Retirement Planning
Some people are planners by nature. From the time they received their first paycheck, they began putting a portion of their salary away into a 401K retirement plan, knowing time was on their side when it comes to compounding interest.
For those unfamiliar with this investment concept, compounding interest is the interest paid to you by the bank or financial institution on both the principal (the actual monies you’ve deposited) and on the earnings your deposits have generated as the bank invests it on your behalf. Simply put, the earlier you begin to invest, the more money your money will make.
With all this focus placed on being fiscally prepared for retirement, I believe we’ve neglected to prepare for another facet of our lives which could quite possibly be more valuable to us than the size of our 401K and other investments combined: our physical health.
The reason it’s best to begin making deposits, sooner than later, into your “health investment plan” has to do with the flip side of compounding interest—compounding debt. You see, your body is on loan, if you will. And as it is with every loan, the interest costs on your “loaner body” will accrue, and compound, over time. So, it’s best to make timely deposits along life’s way to avoid (as far as it depends on you) excessive health debt. If you neglect to make these deposits, by the time you reach your third trimester of life, health debt can take the form of sickness, disease, or possibly an early demise.
Wise investment advice says, “It’s always better to begin investing today, than tomorrow.” Investing in your health today, for all your tomorrows, looks like this: getting adequate exercise and sleep, seeking out both social and mental stimulation, consuming a nutritious diet, and getting regular medical checkups. This way you’ll be able to withdraw (and live on) those investments right on through your sunset years!
