Financial Blind Spots Quiz
Many years ago, as a sophomore in high school, I was preparing for my first AP exam. My friends and I looked over our notes, read through old tests and took note of the topics we weren’t as confident about. But we soon realized that there were topics not found in our notes or on past tests that we might be expected to address on the real exam. Those topics were where our biggest test-day vulnerabilities were hidden. Luckily, we had a teacher to help us identify and fill the gaps in our knowledge.
This type of blind spot exists in many areas of life, with varying consequences. Your financial situation probably includes at least a few holes you’re not aware of. Many of us end up on autopilot, thinking that because we set up our homeowner’s insurance when we bought our homes, or regularly save money, that we’re on top of things. But do we have the right amount of coverage for our home? Are we saving enough to meet our long-term goals, like retirement, and our shorter-term goals, like a special vacation or a new car?
Imagine your home is underinsured and a strong storm causes significant damage. You might be responsible for a sizeable portion of the repair bill if your coverage isn’t high enough. Similarly, many people who own investment rental properties don’t realize they’re underinsured for the potential liability they’re taking on.
Choosing a health insurance plan that isn’t optimal for you and your family can also lead to larger expenses in the long run. Do you have small children who go to the doctor often? Are you a healthy young adult who rarely needs care? Are you retiring early and not yet eligible for Medicare? The right health insurance policy is crucial to getting the care you need at the right price.
Those are just a few of the blind spots you might have and failing to address them might lead to a drastic change to your future plans. Your blind spots are unique to you, and they’re called blind spots for a reason; they’re hard to see! Just like all those topics on my AP exam that I needed my teacher to help me find and address, the best way to find the blind spots in your financial life is to get professional help. Here at Merriman, we’re skilled at finding your blind spots and, with the help of expert professionals like estate planning attorneys, CPAs, and insurance specialists, helping you fix them for good.
This year, we want to help you find and fix your blind spots. Start by taking our short quiz that can help you see the gaps. Then contact us and we’ll get to work helping you shore up your financial situation.
At Merriman, we encourage our clients to pursue a fulfilling life. This sounds great, but can sometimes be harder to achieve than we’d like. You might find yourself thinking, “If I only had more time for….”. How many times have you lamented a lack of work/life balance? While our jobs provide the means to achieve some of our goals, but at times, they may stand in the way of personal fulfilment. 
As football season is fully underway, many of us get swept up in the weekly excitement of watching our favorite teams take on their rivals. Maybe you’re closely watching the ups and downs of your Fantasy Football team and strategizing about who to start each week and what the most beneficial trades may be. It’s an exciting time of year for many fans. Let’s take this opportunity to highlight the work one football player is doing off the field. 
In 2006, during the first football game played in New Orleans’ Superdome since Hurricane Katrina tore through the city the previous year, Steve Gleason, a safety for the Saints, blocked a punt against the Atlanta Falcons. The blocked punt resulted in a Saints touchdown and marked the beginning of the winningest season for the Saints up to that point. More than that, though, the blocked punt turned into a symbol for the resiliency of New Orleans. Looking at challenges Gleason has faced in his own life, it’s easy to view the blocked punt as a symbol of his own resiliency as well. 
Earlier this summer, Anthony Bourdain passed away. His passing was marked by a remarkable outpouring of grief, not just from people who knew him, but from his fans as well. This grief felt more widespread than when we’ve lost other public figures. Perhaps his cause of death was part of this, but I have a feeling it wasn’t just Bourdain’s death itself, but something more that made this loss so deep. Bourdain was an example to many of us of what it means to live a full life. He was an inspiration or, perhaps, an aspiration, to all kinds of people across the world. 
