Informed Thoughts

Decisions about the future, whether physical infrastructure or social development, are made based on information reaching a decision-maker. The physical requirements are simply numbers, how many houses, apartments, commercial centers, schools and parks, what type and measurement of water treatment and distribution, electricity supply, road and bridge networks, all guiding future plans. The social requirements are much more difficult to identify, how many police officers to protect and serve, teachers to educate, service personnel to maintain the infrastructure, what type and level of skilled professionals to operate health centers and hospitals, courts and prisons, all making change or implementation problematical.

Annual Investment Statements

As the world comes to grips with the financial crisis and most pension plans and mutual funds report their yearend performance, more bad news is expected as the reality of the situation appears in print to hundreds of millions of individual inactive investors. It is the awakening of these investors that will drive the stock and bond markets over the next quarter.

Many persons have money being invested directly out of their pay packet into pension plans, annuities or mutual (stock-based, bond-based, real estate-based and balance) funds, most of these investment instruments are legally required to publish or file quarterly performance reports with the security and exchange commission, but as a general rule, they only print individual statements once a year to be used for personal income tax filings. The 2008 financial crisis has been widely and intensely covered and discussed across every media house and academic forum in the world and many people have already been affected by it, through defaulting or missing mortgage payments, being denied new loans or directly or indirectly through job losses, but when investment statements are received by the more passive investors, a further reaction is expected.

Tracking Donations

The Questions surrounding aid donations have been examined thoroughly and reported intensively worldwide, yet financial aid does not reach the vulnerable people it is intended to help. It is no longer acceptable to simply label this third-world corruption, while funds are being used to purchase first-world products and lifestyles. This type of crime where food, medicine, shelter and education is withheld from poor desperate people by modern day pirates is equivalent to the legal definition of crimes against humanity and in some cases, genocide and should be treated as such.

The Risk of Stress

Risk is all around, all the time. Acceptance can help manage and in some cases control the associated mental stress. This risk can range from large scale events which are being tackled collectively by the best minds to the day-to-day challenges that individuals face. The larger or more complex the risk is perceived by an individual, the less stress that individual may suffer. For example; if an individual suffers a stroke, this event though long lasting and high risk will most likely give that individual less stress, than if the same individual owed money to a living landlord.

Planning the Future

The only certainty is change, whether it is in a growing or declining economy and leaders have to manage in any and all circumstances. The short-term plans will always be affected as is the very nature of life; by the weather, by other people, by the availability of cash. The medium and long-term plans must not be altered easily; with knee jerk responses to daily news headlines, panicking about job losses and stressing out over cash flow problems. The answer is in the detailed planning methods.

An educational plan can take between twenty to thirty years; from literacy to specialty, matching skills to interest and ability, preparing for a profitable career and retirement. A career plan should cover between thirty to forty years; from apprenticeship to veteran, from low level to leader and investing toward a healthy retirement. A retirement plan can be some twenty to forty years; with all living expenses covered by a pension, from carefree enjoyment to helping others, maintaining health and guiding the youths.