“It ain’t over till it’s over”, was a phrase used by the late Yogi Berra of baseball fame, when he was asked about the 1973 pennant race and his New York Mets were far behind in the standings.  Baseball is a long season and the managers strategize for both short- and long-term results.  They need to manage each game as well as be prepared for the next game and even beyond that at times.  Managers must balance the in-game strategies with the use of players over the marathon season.

Before the baseball season starts, teams have a plan.  However, often through the baseball season teams will make trades, bring up prospects and make whatever changes necessary to make it to the playoffs.  There is constant adjusting as they deal with player’s performance and injuries. 

The two key words so far are “plan” and “balance”.  An investor, just like a baseball team needs to have a plan and balance accordingly to meet their goals. Since financial planning is truly about the long term, just like a baseball team, adjustments need to be made along the way. 

A person in need of financial planning, in a metaphorical sense may be considered the owner of a team.  That owner can hire a person to manage the team, find talent and make the changes necessary along the way to meet their goals.

Just like a baseball season, the planning and balance is paramount to get through the short term and be prepared enough for the long term to make “the playoffs”.

The ultimate goal would be to get to a point where there are enough assets to maintain the lifestyle you want while balancing for future generations.  And if short term volatility raises concerns, just remember, “it ain’t over till its over”.

Peter Janowsky