There’s some turbulence out there, not only with the changeable weather but our money seems to be going up and down rather a lot. So this blog post is all about personal finance, not the weather….
September is that time of year when we definitely see a change in the seasons, from the warmth of summer (somewhat allegedly this year) to the coolness of autumn. We get stormy seas as the autumn equinox takes place and we are seeing some of that with our personal finances.
Now we try to protect ourselves from some turbulence by having a diverse range of investment funds. Normally if one fund goes down, another will go up and they seem to balance each other out. Or at least that’s the theory. I think I have money in 15 or 16 different funds and many of these funds hold units in other funds, so any risk is spread even further. Those funds hold equities in many, many different companies in markets throughout the world. Or so we might think; I sometimes wonder if many of these funds simply invest in each other! I don’t know.
The other day I heard on the radio that the FTSE100 had had a bad day. So today this prompted me to login and take a look. Surprise surprise, my funds were down by about 2% since the start of the month and I’m sure Rachel would be experiencing something similar. Seeing it on a graph somehow made it look even worse, with quite a steep line heading in a downward direction.
Now it would be very easy to over react and panic but that’s normally the worst thing you can do. My instinct (generally) is to sit back and do nothing: know that these turbulent times will come and they will go. We have enough to get by, without being extravagantly wealthy or paupers. Perhaps by the time we come to draw on these funds, they might be just the right amount for our needs.
At church, we don’t get much teaching concerning money or how to manage it. Notwithstanding this, for myself, I often reflect on Proverbs as there are a number of verses which concern our attitudes towards money, wealth, rich people and the poor. Those proverbs are as relevant today as they were when they were written way back in BC times!
One of my favourite proverbs is Proverbs 11 verse 25.
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed
I believe the “generous” person is not just someone who is generous with money. It is broader than that. A person who is generous gives much of himself for others, to care for others and to look out for others. Being generous is not just giving money away, it’s about hospitality, sharing hope and optimism.
These proverbs are as rich in wisdom for us today as they ever have been, or at least that’s what I believe. Now I don’t mean to claim I have all of this sorted; every day I fail, one way or another. I’m human and I’m flawed. And yet every single day I am optimistic, always hopeful about the future. The best is always to come and if I can possibly hope at least some of this can rub off on one or two others along the way; perhaps that kind of generosity is worth more than simple money?
Am I losing sleep over a 2% drop? You know the answer.