With a few smart decisions everyone can retire early if they want, provided they do not have any unforeseen medical issues, unemployment, or live through a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. Those things will obviously put a wrench in anybody's financial plans for the future but with the proper planning even those events can't stop you from achieving your goals. Just imagine how bad your future would look if you didn't plan properly?

The first, and most important, decision you have to make when planning your future is the one to live within your means. Many people in this country feel the need to keep up with the Jones?. Their friend or neighbor gets a nice new car so they go out and do the same. How do you know if that person you are trying to keep up with isn't buried in a pile of debt?

People max out their credit cards, keep no money in a savings account, let alone the six month emergency fund all financial professionals recommend, and keep on spending. They borrow money against their homes and spend it. I hope to help at least a few people learn the benefits of changing their lifestyle so they can live comfortably when they retire. I hate hearing about elderly people that need to chose between eating and buying medicine. Hopefully I can help prevent that from happening to a few people.

I recently began a business as an independent insurance agent/financial professional, with the goal of making a difference in people's lives. I worked for too long under the control of a major corporation, allowing them to tell me what I had to do, whether it was good for the customer or not. Deciding I had to sleep at night I finally stood up to the company and voiced my opinion when I didn't believe in one of their policies. The company was Liberty Mutual Insurance and they wanted to begin turning away ?bad? customers for auto insurance in Massachusetts, where it is illegal to turn customers away,. Massachusetts is a ?take-all state?. (I'd be happy to share additional details if you want to hear them. Feel free to contact me at the email in my signature below)

Needless to say, I was fired for ?poor performance? and I decided I would not let this happen to me again. People work hard for their money and I want to help them get the most bang for their buck as opposed to hurting them. Keep an eye out for a series of articles on the following topics:

-Pay Yourself First
-Shred the Credit Cards
-How to Make Insurance Work for You
-Increase Your Earning Potential