on our quality of life. For example, having a springing power of attorney set up so your bills can continue to be paid and you don’t lose your house while you’re “in recovery”, having enough in your emergency fund (preferably from a tax-free source), or having enough for your family’s living expenses in case of premature death of a parent.

So ask yourself sooner rather than later:

  • What do you have to do to “have things in order” in case you are disabled or pass away suddenly?
  • Do you know if your parents have something set up in case of major illness? Do they have an updated Will or Living Will? Do you have power of attorney set up with them?
  • What would be the impact of procrastinating on this?
  • What hardship would it create for your family if the “unexpected” happened to your or your spouse?

For more helpful financial tips, see other articles on www.DytucoFinancialServices.com. Also feel free to contact me for a complimentary review of your financial plan or retirement plan. I can help you identify some creative strategies that meet your specific needs for covering your risks, reaching your goals and saving for your retirement.

  • Saturday, Jan 23rd, 2016